The Resurrection of Christ

The Resurrection event is Christ's victory over death

Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection (the Paschal mystery) is the "good news" - the main message of Christian faith. His suffering, death on the Cross, and His resurrection empowers all believers to overcome all suffering caused by the realities of sin and death in the world. Faith and works in Christ is the key to salvation.

Introduction

The gospel stories in the New Testament reveal the empty tomb as a clue to the resurrection of Christ. The other elements which act as a background to that empty tomb event are: (1) the appearance of the angel telling that Jesus has risen, (2) the burial cloths all neatly folded up beside the tomb, (3) the stone of the tomb rolled away as seen by the women who wanted to put spices on Jesus' dead body, and (4) the many resurrection appearances Jesus performed for His apostles and disciples. All these are found in the gospel of Matthew [Mt 28:1-20]; the gospel of Mark [Mk 16:1-20]; the gospel of Luke [Lk 24:1-53]; and the gospel of John [Jn 20:1-31, 21:1-25].


There really is no detailed evidence found in Scripture of a bright light or a description of the way Jesus had risen from the dead as popularly depicted on movie screens. The only evidence of truth that Jesus indeed resurrected is the great faith which many followers of Jesus have shown by their martyr's witness. It began with the example of the apostles. And this can be attested throughout the two millenia of history: both in the Catholic Church and in the other Christian churches. Many martyrs have witnessed to the world that Jesus is indeed the Life and the Resurrection.

Jesus' death and resurrection foretold in the Old Testament and by the prophecies of Jesus' Himself


There are many allusions to Jesus' death and rising from the dead in the Old Testament. One popular story is Jonah - who was three days in the belly of a whale. Even Christ Himself alluded to Jonah in his preaching. He said that just as Jonah was three days in the belly of the whale, so "shall the Son of Man" be dead for three days and rise again to life on the third day. [Mt 12:38-42; Mk 8:11-12; Lk 11:29-32]


In the gospels, Jesus also foretells His death and resurrection many times: three times to be exact.

• First prophecy of the Passion [Mt 16:21-23; Mk 8:31-33; Lk 9:22]


• Second prophecy of the Passion [Mt 17:22-23; Mk 9:30-32; Lk 9:44-45]


• Third prophecy of the Passion [Mt 20:17-19; Mk 10:32-34; Lk 18:31-33]

The paschal mystery commemorated in the Eucharist

When the priest presides over the Eucharistic celebration and consecrates the bread and the wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, Catholics are reminded of the paschal mystery. It is this mystery which gives Christians their identity, the meaning, direction and their contribution to the Christian mission. They receive all this in the Eucharist and bring the message of Easter to the very places they work and live. The Eucharist is a meal that nourishes the faithful and gives the believers the strength to bring the gospel to the world. By consuming the Body and Blood of Christ, all Catholics become the body and blood of Christ to others: in every thought, word, and deed.

The relevance of Jesus' death and rising for this time

The message of Holy Week and Easter is a reminder to all the faithful not to be tempted to shy away from the daily difficulties of work and life. The faithful can go easily leave their comfort zones from time to time and contribute to the greater good: through alms for the poor and voluntary service to the needy. It is in these present times of crises in many parts of the world that the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus becomes very valuable. In difficult times God becomes really real. All Christians see in Jesus the strength needed to conquer vice, suffering, sin and death. Hope in Jesus will always see all through.


The social relevance of Jesus' death and rising is salvation within the context of a Christian community: a family, a neighborhood, or a parish. Salvation from Jesus is in the Church who ministers to all the baptized the sacraments. These signs of God's live channel God's graces to save the Christian community from sin and death.