Father William Allegretto
St. Joseph’s Catholic Church
(4/1) The resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter morning for 2.3 billion Christians is a fundamental belief and the cornerstone of the Christian faith. But Why? Of the many doctrines and teachings concerning this fundamental belief and truth, three can be highlighted: First, the resurrection of Jesus Christ will always reveal the length and depth of unfathomable and indescribable love that God the Father moved for his Son, and for those who Christ died and redeemed, fulfilling why he came among us at his birth to conquer sin and death.
The Second, is that we who remember that he came so that we too would have eternal life as we order our souls, hearts and very lives in living out his promise of eternal life in the Heavenly Kingdom. Third, the Risen Christ also pledges that he remains present in his walk among us, in his guidance so that we may always seek out conversion and reconciliation with him and one another by living justly with humility, compassion and mercy, and by protecting us against all that which is evil seeking to tempt and deceive us from our first love.
While many Christian Churches have varying teachings on the meaning and celebration of the Eucharist, we come to know that this was his unique promise to live, heal, unify, nourish and love us in a meal revealing himself as the resurrected Lord in the breaking of the bread and in the sharing of the cup of salvation, until we are fully received into God’s hands and heart.
Having once been asked by one of my students after class, "Can I be a Christian without having to believe in the Resurrection?" The question stopped me and I considered the implications of the question. I remember that I first asked him, "Who is this Jesus to you?" What I asked him was to hear his understanding whether Jesus was more than a historical figure, or a man who was simply good and moral, a healer, a miracle worker, a teacher, or even one of the prophets like in the Old Testament.
Following his understanding to the previous question I also asked him as to whether or not he was having difficulty believing in the promise of an eternal life. As he responded I thought he may not have worked out what his faith would require of him or grasp that faith is about trust without evidence or belief. His answers were not unusual for a young person caught in a very visible and tangible world but fascinated with the spiritual and supernatural. Like Thomas the Apostle he wanted some physical proof for him to trust and believe that Jesus actually rose from the dead, and was more than an apparition or some group hallucination.
We too can ask whether or not the resurrection of Jesus Christ was a historical event that really happened or is simply a figurative example or a myth as many who do not believe or find it difficult to do so. In the Scriptures it was never written that someone witnessed the actual resurrection, but through many accounts, many people swore that they saw the risen Christ after his death, and their lives were never the same. Do, we Christians have actual and conclusive proof of the Resurrection event of Christ?
Please consider the following thoughts:
There is the Empty Tomb of Jesus which is said to be the strongest proof that Jesus rose from the dead. In all of the Gospel accounts, there is the Resurrection story, while varying in the account all would highlight that there were people who watched Jesus being laid away knowing where the correct tomb was belonging to Joseph of Arimathea. Then there is the heavy stone laid across the entrance of the tomb which the women themselves wondered who would roll it away only to find that it already been done. As they looked inside Jesus’ burial cloths were left neatly folded, hardly the act of hurrying grave robbers.
The Apostles Found Courage. After Jesus was crucified nearly all of the Apostles had fled in fear that they would also be executed for being his followers. But something substantially changed them. If we understand human character people do not change so instantly and radically. It was the influence of seeing their risen Master, bodily risen from the dead, coming into the locked room, not once but twice, the second time with Christ showing Thomas his nail prints and spear thrust. In short, the Apostles found the courage and audacity to preach the Risen Christ regardless of the consequences to their own well-being. They knew the truth of the power of Christ crucified and resurrected.
The Changed Lives of Others and a Large Crowd of Witnesses. Changed lives of those not within the Apostle’s immediate group are yet another proof of the resurrection. We hear of Cleopas and his companion on the road to Emmaus met by the Risen Lord who conveys to them the understanding of the Scriptures as to why the Messiah had to suffer die and rise as the fulfillment of the Scriptures. We hear about the large crowd of 500 witnesses who saw the risen Christ at the same time. Today, psychologists might say that it would be impossible for a large crowd of people to have had the same visual experience simultaneously.
The Conversion of Paul. Most people are familiar with the conversion of St. Paul on the road to Damascus where he encounters the risen Lord asking him why he is persecuting the church. His conversion story from ardent persecutor to staunch proclaimer of the risen Christ is a profound example of faith that saw him through shipwrecks, imprisonment, stoning, poverty and years of ridicule and rejection by his own people and execution in Rome. How is it that Paul became a fierce witness of Christ’s resurrection on behalf of the Gentiles peoples? How can we comprehend that because of his conversion he would establish numerous church communities? Most of his letters (epistles) written to these churches are some of the most polished teachings concerning the risen Messiah and that most of his letters were written before the Gospels.
The Numerous People who Had Died for Christ. The history of the Church is filled with numerous accounts of the men, women, even children who were martyrs for their faith in Christ. Every land and time frame from the beginning is populated by men and women who laid down their lives because they believed the resurrection to be true. An isolated group may give up their lives for a cult leader, but Christians have been dying for nearly 2,000 years believing Jesus conquered death to give them eternal life.
I may never know whether or not the young man I taught these same proofs ever made the decision to believe in the resurrection. It is, however with profound gratitude that so many have come to believe that Easter is real not because of historical proof, but because of faith in him who rose and gifts us with eternal life. A Blessed Easter to all and as an Easter people and our song be Alleluia!
Read other articles by Pastor Sean DeLawder
