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Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
Raise your hand if you have read the infamous book “The DaVinci Code”. All right, raise your hand if you have heard of the infamous “DaVinci Code”.
The plot of the book is based around the myth/legend that Jesus didn’t really die on the cross. What happened was that someone who looked like Jesus ‘stood-in’ for him so-to-speak and died on the cross, while Jesus ‘high-tailed’ it, along with Mary Magdalene traveling all the way to Southern France. When in France Jesus and Mary got married, had children and presumably lived the good life. In the fullness of time Jesus’ and Mary’s descendants, it is claimed, founded the Merovingian dynasty of French kings and queens.
An interesting story, but it is that, just a story, a fantastical myth and no more. Of course, this kind of speculation around the death and resurrection of Jesus is not new. Actually, this particular story about Jesus and Mary Magdalene goes back to at least late Medieval period. And indeed, it will come as no surprise when I remind you that many people in our own society view the Resurrection of Jesus itself with as much skepticism as we do the story behind the DaVinci Code – an intriguing story, but a mere story none-the-less.
I am sure that we are all familiar with some of the ‘expositions’ put forward over the years to explain away the Resurrection of our Lord. Here are just 3 examples of what I’m talking about:
Counter this with the fact that for one, we know that the Romans were extremely good and efficient at executing people. Also, the gospel writers anticipated this argument or perhaps encountered it themselves. That’s why they were at pains to describe how Jesus actually died – being stabbed with a spear on the cross and blood and water flowing out from the wound. “One of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true...so that you may believe.” - John 19:34-35
Again, the gospel’s anticipate this claim, hence in Matthew’s Gospel we read: “Now on the next day, which was the day after the Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees were gathered together to Pilate, 27:63saying, "Sir, we remember what that deceiver said while he was still alive: 'After three days I will rise again.' 27:64Command therefore that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest perhaps his disciples come at night and steal him away, and tell the people, 'He is risen from the dead; and the last deception will be worse than the first.” – Matthew 27:62-64
Perhaps that’s why St. Paul writes to the Christians in Corinth: “…and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive…” - 1 Corinthians 15:9
Well, I could go on… but one thing is clear amongst all these claims and counter-claims. Despite or perhaps in spite of all of the attempts over the years to explain away the physical reality of the Resurrection, to rationalize or demythologize the Resurrection, one thing above all else stands out, and stands out clear as crystal.
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John Paul, Mary Magdalene, Mary and Salome 500 un-named but attested followers believed the Resurrection to be true.
These people, and many more besides, believed the physical, bodily Resurrection of Jesus to be true, to be a fact.
A fact like the sun always rises in the morning.
A fact like oil is lighter than water.
A fact like fire is hot.
That’s why Luke talks about Jesus eating and drinking with the disciples after his death and Resurrection. That’s why John speaks of Jesus meeting the disciples by the Sea of Galilee and cooking breakfast for them.
That’s why every book and letter in the New Testament doesn’t talk of the ghostly ‘sightings’ of Jesus, the ‘rumours’ of Jesus after his death. They speak about eating with Jesus after his death. They talk about drinking with Jesus after his death. They talk about walking and talking with Jesus after his death. They talk about touching and holding Jesus after his death.
You get the picture…
Just as an aside, the origin of the word ‘Easter’, as you know, is a much debated one. The Venerable Bede, writing just south of here at Lindisfarne on Holy Island in the eighth Century A.D. claims that the word easter come from the name of a popular Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring ‘Eostre’. So, where have we got to? Let me summarize…
There are and have been lots of explanations put forward down the centuries to rationalize away the belief in the physical, bodily resurrection of Jesus. To suggest that it didn’t really happen or that it didn’t happen as we read in the accounts.
But despite all of this the one thing that is certain is that the first Christians or at the very least the people who wrote the books and letters of the New Testament all believed that Jesus was physically/bodily raised from the dead.
And so I am not ashamed to say that I believe in the physical Resurrection of Jesus. And I believe in the physical Resurrection of Jesus partly because the first Christians believed it and claim to have seen and been eye-witnesses to the Resurrection. But I also believe because I think it is consistent with everything that Jesus said, taught and stood for.
That the Kingdom of God is at hand – indeed, it is already here. Which means that love, our love, God’s love is stronger than anything that can be thrown at it. That raw power and might isn’t the be-all and end-all. That pain and suffering isn’t all that there is. That even physical death is not the end of the story, either for Jesus or for that matter for us. That this physical world (beautiful and wondrous thought it is), and out lot in it, isn’t all that there is…
“Easter says you can put truth in a grave, but it won't stay there.” ~ Clarence W. Hall
Paul believed this. Mark believed this. Peter believed this. Mary Magdalene believed this Matthew, Luke and John believed this. Mary and Salome believed this.
And they believed this not because someone had told them, not because they had heard about it but because – as they claimed for the rest of their lives – they had seen it, they had heard it for themselves. They had seen and heard Jesus for themselves, three days after he was supposed to be dead and buried.
And this is the most remarkable piece of news. This is the Good News. This is the Easter news.
Alleluia! Christ is Risen! |