The Empty Tomb
Alleluia! The Lord is Alive! He has Risen as He said! Let us Rejoice and shout Alleluia! because this is the day that the Lord has made, let us Rejoice and be glad in it, for the Lord has won over death and sin and has opened for us doors of life, death no longer has power on us. It is the resurrection of Jesus, the basis of our faith, the apex of our faith and the apex Christianity because without resurrection, our is nothing (1 Corinthians 15:14). The first of all proofs of the resurrection was the empty tomb. What is its significance?
When the first messenger of the resurrection, Mary Magdalene came early morning on the first day of the week to the tomb where Jesus was buried, she found the stone has been removed from the tomb. She went back and told the Jesus' disciples and it was John, along with Peter, who were the first apostles to reach the tomb of Jesus on Easter Sunday morning. They had not believed in Jesus words while he was still alive until they saw the empty tomb. And so, when John saw the empty tomb he must have recalled Jesus' prophecy that he would rise again after three days. Through the gift of faith John realized that no tomb on earth could contain the Lord and giver of life. John saw and believed (John 20:8), and so did Peter and Mary Magdalene too.
The empty tomb was but only a proof of the resurrection of Jesus so that the later appearances of Jesus to his disciples would not be taken as mere ghost appearances. Jesus himself did not need the stone to be rolled from the tomb by the Angels for him to rise from the dead, for he has power to do any thing. Bede, a church father from the 8th century, explains this as follows: "The angel rolled back the stone not to throw open a way for our Lord to come forth, but to provide evidence to people that he had already come forth. As the virgin's womb was closed, so the sepulcher was closed, yet he entered the world through her closed womb, and so he left the world through the closed sepulcher." (From Homilies on the Gospels 2,7,24).
The empty tomb not only mean that Jesus is truly alive but also gives us hope by speaking to the truth that nothing is final in this life. Jesus has kept his promise, showing us that God’s love is stronger than any human power, violence, or cruelty. This understanding came slowly for Peter. We also saw Mary and the other apostles struggling to fully realize that Jesus’s promise to be raised on the third day was real. Gradually joy would come to them, and a strengthened faith would turn into thanksgiving. The truth of the Resurrection is realized by each of us in God’s time according to his plan. As we look into the empty tomb this morning, no matter what our vantage point, no matter our sad situations, no matter what we are going through, let’s allow our faith to express thanksgiving and hope in the Lord that he will finally conquer everything and bring is to victory if we only place our trust in him. He is making all things new even when we can’t see it.
However, we to always remember that "to behold the resurrection, the stone must first be rolled away from our hearts" (Peter Chrysologus, 5th century), to open wide our hearts for Jesus to enter, to infuse in them his light and truth so that he takes control of our lives and shine in our lives. With this, know that if you remain faithful until the end, our Lord will bring forth greater joys in your life than you could ever think possible. It may not happen according to your schedule or your wishes, but it will happen in accord with His perfect divine will. Do not doubt. Do not be afraid. Have hope and trust and anticipate the moments when the power of the Resurrection brings forth the greatest joys you could ever imagine. All we need is to trust the Lord and have hope.
Let us Pray.
Lord Jesus Christ, you have triumphed over the grave and you have won new life for us. Give me the eyes of faith to see you in your glory. Help me to draw near to you and to grow in the knowledge of your great love and power. May the empty tomb give me hope of victory always. Amen
Today: Day 3 of the Divine Mercy Novena
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