Dear Friends in Christ:
Have you ever wondered what it was like for Jesus at the Resurrection? I have. Obviously, anything that I could possibly imagine is not from personal experience, nor is it going to be quite accurate! It is not only that I have never experienced resurrection, but also that I have obviously not experienced my own death! Sometimes in my imaginings, I see the Resurrection like gently waking up in the morning, and other times I see it as a jolt; like waking up in the middle of the night from a nightmare or from pain. The moment of the Resurrection is never described in the Gospels. I also wonder about the moment after the Resurrection. What was going on in Jesus’ mind and consciousness? What was He thinking and feeling after that moment of initial awareness that He was no longer dead? Again, the scriptures do not tell us, but this too I can imagine. I see Jesus overwhelmed with love and gratitude to the Father, not because of His awakening from death, but because He knows death has been conquered! I see the Risen Jesus, as related in the scriptures, to be of infinite calmness. He is not worried or anxious. He exhibits a peace and tranquility that befuddles the disciples. Note how often they are scared, anxious, and confused in their encounters with the Risen Lord! It takes them a while to figure out, “It is the Lord!” and to hear His greeting of “Peace!” (Shalom!).
What the Scriptures do tell us is that Jesus’ death was real. Jesus’ suffering and pain were indeed real. His agony, both physical and psychological, was real. It was not a pretend death or pseudo or ersatz death. It was real. Jesus’ death was not fake and His Resurrection from the dead is not a mental trick. The Resurrection of Jesus is not a sentimental, ‘He will live forever in our hearts’, schmaltz. People do not totally change their lives, or give up their lives, much less die, for sentimentality as the followers of Jesus have done for 2000 years. The Resurrection of Jesus unleashes a power that the world cannot explain, contain, or control. The power of the Resurrection is the infinite power of God’s love for us!
This was true 2000 years ago and it is true today. There is growing evidence that our contemporary world is reverting, not merely to an indifference of Christianity, but to outright hostility and antipathy. This can be bewildering, worrisome, and even dreaded by those of us who believe. While sad for the world, we must remember not to lose hope. Jesus is Risen from the dead! He knows our pains and our sufferings, and He knows what we do not, what resurrection is like. The challenge for us today is, in essence, the same as for Christians of every age. We are to be a people of hope and faith. St. Augustine reminds us, “We are an Easter people and Alleluia is our song!”
At the same time, we must never forget that there is no Easter without Good Friday. The life of pain and suffering, suspicion, and rejection, was true for Jesus and is true for us as well. Jesus told us that just as He was ridiculed, mocked, slandered, and rejected; experienced suffering and death, this too would be our lot if we follow Him. Good Friday is not restricted to a 24-hour time frame, or to any period in history. The Agony in the Garden, the Scourging at the Pillar, and the Crucifixion were only part of what Jesus suffered. It is our sins that cause Jesus the most pain. As followers of Jesus in 2024, we must be prepared to be ridiculed, rejected, and to suffer for our beliefs. The suffering and pain are real and are going to become more intense. Jesus’ Resurrection on that Easter morning does not exempt us from suffering and pain in this life. By His Suffering, Death and Resurrection, Jesus shows us a way through our sufferings and how to endure the pain until we too experience Resurrection. Jesus’ death and Resurrection give us hope in this life and for the life to come.
In Pace Christi,
Fr. Troy