This period, for us, is a time for anticipation. We know the light of Easter will appear when the deacon lights the new fire at the vigil service. The disciples had a different perspective.
For them, these few days between the crucifixion and Mary's announcement that she had seen Jesus were a time of mourning, and fear. Roman law was clear, when someone was executed for what we now call, 'sedition' the followers were automatically outlaws.
We cannot know what they were doing together in the place where Mary came to them with the story of Jesus appearing, but how to simply survive had to be on the list of topics. What went wrong, how they landed up watching Jesus die, what if anything they could hope to do know, those were probably discussed.
It is little wonder they did not believe the resurrection news immediately. Peter's response, "I am going fishing" actually made some sense. Maybe the Romans would let them simply fade back into obscurity -- maybe. Besides, a report of resurrection from a mere woman? What was any man in first century Palestine to do with that?
Then, suddenly He is there! Walking through walls, appearing on the beach, showing Himself. We see joy, they saw I suspect confusion, fear, the awesome power of God appearing. It is no small thing that Jesus told them not to fear. We would certainly fear!
Jesus is of course changed by the experience. They have a hard time recognizing Him. Fear is part of that, but He is changed, now He simply appears, now He has wounds that should be mortal, and yet is neither dead nor dying. He is, in short -- Divine.
So, now we too have an issue -- do we recognize Him? The apostles responded when they recognized Him. From Calcutta to Wales, they proclaimed the resurrected Divine Jesus. Jesus who had transcended death and now set the world to right. Jesus not only resurrected but revealed as not only fully human but also fully God.
The light will come to us. The vigil will end. How will we react when the women tell us they have seen the Lord? Will we proclaim that death has been surpassed, that the kingdom of God is at hand? More to the point, will we live in that kingdom? This is the time of darkness, it is a time to prepare for the time of light.
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- JimB
- I am an Anglo-catholic Episcoplain layman, a lay contemplative, a musician, and a completely doting grandfather. New slogan for the election cycle: Vote for Cthulhu -- don't settle for the lesser evil!
1 comment:
Posted for Ray by JimB:
Jim,
Thanks for the article. It is interesting how you captured many of the emotions of the 11 disciples and others who were close to Jesus around the time of the first Easter. A couple of things I think should be pointed out from scripture. This is from John 20 (NKJV):
19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you."
20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
This tells us that the 11 were more afraid of the Jews than of the Romans.
This is from John 21 (NKJV):
1 After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself:
2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together.
3 Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We are going with you also." They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.
The fishing experience was after they were all convinced that Jesus had come back to life.
You mentioned how there were cases of people who saw Jesus alive again, but did not recognize Jesus as Jesus. That is an interesting point. Perhaps God had been deliberately confusing people's ability to recognize the face of Jesus to make a theological point. The point may have been that in the power of the resurrection comes the ability to really know Jesus. The knowledge of Jesus is much more than the ability to know about and recognize the appearance of Jesus. By blinding people to the appearance of Jesus, and then enlightening them to the appearance of Jesus, the power of the resurrection was being manifest in a truly meaningful way.
Still, I think your article does convey some of the meanings of what Easter is about, and I applaud you for that.
Ray Kidder
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