Dear Friends

Jesus Christ is risen from the dead!  This is what today’s Paschal Feast of Easter is all about.

What exactly happened in the tomb that first Easter morning, no one knows for sure.  None of the four gospels describe that event, nor could it have been recorded because it was beyond all human comprehension, the greatest of all miracles.

The only thing we are told by the gospel writers is that those who went to the tomb found it empty.  What we do know from the scriptures is that it happened before the sun rose on the first day of the week.  What we believe as Christians is that Jesus had risen as he foretold.

The account of finding the empty tomb is similar in the Gospels of Mark, Luke and John.  There is one slight difference – John has only Mary of Magdala going to the tomb to anoint the dead body of Jesus, whereas the two synoptic writers include other women besides Mary Magdelene.  Nevertheless, upon coming to the tomb all of them discover that the huge stone across the entrance of the tomb has already been removed or “rolled back.”  The body of Jesus is not in the tomb.  Some people even suspect that Jesus’ body was stolen.

Matthew, however, differs completely in his account of the empty tomb.  In his description, two women by the name of “Mary” come to the tomb.  Then the scene changes dramatically.  The huge stone or rock has not yet been rolled back as indicated in the other gospels.  Instead, Matthew tells us “And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, approached, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it.” (28:2, 4)  Matthew records there were guards stationed at the tomb, probably by Pilate at the request of the Jewish leaders.  We are told these guards became frightened at the angel’s appearance and “became like dead men.”

Thereafter, the angel proceeds to tell the women that the body of the crucified Jesus whom they were seeking is not there (i.e. the tomb) saying, “he has been raised just as he said” – the same message recorded in Mark and Luke.  In the end what remains is an empty tomb.

Likewise, the result of that Easter message is the same for all of us.  There is no tomb which cannot be rolled back.  Whether implicit or conveyed, it is the Lord who will roll back the tomb for all of us, regardless of what that tomb may be.  Perhaps it is fear; maybe it is an indiscretion from the past.  Whatever it is, God wants to remove it for the same reason he raised his Son from the dead – because he loves us and does not want anything to separate us from him, including death.  It is up for us then to identify what tomb we want God’s love to uncover.

The joy of Easter is that God will roll back any stone to any tomb in which we find ourselves buried.  Most of all, he will ultimately lift up all of us from the worst of tombs – death itself – and raise us to eternal life.  He promised it on the day of our baptism and he cannot renege.

My friends, Jesus Christ is risen from the dead!  None of us have to live in chains, in the depth of despair.  All of us have been freed by Jesus’ dying and rising.  What a happy thought to reflect on this Easter.

May the peace and blessings of the Risen Christ be with you and all your loved ones.

 

God bless you,

Fr. Don Babinski, Pastor