2025-04-20 The Resurrection of Christ

Scripture Readings

Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia!

During our midweek Lenten study this year we watched The Chosen. For those who couldn’t take it in or haven’t heard of it, it’s a video portrayal of the life of Christ our Lord, and the people who followed Him as His disciples. It’s a fascinating series because it highlights not only the truth of the Gospel of Jesus but also the lives of His followers. Real people. Ordinary people. Common folk with struggles and issues and problems just like any of us have. This is who Jesus calls to follow Him. In the series, they do an amazing job of showing what happens when the ordinary meets the extra-ordinary. By that I mean our Lord’s miracles.

The finite human brain has a really hard time with the infinite of God’s Divinity. In the show, St. Matthew is portrayed as a most likely autistic person, with an increadible super power for numbers and math and logic and reason. But when he witnesses our Lord’s miracle of the miraculous catch of fish, he can’t parse it. It’s beyond explanation. It’s beyond reason. It’s truly increadible and miraculous. He is compelled to figure it out and dissect precisely how this impossible thing became possible.

Likewise Nicodemus, a wise and learned teacher of Israel. He witnesses two miraculous things in the show and is compelled to learn more. Mary Magdalene was possessed by demons and completely out of her right mind. Then he sees her completely restored and sane. He also witnesses the miraculous healing of the paralytic. Friends bring this poor paralyzed man to Jesus on a mat and that same man gets up and walks home in front of everyone. How can this be?! It defies all logic and reason. The mind really struggles with these events that defy the laws of nature.

Fast forward to today. The greatest miracle of all time has just taken place. The followers of Jesus saw Him die with their own eyes. Eye witness accounts that would hold up in a modern court of law, unanimously confess that Jesus of Nazareth was sentenced to die on a Roman cross at the hand of Roman governor Pontius Pilate. They watched as the death sentence of an innocent man was carried out amidst mob hysteria. They watched as He suffered mercilessly and finally gave up His spirit. They saw His lifeless body taken down from the cross and placed in a tomb. And then, 3 days later, their eyes behold what their brains tell them is impossible. Though He died, Jesus is alive again.

“Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise” (LK 24:5-7). These are the Angel’s words to the women. They’re just saying what Jesus already said! Our Lord told His followers straight up that this was all going to happen because it was the only way to deal with sin, death and the devil. Death is going to die and Jesus is going to slay it. But they have the hardest time reconciling all of this. The faithful, myrrh-bearing women run back to the Apostles and boldly proclaim the message that Christ is risen!

Did you hear about the woman who woke up early one morning to find her dog laying on the back patio, head to tail covered in dirt, with a dead rabbit in his mouth? Turns out the neighbour’s kids raised those big Holland Lop eared ones as pets. The woman instantly knew what had happened. Her dog somehow got hold of one and killed it! She quickly took the rabbit away from the dog, washed all the dirt off of it, dried it off with a hair dryer, then snuck into the neighbour’s yard where she found the empty hutch. She put the rabbit back inside the cage and then stealthily ran back home. It was still early so she figured she wouldn’t be seen. About an hour later she hears a bunch of screaming from the neighbour’s yard. She nonchalantly walked over to find out whats up. The crying kids told her that their rabbit died three days ago and they buried it … but now it was back in the cage!

It was The Wascally Wabbit Scandal of 2025! This rather sinister story makes sense. We can understand what really happened behind the scenes. Dead and buried bunnies don’t just come back to the cage! And doubt is truly our first response to such things. This is exactly how the Apostles respond to the women: “These words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them” (LK 24:11). Just a bunch of nonsensical women-talk, like watching an episode of ‘The View’!

But St. Luke tells us that Peter “rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened” (LK 24:12). We don’t know why he did this, when all the others seemed to scoff and stay home. Was it to prove the women wrong? Was it just his impulsive and abrupt character coming through? Did he feel guilty for betraying the Lord three times? Or, was it faith to see with his eyes that which his brain could not comprehend? Peter, ‘the rock,’ had to see if the stone was truly rolled away. And indeed it was. It was exactly what the women described. The grave clothes were there all alone. And he marvelled. He was stunned, astonished and amazed, all rolled into one. If there were any doubts left about Jesus being the Messiah, they just got obliterated by the empty tomb. Jesus is alive!

This is our belief too. This is why we are gathered here this morning, like our ancestors for centuries before us. The testimony and miracle of the empty tomb that defies all logic and reason is still blowing minds 2000+ years after the fact! Without this, without our Lord’s resurrection from the dead, all we have is ‘dead bunnies’ and maybe some chocolate eggs. A vernal equinox and a celebration of spring. But that’s not all. We still have death and its misery. We still have sin and the darkness of the devil. It’s a terrible thing to not have a resurrected Saviour.

But this is why we rejoice today as God’s Baptized people! The emptiness of the tomb fills our hearts with hope and joy! For forgiveness, life and salvation have burst forth from the grave. God’s favour and blessings rest upon all who believe the Good News that the women proclaimed and that St. Peter saw. Christ is risen from the dead, beating down death by death and to those in tombs bestowing life! Amen! Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

St. John Chrysostom's Paschal Homily

If anyone is devout and a lover of God, let them enjoy this beautiful and radiant festival.

If anyone is a grateful servant, let them, rejoicing, enter into the joy of his Lord.

If anyone has wearied themselves in fasting, let them now receive recompense.

If anyone has laboured from the first hour, let them today receive the just reward.

If anyone has come at the third hour, with thanksgiving let them feast.

If anyone has arrived at the sixth hour, let them have no misgivings; for they shall suffer no loss.

If anyone has delayed until the ninth hour, let them draw near without hesitation.

If anyone has arrived even at the eleventh hour, let them not fear on account of tardiness.

For the Master is gracious and receives the last even as the first; He gives rest to him that comes at the eleventh hour, just as to him who has laboured from the first.

He has mercy upon the last and cares for the first; to the one He gives, and to the other He is gracious.

He both honours the work and praises the intention.

Enter all of you, therefore, into the joy of our Lord, and, whether first or last, receive your reward.

O rich and poor, one with another, dance for joy! O you ascetics and you negligent, celebrate the day! You that have fasted and you that have disregarded the fast, rejoice today!

The table is rich-laden: feast royally, all of you! The calf is fatted: let no one go forth hungry!

Let all partake of the feast of faith. Let all receive the riches of goodness. Let no one lament their poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed. Let no one mourn their transgressions, for pardon has dawned from the grave. Let no one fear death, for the Saviour’s death has set us free.

He that was taken by death has annihilated it! He that descended into Hades and took Hades captive!

He embittered it when it tasted His flesh! And anticipating this, Isaiah exclaimed: “Hades was embittered when it encountered Thee in the lower regions”. It was embittered, for it was abolished! It was embittered, for it was mocked! It was embittered, for it was purged! It was embittered, for it was despoiled! It was embittered, for it was bound in chains! It took a body and face to face met God!

It took earth and encountered Heaven! It took what it saw, but crumbled before what can not seen!

O death, where is thy sting? O Hades, where is thy victory? Christ is risen, and you are overthrown! Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen!

Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice! Christ is risen, and life reigns! Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in a tomb!

For Christ, being raised from the dead, has become the first-fruits of them that have slept.

To Him be glory and might unto the ages of ages. Amen!

Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!