A number of years ago, I was able to take a trip with my fellow deacon classmates to the Holy Land, to see many of the different sights and locations that would have had some level of significance and importance when it came, not only to Jesus’s life and ministry, but even in the times of the Old Testament. In no small way, we were impacted by a number of different places and locations, and yet, there was a pivotal moment where everything on our trip changed.
That moment was when we reached the sight of Calvary. Now, this particular place is now located inside a Church, and you can go up, see that place, and even experience a Mass said right there at that spot. However, that wasn’t what was truly shocking to me. No, what was the most shocking was the revelation of how close by the Holy Sepulcher was to the sight of Calvary. I had always imagined it to be a fair distance away, and yet, the tomb is only a short distance away. That moment of revelation was a moment that changed everything- and in a very profound way, it showed me the connection of death to life, as Christ entered into this moment.
I can only imagine, though, how that tomb was a place of sorrow for the disciples initially. Coming off of the disappointment that Good Friday was, they had laid His Body in the tomb and had departed in sorrow and sadness, and simply went away, wondering where things had went wrong. Yet, deep in that sleep and deep in that darkness, something was happening- that Jesus Christ was preparing to conquer death- and not just in a way where He was the only one who could enjoy the fruits of that conquering- but in a way that all could enjoy the fruits of that labor- and the spoils of that victory.
Thus, we have arrived at the celebration of our Lord’s Resurrection. This truly is a triumphant day- and one that we likely come to anticipate to some degree every year. Yet, why is it now such a celebration? How has death turned to life in the work of the Lord’s Resurrection?
The first reading this morning comes from the book of the Acts of the Apostles. This passage relates the preaching of Peter specifically, and we find him specifically preaching about the Resurrection itself. Peter is speaking to them and tells them “you know what has happened all over Judea.” What exactly happened all over Judea? That was the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Peter begins with Jesus being baptized, and then moves through his life. He spoke about all that He did, from doing good works, freeing those who were oppressed, and then even starts to speak of the different things that happened when Jesus was put to death- how he had been put on a Cross.
Originally, that might have been where Peter had left that story, and yet, he continues on. He tells about how God raised Jesus on the third day, and granted that this be shown to every land and every people. Thus, Peter, because of the Resurrection, finds in Himself the ability to go about and to preach the good news- that Jesus Christ has come and risen from the dead. Everyone who believes in him “will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.”
Truly, this is the day the Lord has made- we should rejoice and be glad!
The second reading is also taken from Saint Paul’s letter to the Colossians, and it has a simple word of encouragement: if you were raised with Christ, seek what is above- where Christ uis seated at the right hand of God. This may seem like a nice idea full of potential, and yet, there is really more to it. Paul reminds those Colossians that this is going to require a change- to think of what is above, not of what is on earth. If one truly seeks to be alive in Christ and to live in His glory- and the glory of His Resurrection- then it will be a moment that will fundamentally change everything- even the way they act or the way they carry themselves.
The Gospel this morning is taken from the Gospel according to John- and it tells what started out as a somber story. Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning- and we are told it is still dark. She, while still approaching realizes that the stone has been removed from the tomb- and so she goes back and runs to Simon Peter and the apostle John. She relates to them astonishing news- that the body of the Lord has been taken- and she does not know where they put Him. So, both of those apostles ran back to the tomb, and they go in and see the sight- that the burial cloths were there- and that they had also been rolled up and put to the side. Truly, this was something unexpected. And, since we come from our point of view, we may think that it would be rather obvious what had happened, and yet, they are so startled by what has happened that they nearly forget every prophecy, every testimony, and everything that had ever told them that Jesus was going to rise from the dead. Yet, they find that the tomb has been emptied. This is a moment that changes everything.
Yet, we now know that our Lord has been raised from the tomb. For thousands of years and for generations we have celebrated this simple fact. What are we to do now- and how are we to take this news ourselves, even as the years go by?
First, we should recall that Jesus had proved Himself to be true. All of those times that He had told the apostles and His disciples that He would rise again on the third day were in fact proving to be very true. They weren’t fiction, and they weren’t by any means something that was simple folklore. He told them the truth- even though they didn’t quite understand it yet.
Second, we should see how Jesus’s resurrection takes something that seemed disastrous on the outset and turned it into something that was a powerful force for good. Whenever there was such great violence in His Passion, and in His death, there was such great restoration in what resulted from those occasions. It wasn’t enough that death would simply be undone, but it was so that the entire course of sin and death was turned on it’s head, because this moment changed everything.
Yet, there is a final and third point- that this is a moment of powerful and profound change- and it does indeed change everything. It offers us life, even in the valley of death. It sets to restore us to heaven, when we could never think of such a thing on our own power. Yet, when it comes down to it the Resurrection offers us a choice- are we going to accept and to see the Resurrection carry out it’s work in our life, or are we simply going to sit back and watch the Resurrection happen? Brothers and sisters, this joy and the beauty of this day is something that should offer us profound hope and profound joy- especially in a world that so often gets focused on what is fleeting and quickly passing away- or even what fails to satisfy. The reality of the Resurrection is that it offers us a way out, and gives us a very clear way and clear path forward- if we are willing to adopt it and to call it our own.
So, the question I would present to each of us to consider today: the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave has changed everything for us. We are given life and life abundantly in a new way! Yet, are we willing to let that life pour out in abundance to each of us?
Brothers and sisters, Christ has risen- He has risen indeed! May we all experience the joy of the Resurrection and the empty tomb- a moment that has changed everything, and changed it forever.
