Thought for the Week

Saturday is Sabbath. Everyone rests. Jesus rests in the tomb. Sunday, Sabbath is over. Before dawn, women came to do a better job of preparing Jesus’ body for burial than they think the men did. Their chief concern was, “Who or how could the huge stone be removed from the entrance of the tomb?” As they get close enough to see clearly, the stone is rolled away. Jesus had told His disciples that He would rise again. They did not comprehend or remember. There had been an earthquake. There was an angelic appearance. The soldiers who were guarding the tomb were terrified, fainted, revived and fled to the city to tell the authorities. The authorities bribed the soldiers to say the disciples had stolen the body. That is a story many believe. The Church believes He is risen. Most every Easter Sunday, the Church exclaims and proclaims, “He is risen? – He is risen indeed!” The risen Christ appears to His followers. First to a number of women: To Mary Magdalene and has dialogue with her, To two people on the Emmaus Road, where He explains many of the Scriptures that predicted this would happen, (He chides them for their unbelief and they testify their “hearts burned within them while He was opening and explaining the Scriptures”), They return to Jerusalem and give a report of these happenings to ten of the Apostles who were gathered in an upper room. Jesus appears to this assembled group. In a new symbolic gesture, Jesus breathes on them and indicates they shall “receive the Holy Spirit.” He eats with them and gives opportunity for them to examine His body and prove to themselves He is a living, breathing, real person. Thomas, an Apostle, was not at that assembly but told the other ten, he would not believe in the resurrection unless he could put his fingers into the nail-prints and thrust his hand into the wound in Jesus’ side. One week later, Thomas is with the group assembled again. Jesus appears again and offers Thomas the proof he demanded. Thomas responds by saying, “My Lord and my God.” John writes in his Gospel, “many other signs Jesus did in the presence of His followers that are not written in this book.” Jesus appears to seven of His followers at the seashore. They had gone fishing, caught no fish. Jesus tells them to cast their net on the right side of the boat. They do and make a miraculous catch. Jesus offers them broiled fish and eats with them. Jesus takes Peter aside, basically forgives him and re-commissions him to the work of a Disciple and shepherd. We also know, Jesus appeared to His half-brother James. He appeared to as many as 500 people on one occasion. On a mountain outside Jerusalem, Jesus admonished Disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they had received a gift from His father God – been clothed with power from Heaven. While they watched, He rose and a cloud enveloped Him out of their sight. Jesus appeared at least twice to Saul of Tarsus (who was not part of the original group of Twelve Disciples-Apostles). Paul gives a list of Christ’s appearances in I Corinthians 15:5-8 and also writes of resurrection in I Thessalonians 4:13-18 and I Corinthians 15. John writes in I John 1:1: “We have heard, seen, examined, and handled (touched) with our hands, (Jesus) The Living Word of God. You can believe if you are willing.”

Scriptures to Read

St. Matthew 28:1- 8

St. John 20:1-10

St. John 20:11-18

St. Luke 24:13-32

St. Luke 24:33-43

St. John 20:19-25

St. John 21:1-25