Easter- Witnesses to the Resurrection of our Lord

 

Easter

 

Witnesses to the Resurrection”

On this Easter Day we are vividly reminded of the people who saw the empty tomb and the Lord Himself raised from the dead. The evidence of the resurrection is seen in the people who saw Jesus and told about it. If we can demonstrate this through the witnesses , then we are giving weighty evidence to those who are struggling with unbelief, doubt and despair. These are myths some say. They are not able to be proved. Today people want others to share with them what has happened and the reality of what Jesus did, is and who He proves to be is seen in the witnesses to the resurrection. We do not live in an age that enjoys the printed page so much…. People communicate thru phones, texts, and tweets , and movies, dvds and videos. People speaking to people is more powerful to our culture than a manuscript in today’s thinking at least….. 

After 6 pm on Saturday, Mary Magdalene ( from Magdala—Luke tells us she ministered out of her wealth 8:2 to Jesus along with other women),  and Mary the mother of James go to view the tomb. (Mt 28:1) They along with Salome( the wife of Zebedee, and mother of James and John) “bought spices that they might come and anoint him.” (Mk 16:1) The tomb is opened by an earthquake (Mt 28:2-4). An angel announces , “ He is not here; for he is risen.” (Mt 28:6) This all happens around 5 am . Mary Magdalene is the first to see in the early morning “ the stone taken away from the tomb.” (Jn 20:1)

 Another group comes later about 6 am among whom is Joanna ( wife of Chuza, the steward of Herod -24:10)(Luke 24:1.. “ Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning , THEY came unto the sepulcher”) seeing “two men…in dazzling apparel” (Lk 24:4) . They are told by these two ,“
Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he 
spoke unto you when he was yet in Galilee, saying that the son of man must be delivered up into the hands of sinful men , and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” ( Lk 24:5-7) 

0630- Peter and John arrive after being told by the women to come and see what is going on, “ She (Mary Magdalene) runneth therefore and cometh to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them,‛ They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we know not where they have laid him.’ ”( Jn 20:2-3) 

0700- The Lord Himself comes to Mary Magdalene , (Jn 20:14-18) Here we see Mary thinking Jesus is the gardener, “ ….she turned herself back, and beholdeth Jesus standing , and knew not that it was Jesus..” 

4pm-6pm - Jesus encounters the two disciples , one named Cleopas, on the way to Emmaus , (mk 16:12;Lk 24:13ff…) “ …when he had sat down with them to meat, he took the bread and blessed; and breaking it he gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him.”

After 4 pm Peter sees Jesus, (Lk 24:34) (I Cor 15:5) “ he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve, then he appeared to above five hundred brethren at once….”

Evidences of the resurrection are clear in the printed word and in the personalities of the people who saw Jesus alive after His crucifixion. What difference should this make in our lives? John tells us in the reading for today in 20:8 . “ Then entered in therefore the other disciple also, who came first to the tomb, and he saw and believed.” Our lives too are new in the evidence of the resurrection, but we like John must go beyond the intellectual acceptance of seeing and believe. Believe what? We can believe that Jesus is the person He said He was, the eternal Son of the living God and if we too like the early witnesses believe in Him we have eternal life with Him. It is easy to lose hope in a world that is often without hope and promise. Today we are called to reclaim the victory that Christ has won for us and trust in Him with all our hearts. This is not a new message. It is the message of the good news of our faith. “ I believe in the resurrection of the dead and the life everlasting.” Here we are for a while but soon we shall enter one day into that presence of God which is forever. 

Does this evidence of people who were real, bled like you and I and felt like you and I convince us of the reality and truth of the resurrection? This evidence is true as John says over and over in his gospel, “ This is the disciple that beareth witness of these things, and  wrote these things: and we know that his witness is true.” (Jn 21:24)