Beyond Sight (Easter Sunday)

In a seminar for high school students, they were asked to write down the different developmental stages in the life span of a human person. One of the students gave a very interesting answer. He wrote: There are eight stages and they are infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, middle age, old age, death and resurrection.

Life is not a destiny in itself but a journey towards God. As St. Paul says, “Death does not have the last laugh”’. This is not a unique Christian position. Every religion believes in and preaches about life after death. For instance, the Hindu Religion visualizes the goal of life as a perfect merging of our soul into the supreme God. Until one attains this goal, he/she is born again and again. Buddhism talks about nirvana / total enlightenment / liberation as the goal of human existence. Islam also believes in a final judgment after death.

Our faith in the resurrection of the body is not based on wishful thinking, but on the historical foundation of the resurrection of Jesus. We do not believe in a God who is dead, but a God who is living. By raising Jesus from the slavery of Death, God the Father is conveying to the world a number of redemptive truths.

What Did The Resurrection of Jesus Signify?

The Resurrection of Jesus vindicated the life lived by Jesus. Like any other human person Jesus struggled between two voices; the voice of God and the voice of his self. The struggle was between the temptation to make a Name for Himself through power and might, and the strong call to build up a Name for God through obedience. This struggle constantly challenged him. But victory was his. The prayer that Jesus uttered from the cross ‘Father in your hands I place my soul’ became his song of triumph. God was pleased the way Jesus walked. He raised Jesus up. Bringing Jesus back to life, God says: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; follow him”. On this Easter day we are invited to declare with Peter:” Between heaven and earth there is no name other than Jesus given for human salvation.”

The resurrection of Jesus declares God’s faithfulness. The first sin of humanity was mistrust. Adam and Eve, the first parents, doubted the intention of God. Even the disciples were suspicious. Lack of trust forced Peter to deny Jesus. God raised Jesus from the dead to convince the world that he is trustworthy and “even if a mother abandon her own child, God will not abandon His faithful ones”.

The resurrection of Jesus underlines the possibility of Hope. Our instant culture looks for immediate result. Our patience does not last until we see the other side of the mountain. Our world is limited within the range of our eye sight. So much so, we get frustrated easily and give up cheaply. The ‘good thief’ saw glimpses of light even in the darkest moment of his life. He did not give up. He ended up in paradise. The Risen Lord reminds us: Don’t give up. There is an Easter Sunday after Good Friday. Death is not the end of everything. We are on a pilgrimage. Our Journey is complete only when we reach heaven. So do not live as if you belong to this world and death is the end of everything.

What Does Resurrection Mean For Us?

According to St. Paul, the goal of every Christian is to know and experience the power of the resurrection of Jesus. What does resurrection mean for you and me?

The Resurrection is life in the Spirit. It is a total submission of the body to the Spirit. When the body comes under the total control of the spirit, it is death to the physical world and birth to the spiritual world. This is not something that takes place merely after death. This is something that we must experience daily. This is a daily sadhana.

Jesus Must Be Our Foundation

Our challenge is, therefore, how can we overcome the attractions of the empty promises of the world. The only answer is to place Christ at the center of our lives and makes Him our reference point. The best example of a resurrected life is the story of Zachaeus. Peace became part of his life when he allowed Jesus to direct his life. If Jesus is our role model, then we will be able to put everything into perspective. We will have proper direction in life.