Easter Sunday Year A - 20/4/2014 - Gospel: Jn 20:1-9
Scripture fulfilled
The ancient world was longing to welcome the Messiah that God had promised them. They were waiting patiently day after day for the expected Messiah who came to liberate them from the power of sin and death and yet many of them had never set sight on the Promised Messiah. What they had longed for was fulfilled in the life of Jesus, the Promised Messiah.
The arrival of the Promised Messiah brought hope and disappointment for many because the way in which the Promised Messiah presented himself to the world. They expected Him to be born at the royal palace but He chose to be born in a stable manger. People would whole heartedly support Him if He had come with the mighty army to liberate them from the foreigner power but He came as an ordinary leader. His teaching was new but it was hard to understand and often contradicted the traditional teachings. He grew up in a slump area and an unknown village. There was no formal training for the role of a political leader. Instead he did His apprenticeship with His father who was a carpenter by trade. His popularity was up and down and His disciples had no leadership skills. Those who left home to follow Him received no wages or salary but the promise of rewards to come. He knew of the violent death the authorities would give him and yet He volunteered to enter the Holy City to die on the cross. What made His opponents afraid of Him remains a mystery: jealousy, popularity or security?
Jesus dies on the cross to fulfil the Scripture. Three times He prophesized about the Passion- Mat 16,21-23, 17,22-23, 20,17-19. Three times Jesus mentioned about his death on the cross to obey God the Father who used His only Son's blood to wash away our sin.
Suffering and death and resurrection are the three words that accompanied Jesus throughout His life. No one can deny the first two that is suffering and death however they are searching for the answer relating to the third word: Resurrection. They wonder if there is anything or nothing after our physical death. We Christians make claim to all three words: suffering, death and resurrection. We have found the answer that many were searching for and wonder about. What happened after death is clear to us. Resurrection in Jesus Christ is the answer. Jesus has risen from death and given the heavenly gift for those who choose to join Him. We didn't see the Risen Christ but we join our faith to the faith of the women who early on the week went to the tomb and met Jesus. We join our faith to the faith of the Apostles who met the Risen Christ. We join our faith to the faith of the apostles who returned home on the way to Emmaus. We join our faith to the faith of soldiers who mocked and crucified Jesus and later on proclaimed: in truth, this was a Son of God Mat 27,54.
Refusing to believe on these people's testimonies we have nothing to hope for. They are historians of the resurrection. Historians don't create events but only record events of what they saw and heard. Questioning about the details of the Passion is understandable but denying it is a disaster because there is no other trustworthy premise to work on. Whether you accepting or denying the resurrection of Jesus, what the Scriptures have said about Him is fulfilled.
The arrival of the Promised Messiah brought hope and disappointment for many because the way in which the Promised Messiah presented himself to the world. They expected Him to be born at the royal palace but He chose to be born in a stable manger. People would whole heartedly support Him if He had come with the mighty army to liberate them from the foreigner power but He came as an ordinary leader. His teaching was new but it was hard to understand and often contradicted the traditional teachings. He grew up in a slump area and an unknown village. There was no formal training for the role of a political leader. Instead he did His apprenticeship with His father who was a carpenter by trade. His popularity was up and down and His disciples had no leadership skills. Those who left home to follow Him received no wages or salary but the promise of rewards to come. He knew of the violent death the authorities would give him and yet He volunteered to enter the Holy City to die on the cross. What made His opponents afraid of Him remains a mystery: jealousy, popularity or security?
Jesus dies on the cross to fulfil the Scripture. Three times He prophesized about the Passion- Mat 16,21-23, 17,22-23, 20,17-19. Three times Jesus mentioned about his death on the cross to obey God the Father who used His only Son's blood to wash away our sin.
Suffering and death and resurrection are the three words that accompanied Jesus throughout His life. No one can deny the first two that is suffering and death however they are searching for the answer relating to the third word: Resurrection. They wonder if there is anything or nothing after our physical death. We Christians make claim to all three words: suffering, death and resurrection. We have found the answer that many were searching for and wonder about. What happened after death is clear to us. Resurrection in Jesus Christ is the answer. Jesus has risen from death and given the heavenly gift for those who choose to join Him. We didn't see the Risen Christ but we join our faith to the faith of the women who early on the week went to the tomb and met Jesus. We join our faith to the faith of the Apostles who met the Risen Christ. We join our faith to the faith of the apostles who returned home on the way to Emmaus. We join our faith to the faith of soldiers who mocked and crucified Jesus and later on proclaimed: in truth, this was a Son of God Mat 27,54.
Refusing to believe on these people's testimonies we have nothing to hope for. They are historians of the resurrection. Historians don't create events but only record events of what they saw and heard. Questioning about the details of the Passion is understandable but denying it is a disaster because there is no other trustworthy premise to work on. Whether you accepting or denying the resurrection of Jesus, what the Scriptures have said about Him is fulfilled.
Written by Fr Vũđình Tường
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia