All the four evangelists reports about the empty grave of Christ and the reports of the disciples of Jesus about the resurrection of Jesus. The empty grave in Jerusalem and the appearances of Jesus in Galilee to his disciples, reports of the letters to Paul and the reports about the resurrection of Jesus in the Gospels are for us the faithful the proof for the resurrection of Jesus.
According to the report of St John he himself and Maria Magdalena, the close friends of Jesus, Peter, the leader of the community, were surprised to see the empty grave. The last sentence express clearly this surprise: “They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead“ (Jn.20:9).
It is also clear from the reaction of Mary Magdalene, who did not find Jesus in the tomb and then said to the apparition: (Jn.20:15) “Lord, when you have taken him away, tell me where you have laid him! Then I want to get him. (Jn.20:14).
But we read in the Gospel of Matthew chap. 27, verse, 63 that the chief priests and Pharisees went to Pilate and said that when Jesus was still alive, he claimed that after three days of his death he would rise again. That’s why they ordered Jesus’ tomb to be guarded and sealed for three days so that Jesus’ disciples could not steal his body and then announce that he had been resurrected. (Matt.27.63-64).
It is interesting to know that Christ’s disciples and those closest to him were less aware of the possible resurrection of Jesus than Jesus’ opponents, who were very aware of it.
It seems that Jesus’ opponents took Jesus’ words more seriously than his disciples. Since Peter and his colleagues left Jesus out of fear and sat behind closed doors, Jesus’ opponents tried to take sensible measures and bury his message and his followers with the grave of Jesus.
Jesus himself speaks about such matters in the Gospel of Luke, chapter. 16. when he says: The children of this world are wiser than the children of light.
Not only then, but also today, we sense the wisdom of the children of this world towards the children of the light.
But despite the fear of Christ’s disciples and the security measures of the chief priests and Pharisees, God worked over all human weakness and as Paul says, God raised Jesus from the dead (Rom. 8:11, 10:9; 1 Cor. 6:14; 15, 15<, 2Cor.4:14; Gal.1:1; Col. 2:12).
Nothing is impossible for God.
God’s grace and love are limitless. The Father in heaven causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. (Matt.5:45).
The resurrection of Christ shows us the limitless power, love, grace, goodness and mercy of God in Jesus Christ. He is above time and space; his death only happened so that he could rise from death and thereby show the love and greatness of God. The resurrection of Jesus shows that truth and justice will prevail, God will not let the innocent and the simple perish if they believe in God and trust in him.
The proclamation and spread of the Gospel by the ordinary disciples of Christ prove what matters. It is not the power in this world that are important, but rather the truth, love, faithfulness, justice, mercy, faith and hope. Easter invites us to this awareness of the real and true value of being human and to this true joy of life, that Jesus lives, that God loves all people, that faith counts, that God is our true joy. Happy Easter.
Fr. Joseph Pandiappallil MCBS