THE HOPE OF RESURRECTION
How people react to
the death of their loved ones tells us a lot about their belief systems. Princess Diana died on August 31, 1997, and the crowds
mourned and grieved over the death of the people's princess. The Royal family
reacted to her death differently. "Queen Elizabeth II's sister, Princess
Margaret, referred to the public outpouring of grief "as hysterical as she
was" and called the mountains of flowers left outside the royal palaces
"floral fascism."[1]
On September 5, 1997,
Mother Teresa died of a heart attack in Calcutta at 87. Crowds of weeping
people gathered in the rain to pay homage to Mother Teresa, a Roman Catholic
nun who served as a tireless minister to the poorest of the world's poor.
Her funeral was delayed by three days. As disciples and
other well-wishers poured into Calcutta, a nun said, "The sisters wanted
to give more people a chance to pay their respects, and the nuns wanted more
time to pray." ''Today Mother Teresa is enjoying the presence of Jesus
Whom she loves and to Whom she dedicated her work,'' said a priest Father
Sebastian."[2]
"Surrounded by queens, cardinals, and presidents --
but especially by the poor and unfortunate whom she devoted her life to loving
and helping -- Mother Teresa was lauded at her funeral Mass Saturday as
"God's gift to Calcutta and the world." "The warmth of her hands
reflected the warmth of her heart," said Calcutta's Roman Catholic
Archbishop Henry D'Souza."[3]
What conflicting reactions over the deaths of these dear
women? Crowds grieved over Diane's death hopelessly. On the other hand, crowds
in India wept while the disciples prayed and affirmed the sincere faith and the
genuine love of their beloved Mother. What was different about the nuns of the
Missionaries of Charity? It was their Hope of Resurrection. Luke 24:1-12
The late Emil Brunner
once said, "What oxygen is for the lungs, such is hope for the meaning of
human life." As the human organism depends on a supply of oxygen, humanity
depends on its supply of Hope. Yet today, hopelessness and despair are
everywhere. Let's look at how the disciples of Christ who were given to despair
responded to the Resurrection of Christ.
I. The brave women and the unbelieving men on
the first day of Jesus' Resurrection.
The crowds followed
Jesus on the dusty roads to Golgotha to witness his brutal death at the hands
of the Roman guards. Among them were also close friends and disciples of
Christ. Several of them were women. After the crucifixion, the crowds departed
in deep sorrow.
Jesus, friends who
had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching. They saw the tomb
where the body of Jesus was placed and went home and prepared spices and
ointments to anoint His body. But by the time they were finished, the Sabbath
had begun, so they rested as required by the law. Very early on Sunday morning,
some bold women, "Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary, the Mother of James, went
to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body.
To their utter
surprise, the stone was rolled away from the entrance. They went in but
couldn't find the body of Jesus. As they stood there, puzzled, two men appeared
in dazzling clothes and asked, "Why are you looking among the dead for
someone alive?"
They didn't ask who they were looking for but why? The women should have known because Jesus had told them he would be crucified and raised again on the third day. When they remembered Jesus' words, they rushed back and told the disciples about what had happened.
The story sounded like
nonsense to the men, so they didn't believe it. However, Peter ran to the tomb
to look but wasn't brave enough like the women. He just peered in from outside.
When he saw the empty linen wrappings, he went home again, wondering what had
happened. The initial responses of the disciples to Jesus' Resurrection were
fear and unbelief.
II. The Resurrection of Jesus turned the
skeptic disciples into Joy-filled Evangelists.
It looked like the
women were quicker to believe in the Resurrection of Christ. On the other hand,
men were slow to understand. As some disciples shared their experience with the
risen Lord on Emmaus's road, Jesus appeared amid the frightened and unbelieving
disciples.
Jesus rebukes them
for their fear and unbelief. He showed them his hands and feet and invited them
to touch him to know He was a real person, not a ghost. Still, they stood there
in disbelief, filled with Joy and wonder. Thomas was not with the others when
Jesus came.
When the disciples
said they saw Jesus, Thomas said, "I won't believe it unless I see the
nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers in them and place my hand into the
wound in his side." Jesus appeared after eight days to convince the
skeptic. He told Thomas, "Put your finger here and look at my hands. Put
your hand on my side. Don't be faithless any longer. Believe!
Thomas didn't need
any more proof after hearing the convincing words of the risen Lord. His
skepticism turned into worship and adoration, and He said, "My Lord and My
God." The doubting Thomas became a powerful evangelist and went to India
preaching the Good News of the Gospel and the Hope of Resurrection. As a
result, many Hindus became followers of Christ.
III The Hope Of Resurrection
Slowly but surely,
the disciples became convinced that Jesus Christ had risen from the Dead as He
promised He would. Peter, who was despaired during the Crucifixion of Jesus, writes
in a triumphant note about the Hope of Resurrection, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born
again to a living hope through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the
dead," I Peter 1:3. Like
those despairing disciples, or you wondering
about the relevance of the Resurrection of Christ today. The crucifixion and
the Resurrection of Jesus are the two pillars that hold our Christian faith
together.
Speaking to a group
of people who were preaching that there is no resurrection of the dead, Paul
says, "If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has
been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so
is your faith." ( I Cor 15:13-14) Our faith and the 2.2 billion who claim
themselves Christians are useless.
Easter is not about
easter eggs or bunnies but celebrating Jesus' Resurrection. Jesus comforted
Martha with these words. "I am the Resurrection and the
Life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do
you believe this, Martha?" "Yes, Lord,"
she told him. "I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God,
the one who has come into the world from God." John 11:25-26
Jesus
comforted his grieving disciples by saying. "Don't let your hearts be
troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in
my Father's home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to
prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you so
that you will always be with me where I am.
No,
I will not abandon you as orphans; I will come to you. Soon, the world will no
longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. When I am
raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me,
and I am in you." John 14: 1-19
No
matter who you are and how well you care for yourself, one day, we all will die
and have to leave the earth. We all go through the grief of losing our loved
ones. Those who believe in Christ would live with an enduring Hope of Resurrection,
and others live without Hope.
On
this Easter Sunday morning, on who do you put your Hope? In a world filled with
hopelessness, only Jesus, who said, I am the Resurrection can give us Hope. If
you want to Hope, draw near to Jesus like those brave women on the first
resurrection day. Once you find Hope in Christ, you are called to go out and
share it with others searching for Hope.
