Imagine what it must have been like for the friends and followers of Jesus after they had witnessed his passion and death. After they had taken his body down from the cross, they placed it in a tomb, and then they most likely experienced an intense feeling of the sting of defeat. They had been powerless to stop the events of the previous days, and they had been unable to help their leader who had been unjustly convicted and put to death. Peter himself had denied he even knew who Jesus was (see John 18:17,25 and 27). Surely they were all feeling a great sense of confusion and despair. To compound their angst, it also seemed that someone had stolen his body from the tomb where they had so reverently placed it.
Because of his death, can there be any doubt the heartache and distress of Jesus' followers had to have been very intense? Without their leader, the community that consisted of the friends and followers of Jesus had no purpose; their mission had become meaningless, and they had been left in a state of humiliation and defeat. Many of them probably concluded that they would immediately need to return to their previous ways of life.
And yet, it was those people who had been broken–that community without a purpose–who discovered that Jesus was risen from the dead. That community in turn discovered that life had in fact conquered death (see John 20:1-9). Peter, the one who had denied that he even knew him, then realized that it was for just such weaknesses that Jesus had given of himself and died. Life conquered death! Strength conquered weakness! Hope conquered despair!
In our first reading today, the same Peter then tells us that he and the others were “commissioned to preach to the people and to bear witness” (see Acts of the Apostles 10:42). Peter, the one who had denied that he even knew him, was then sent to preach and to testify to the victory of Jesus Christ. And we, who have also experienced despair, weakness, sin and death in our own lives are called to do the same. Like those first friends and followers of Jesus, we are also called to share our faith in this Risen Lord; we are called to testify to his power in our lives!
As we celebrate the Easter victory today, let us stand with confidence that Jesus is our Risen Lord– and that he is Lord of us as individuals, and as a community of faith. As the friends and followers of this very Jesus, let us rejoice!
Christ is Risen, Truly, He is Risen, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Happy Easter my friends!
Praise God! Friar Timothy
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