Resurrection is the Beauty of Christ's Passion

Resurrection is the Beauty of Christ’s Passion

From earliest times the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection.  They were always finding ways to discredit Jesus.  One was posing this question, saying that there is no resurrection, “Teacher, Moses said, if a man dies without children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up descendants for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers among us.  The first married and died, having no descendants, left his wife to his brother.  The same happened with the second and third, through all seven.  Finally the woman died.  Now at the resurrection of the seven, whose wife will she be?  For they all had been married to her.”  Jesus said in reply, “You are misled because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God.  At the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels in heaven.  And concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Issac, and the God of Jacob?”  “He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”  (Mt 22: 23 - 32).

Throughout the New Testament and scriptures from the Old Testament, we are readily made aware of the resurrection, and with the early morning on the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala finds the stone guarding the tomb of Jesus was gone  There were many appearances of the risen Christ and the joy of seeing him left no doubt of this reality. (Jn 20: 1 ff).

Perhaps the most audacious was when Jesus appeared the second time to the disciples in the upper room, and put the question Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”  (Jn 20: 27).

We’ve just celebrated the glory of Jesus Christ rising from the clutches of death, destroying death itself and sending Satan away for eternity.  There is no further proof that anyone needs if they have the faith that he instilled within us.  “  For those who believe, no proof is necessary.  For those who don’t believe, no proof is possible.”  (Stuart Chase).  

Recently I wrote about death and the agony of all who are involved with its seemingly disasters.  Yet, when death comes, and it will to all human beings, the future of this latest sojourn is truth and a communion with Almighty God in eternal happiness.  This will evolve with the resurrection each of us is promised, and witnessed by that of Christ’s Resurrection.

As mentioned before, without the Incarnation of Christ the resurrection would not have been possible.   But without the resurrection of Christ, our salvation would never have become a reality.  It is all one complete gift from God to us, his prized possession of creation.  

Ralph B. Hathaway