Fr. Dale Matson
Today we celebrate the resurrection of
our Lord. Additionally we celebrate Easter each Sunday of the year. Why do we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection so
extensively? We are so slow to realize what it means. We need reminding over and over again. The
bodily resurrection from the dead of Jesus Christ is the central feature of the
Christian faith and also distinguishes Christianity from all other religions.
In Christ we have hope that we too will be raised from the dead to eternal
life. In Christ we already are assured of eternal life as we live out our
present life.
The
Gospel of St. John is my favorite Gospel and important in forming my “Christology”,
that is, my understanding of who Jesus really is. This is because John’s Gospel speaks to the deity of Christ. While Matthew generally deals with
“Christ the King”, Mark deals
with “Christ the Servant” and Luke
deals with “Christ the Man”.
As I read St. John’s post
resurrection account of Jesus appearing to the disciples the fearful humanity
of the apostles is very evident. Even
though the disciples were familiar with Hebrew Prophesy, even though Jesus had
told them what would take place, even though had seen the empty tomb and even
after Mary Magdalene had reported seeing and talking to Jesus, the disciples
were still gathering behind locked
doors because they were afraid.
Then Jesus appeared to them in the room.
Jesus told them to be at peace.
St. Luke notes in his account that the disciples were terrified because
they thought they were seeing a ghost. Jesus
showed them His wounds and breathed the Holy Spirit on them. This is both a looking back to when God
breathed life into the nostrils of Adam and a looking forward toward
Pentecost. After breathing on them He
commissioned them as he had commissioned Peter following Peter’s
confession. Yet even after all of this, where were they one week later? They were still meeting behind locked
doors. Jesus did not bother to knock on
either occasion because He knew they would be too afraid to answer the
door. So He simply walked through the
door on both occasions. The disciples still
didn’t get their game face on until the day of Pentecost. It seems like it takes a mission and a repeated
push from God the Holy Spirit to get all of us going.
After the Apostles were
arrested and put in prison for healing
in the name of Jesus, the Angel of the Lord released them during the night and
they went right back to teaching in the temple the next morning.
Do these seem like the same
Apostles? Who was afraid now? “And someone came and told the Pharisees, “Look!
The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.
Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for
they were afraid of being stoned by
the people. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council.
And the high priest questioned them, saying, We strictly charged you not to
teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and
you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.” (Acts 5, ESV)
The tables have been turned
haven’t they? Now it is the Pharisees who are afraid. Before, when they cried out to have Jesus crucified, they
said, “Let His blood be upon us and our children.” (Matthew 27:25) Have they
not condemned themselves out of their own mouths?
“Peter answered, “We must obey
God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by
hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to
give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to
these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey
him.” (Acts 5, ESV)
But a Pharisee in the council
named Gamaliel stated, “I tell you, keep away from these men and let them
alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it
is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found
opposing God!” So they took his advice, and when they had called in the
apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus,
and let them go.” And so, this finally put fear back into the Apostles and they
shut up right? “Then they left the
presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer
dishonor for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house,
they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.” (Acts 5, ESV)
These are the same unlearned,
timid and fearful men who had previously been hiding behind locked doors. They
were now performing mighty signs and miracles. People were laying the sick in
the streets as Peter passed by; hoping his shadow might fall on the sick
and heal them. These were now Apostles empowered by the Holy Spirit and speaking
boldly with no regard for their safety or even their lives.
In John’s Gospel Thomas stated,
“Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my fingers in the
mark of the nail, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe.” In the case of Thomas, flesh and blood did reveal who Christ really was. The response of Thomas commands our
attention. After seeing and touching the
wounds of Christ, Thomas exclaims, “My Lord and my God”. Christ’s divinity was
revealed to Thomas by his humanity. Christ is not only the way of
salvation, He is not only our salvation, He is our God.
John’s Gospel
message deals with the person and finished work of Christ and the ongoing work
of the church in proclaiming this. It is also about this only being made
possible by empowerment from the Holy Spirit. Why then are we behind locked
doors ourselves?
The last words of
Christ from the cross were, “It is finished.” His work was finished but the
work of the church was just beginning. It is the good work of the church to
proclaim the finished work of Jesus Christ. The gates of hell cannot prevail
against the church if it obeys this commission. He has also commanded us to
love one another. These two things constitute the primary work of the Christian church.
As we
accept him again in the mystery of the Eucharist let us take seriously the
words we include in our final prayer.
“And now
Father, send us out to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve
you as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord.” Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment