Surrexit| Raised

"He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay." – Matthew 28: 6 (NRSV)

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All Christians believe in life after death. The life that God is promising to us is eternal. We read in the book of wisdom of Solomon 2: 23 – "For God created man to be immortal, and made him to be an image of his own eternity".  

Our life doesn't end with our death. By death our soul is separated from the body and this soul continues to live. This hope that we have is actualized through the resurrection of Jesus himself. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul reminds us: "And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith" - 1 Corinthians 15:14.

Jesus himself says in John 5:24 – "truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life". When we look into the life of Jesus he was very certain about the kind of death that he was going to undertake and he was also certain about the fact that after three days he will be raised. We read in the gospel of Mark 9: 30-32 – "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise."

After the death of Jesus, the disciples were terrified and sad. They had almost lost hope. Even though Jesus had told them that he will be raised on the third day, they had not understood it. It is at this time that the Angel appears to Mary Magdalene and her companions and tells them, "He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay." - Mt. 28: 6. This good news of Jesus being raised is announced by these women to the disciples and it gives them hope. 

This is also one of the foundations of our faith: the real good news that Jesus lives. We are also asked by Jesus to spread this good news. As the tomb is empty and by his death Jesus has destroyed death, sin and all evil.  We have the best hope possible in the world. Let us also do just like Mary Magdalene and her companions did: "and they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him" - Matthew 28: 9.

 

Reflection on Matthew 28:1-10 by Fr. George Joseph SVD

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