Some Easter Thoughts 2025

*The Easter Proclamation

“Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here; he has been raised.” Each gospel has its own way of inviting Christian disciples to trust and have faith in the risen Lord. This year we hear the gospel proclamation from Luke as quoted above. Jesus is risen. He has truly died but is not able to be found among the dead. The stone at the entrance of the tomb is rolled away. The body is not there, so what do we do?  So troubling are those words, reported by the women to the other disciples, that the others are not inclined to believe them. In many ways it is easier to keep Jesus among the dead. Then we can remember him and all he did, mourn his passing, try to emulate him and share stories about him, but not really commit to an ongoing, personal relationship with the Risen One—in other words, not really change anything in our lives. In many ways it is easier to treat Jesus as though he lived in the past.

Or, we can become more hardened and skeptical and judge that it is too risky to commit ourselves to faith in a crucified Lord and too unbelievable to commit ourselves to faith in a risen Lord. So, we move on to a more general humanitarian approach to life that isn’t committed to any specific doctrine of a faith, being spiritual but not really religious. Perhaps very much like the story of the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, who are discouraged at what has happened in the death of Jesus and seem to be ready to throw in the towel.  We find that story in Luke immediately after today’s gospel. Once they encounter the risen Jesus in the sharing of stories about him and in the “breaking of the bread” (Eucharist) only then do they realize that he is in some way truly living. Jesus is able to be encountered anew whenever they remember him with living faith and share the meal of blessing he passed on to them.

And so, a third alternative, one reinforced by the final resurrection story in Luke’s gospel where Jesus appears to the disciples and then, before “ascending into heaven”, he tells them to be witnesses to what he has done and who he is but to wait until “power from on high” comes to them. He then blesses them and departs from them. In other words, every time we act as true witnesses, allowing the power from God to inspire us (the Holy Spirit), we will continue to be Jesus’ blessing to the world. When we believe and act in a way that is truly of God, Jesus is present. Otherwise, he is departed from us. It will be in our faith and our actions that we show whether we truly believe Jesus is really the “living One”.

Jesus of Nazareth, son of Mary and son of God, is truly risen; the first-born of many is our hope. Let us bring that Easter faith concretely into our lives by finding ways for our actions to be the blessing Jesus brings to a given situation.  Our faith in the resurrection is not meant to be some guarantee of life after death. It is meant to free us in our lives right now to be agents of life, agents of Christ Jesus, unafraid to risk our lives carrying on the mission of Jesus to proclaim the kingdom of God, heal the sick, forgive sinners, love our enemies, and be part of the living Body of Christ. In our current social-economic-political situation, we need to draw upon that Easter reality to be in solidarity with so many people who are being harmed by government policies, haphazard government cuts, especially in areas that serve those who need it the most. We need Easter courage. The Lord is risen. We need not fear!