Jesus kept his promise

He has risen, as he said. This refrain reverberated through Jerusalem on that Sunday, April 9, 30, and later round Galilee. It continues to reverberate around the world when Christians gather to celebrate the event that constitutes the Christian church.

Writing in 54, that is 24 years after the event, and between 20-40 years before the gospel writers penned their accounts of this stupendous happening, St Paul confirmed this in no uncertain terms to the Christian community in Corinth: I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: namely that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures.

Then, to prove this fantastic assertion, he lists an impressive number of witnesses to the fact, starting with Peter, by this time head of the Church in Antioch, James the Less, head of the Church in Jerusalem, and the rest of the apostles, to whom the risen Lord appeared. His final claim to the veracity of this event: He appeared to more than 500 of the brothers, most of whom are still alive. And the climax: Last of all he appeared also to me (I Cor. 15:3-11).

In his gospel, Mark records three times that Jesus taught that the Son of Man must suffer many things, be rejected by the temple authorities, be killed, and after three days rise again. Yet we cant help thinking the disciples had singularly failed to absorb this prediction and to place their hopes in its truthful outcome.

Early on Sunday morning, Mary Magdalen and other women come to the tomb bringing burial fragrances to complete the embalming process for the body of Jesus. In a practical way, they fret about how the huge stone will be moved for them. They certainly are not expecting to find the tomb empty. Mark and Luke record that the stone has been rolled away and there is a man dressed in white (Mark) while Luke increases the number of angels to two. Matthews angel actually rolls away the stone conveniently for them.

I love the incident that John presents of Peter and himself, alerted that the tomb is empty by Mary Magdalen, come running to see. The teenager, John, outruns the middle-aged Peter, but in deference to the older man, hangs back to let Peter go into the tomb first to verify it is indeed empty.

As always the consummate storyteller, Luke records the risen Jesus falling in with the two men, one of them Cleopas, his cousin, walking to Emmaus. Such a wonderful example of catechesis: Was it not ordained that the Christ should suffer and so enter into his glory? Then starting with Moses and going through all the prophets, he explained to them the passages throughout the scriptures that were about himself (24:13-27).

What puzzles me about this incident is why they did not see the wounds in his wrists and his feet? That same evening when our risen Lord visits the apostles in the Upper Room, they are frightened by his appearance with the wounds quite visible.

One week later Thomas is present and our Lord permits him to carry out his touch-and-tell experiment. What results from this incredible condescension on Jesus part is the profound act of faith of the doubter who proclaims: My Lord and my God!

The Resurrection narratives show some common characteristics: the disciples are in sorrow, bereft of their Lord; he appears, greets them, identifies himself, utters words of comfort and consolation, and entrusts to them a missionary charge. After some initial doubt the disciples accept that seeing is believing, and recognising him, they rejoice in his return to life.

The accounts in the gospels of Christs appearances fall into two categories: those that correspond to what Paul recorded in I Corinthians; and those about which he is silent. There are two geographical locations for the appearances, (leaving aside the road to Emmaus, wherever that was)Jerusalem and Galilee. Our faith in the Resurrection of the Lord rests on past witness and present experience.

Before dawn on that first day of the week, Christ did not step out of his tomb; rather like the rising sun, he exploded outward with ecstatic joy into all the universe with new life � a new life that he offers and shares with all those who will open themselves to it. His triumph is ours as well.
Between wonder, joy and fear they stood and found no words to say.