If historians were to list ten events that shaped the world, what happened on that first Easter morning would be included. Without the resurrection, Jesus would be nothing more than a footnote in history. Most likely he would be listed along with other religious leaders who simply came and went. But Jesus was different. Unlike them, he rose from the dead.
One could argue that no singular event has had a greater impact on world history than what happened that morning when Mary Magdalene and her companions discovered the empty tomb. Told that Jesus was not there and that he had risen, they returned to the disciples and told them the startling news. Luke gives us no details of the event but he tells us that Peter went home from the empty tomb amazed at what had happened.
Those who cannot believe what happened come up with any number of explanations; the body was stolen from the tomb, or Jesus wasn’t really dead when he was taken down from the cross and he was drugged when he was placed in the tomb. But the story we are told has stood the test of time. The Lord has risen! Those who later saw the risen Christ never altered their testimony even when threatened with death.
Why does this even matter to us today? For one thing, what happened to Jesus gives us reason to believe that life is more than that span of time from the womb to the tomb. Until Jesus came on the scene, the Jews envisioned the Messiah only as a worldly leader who would liberate them from the Romans, but Jesus kept telling them that his kingdom was not of this world. But where else could it be if its not here? The notion that we could someday be living in a different dimension made little sense until the resurrection took place.
By his resurrection, Jesus left evidence that our time here is a stepping-stone to a new life beyond death. What he said in those few years as he wondered the shores of Galilee and the hills of Judea was the good news that he would free us from the oppression of sin and suffering in this lifetime as well.
We are celebrating more than just an historical event that happened 2000 years ago. We are celebrating the impact that event continues to have on our lives today. The awareness that life for us can be renewed, rejuvenated and made whole.
We are to live the joy of Jesus’ resurrection as we journey toward our own. Like Jesus, we can emerge from our tombs, not just the ones that will be someday be our final earthly resting places, but also the tombs we bury ourselves in during this lifetime. The risen Christ gives us the grace to resist temptations and experience forgiveness. We can leave behind the desert experience of our past sins to experience our own resurrection by choosing to deepen our relationship with God. Each time we show love to others, we share in the resurrection.
The resurrection of Jesus is the heart of our Christian faith. Having witnessed the risen Christ, the apostles went forth to proclaim the good news. Nothing could keep them entombed for they had seen first-hand that Jesus had triumphed over death. They were moved to share the news that nothing can defeat us any more, not pain, not sorrow, not rejection, not even death.
Most likely you have never heard of Nikolai Ivanovich Bukarin. He was a very powerful man in the early days of the Soviet Union. I read that in 1930 he addressed a huge assembly of Communists in Kyiv, Ukraine, on the subject of atheism, with the intent of trying to disprove the premises of Christianity.
When done, he asked if there were any questions. Silence filled the auditorium. Then a man went on the stage and looked over the audience. He then shouted the ancient greeting known well in the Orthodox Church, “Christ is risen!” En masse the crowd arose and responded like a clap of thunder, “He is risen indeed!”
Nikolai learned that faith in Christ’s resurrection was deeply rooted in the people of Ukraine. The faith expressed then in Kiev sustains the resistance of the people in Ukraine today.
Yes, the ultimate greatness of Easter is more than a past event. Easter, as shown by that assembly in Kyiv decades ago, is an unfolding mystery that has touched and will continue to touch countless lives. The real proclamation of the gospel isn’t “Look what happened to Jesus!” No, the real message is “Look at what can happen to us!” for the message of Easter is that the resurrection has the power to transform our lives.
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! My friends, a blessed Easter to you! Not just this day, but throughout this season, which lasts until Pentecost on June 4 and beyond until we meet our risen Lord in the halls of heaven.