What’s all the fuss about?
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again" (Luke 24:5-7).
These words will be read in Christian congregations throughout the world in nearly every language on Easter Sunday. The words are said to be from angels who appeared to two women who were followers of Jesus. These women actually were at a tomb where Jesus's body was buried, according to the New Testament Gospels. When the women arrived, the tomb was empty, and the words declaring that Jesus had risen from the dead changed their lives and, in many ways, whether one is a believer or not, the course of history.
The women became the first proclaimers (preachers) of the resurrection of Jesus, and from there, others in the Bible claim to have witnessed Jesus after he was raised from the dead.
This is what all the pageantry, celebration and attention to Easter is all about. Christians believe that the most frightening thing humans have ever encountered -- death -- is no longer as scary. It is still sad because death ends the life we know. However, the Christian message emphasizes that death is not something that we are to fear, since Jesus defeated death and promises his followers they will do so, as well. This message has become the cornerstone of the Christian faith.
Well after the resurrection of Jesus, the Apostle Paul wrote, "If there is not resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith" (1 Corinthians 15:13-14).
In the words of well-known 20th-century Christian writer Frederick Buechner, the depiction of the resurrection of Jesus Christ in the Bible means that "the worst thing is never the last thing."
So, we make a big fuss about it as Christians. We believe that it is true because so many were willing to give their lives to try and demonstrate it. We also make a big deal about it because, as Paul said, we should just pack things up and close the churches if it is not.
The main reason we make such a fuss, though, is that we believe hope is greater than fear. We believe that compassion and humility eventually overcome selfishness and raw power. We believe that light overcomes darkness. We believe that eventually, life overcomes death. That's pretty exciting. Happy Easter!
