Resurrection: Life, Faith And
Death
By: Elias Bejjani*
April 08/2012
Don’t be amazed. You seek Jesus, the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has
risen. He is not here (Mark 16/05)
Do not be afraid, “Don’t be amazed", with these reassuring and soothing words
The Angel spoke to Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome. They
had came to the tomb on Sunday morning to mummify and anoint Jesus' Body as the
Jewish tradition required. They thought death had defeated Jesus and ended His
life as it does to every human being. On their way, they were sadly thinking and
wondering who will roll for them the stone away from the tomb's entrance so they
can get in and perform the mummifying and anointing process. While halfway from
the tomb, they saw that the enormous stone had been rolled away. When they
entered the tomb they found that Jesus' body was not there. They found only the
shrouds that His body was wrapped with on His burial after the crucifixion.
Saint Mark's (16/01-13) Gospel describes thoroughly what has happened with these
three loyal and faithful women: "When the Sabbath was, past Mary Magdalene, Mary
the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, that they might come and anoint
him. 16:2 Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when
the sun had risen. They were saying among themselves, “Who will roll away the
stone from the door of the tomb for us?” for it was very big. Looking up, they
saw that the stone was rolled back. Entering into the tomb, they saw a young man
sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were amazed. He
said to them, “Don’t be amazed. You seek Jesus, the Nazarene, who has been
crucified. He has risen. He is not here. Behold, the place where they laid him!
But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He goes before you into Galilee. There
you will see him, as he said to you.’” They went out, and fled from the tomb,
for trembling and astonishment had come on them. They said nothing to anyone;
for they were afraid. Now when he had risen early on the first day of the week,
he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She
went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. When they
heard that he was alive, and had been seen by her, they disbelieved. After
these things he was revealed in another form to two of them, as they walked, on
their way into the country. They went away and told it to the rest. They didn’t
believe them, either."
Lord Jesus who died on the cross, had risen from the dead on the third day just
as He has said while proclaiming His message. He triumphed over death, defeated
the forces of darkness, overcame pain, abolished anguish and brought despair to
an end. He rose from the tomb to be constantly with those faithful to Him
throughout their lives, and to never abandon them. He shall empower forever
those who believe in His message and observe His commandments with the spirit of
truth, knowledge, wisdom and solidarity with His Father, Almighty God.
Christ is the Way, Christ is the Truth, and Christ is the actual eternal life
that we long for. We strongly believe with full conviction that Christ dwells in
His Holy Church, and exists in its Mysteries (Sacraments). He is always present
in the Holy Eucharist that we receive during every mass. Christ at all times is
ready, willing and delighted to help us in our burdens when we call on Him and
ask for His mercy. “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and
I will give you rest. 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am
gentle and lowly in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. 11:30 For my
yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew11:28)
The miracle of resurrection is the cornerstone of our Christian faith. This
pivotal liturgical fact was strongly stressed by Saint Paul in his First Letter
to the Corinthians, (15/12-26): " Now if Christ is preached, that he has been
raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of
the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been
raised. If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your
faith also is in vain. Yes, we are found false witnesses of God, because we
testified about God that he raised up Christ, whom he didn’t raise up, if it is
so that the dead are not raised. For if the dead aren’t raised, neither has
Christ been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are
still in your sins. Then they also who are fallen asleep in Christ have
perished. If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most
pitiable. But now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became the first
fruits of those who are asleep. For since death came by man, the resurrection of
the dead also came by man. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be
made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then those who
are Christ’s, at his coming. Then the end comes, when he will deliver up the
Kingdom to God, even the Father; when he will have abolished all rule and all
authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under
his feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death".
Through Crucifixion and resurrection, Christ has overcome death, broke its
thorn, and granted us His eternal forgiveness from the original sin. With His
death and resurrection, death in its traditional earthly human concept has been
abolished forever and Sin since then has become the actual death that leads the
sinners to Gahanna into the unquenchable fire.
When our bodies die, we sleep in the hope of resurrection. On Jesus' return on
the Day of Judgment, the dead will be the first to rise and escort Him. "Behold,
I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a
moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will
sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed",
(Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 15 / 51-52).
Easter Sunday is a holy feast of love, humility, forgiveness, brotherhood,
tolerance and repentance. Religiously we are not to participate in any of these
feast prayers or make any offerings or receive the Holy Communion unless we
replace hatred with love, grudges with forgiveness, rejection of others with
tolerance, arrogance with humility, greed with contentment, deception with
transparency, and evil with righteousness.
If we do not learn how to tame our selfishness, anger, hatred and forgive others
for whatever evil deeds they commit against us and reconcile with them, than we
do not qualify to be called Jesus' followers. Our prayers will not be heard or
responded to, if we do not practice the grace of forgiveness as did He who was
crucified for our salvation.
“If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that
your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there before the altar,
and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer
your gift". (Matthew 5/23-24).
Meanwhile our true faith in Jesus and in His Sacrifices won't be complete unless
we adopt in our thinking, deeds and language the pure components of sacrifice,
honesty, truth, self respect, meekness and decency. "Let no corrupt speech
proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for building up as the need may
be, that it may give grace to those who hear. Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit of
God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness,
wrath, anger, outcry, and slander, be put away from you, with all malice. And
be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in
Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4/29-32)
For our prayers to be looked upon and heard by Almighty God, we are required to
reconcile with ourselves and with all others on whom we have inflicted pain and
injustice, and treated with an evil manner. To please the Lord we are required
to genuinely, heartily and overtly perform all required acts of repentance for
all our mischievous conducts and wrongdoings. Mark 11/24-26: "Therefore I tell
you, all things whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received
them, and you shall have them. Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have
anything against anyone; so that your Father, who is in heaven, may also forgive
you your transgressions. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in
heaven forgive your transgressions"
Almighty God has endowed us with His love talent, (minas) and expects us to
faithfully invest it in helping others who are in need. He expect us to observe
all the teaching of His Bible so that He will reward us on the Day of Judgment
and put us on His Right Side.
On this Holy Day of Resurrection, we must be aware that Jesus' Holy blood was
shed on the Cross for our sake. Remembrance of His death and resurrection is a
Godly consignment that we are entrusted with. It’s up to us either to honour
this trust or betray it. In regards to what is committed to us, Saint Paul
conveyed to his disciple Timothy the following advice (6/20-21): "Timothy, guard
that which is committed to you, turning away from the empty chatter and
oppositions of the knowledge which is falsely so called; which some professing
have erred concerning the faith".
Halleluiah! Jesus has risen! Indeed He has risen.
Click Here to read this editorial in Arabic
http://10452lccc.com/elias%20arabic11/easter.elias12.htm
Click here to listen to this editorial-Lebanese dialogue
http://www.clhrf.com/elias1.events/elias.easter12.wma
*Elias Bejjani
*Canadian-Lebanese Human Rights activist, journalist and political
commentator
*Email phoenicia@hotmail.com
*Web sites http://www.10452lccc.com &
http://www.clhrf.com
*Mailing phoenicia group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Phoenicia/.
NB. First published on 21 April/2011