Although the four gospel writers tell the story of the resurrection in different ways they have many points in common. It seems clear that some women, led by Mary Magdalen went to the tomb early on Sunday morning. They wanted to anoint the dead body properly. They had done something on the Friday afternoon, but they had done it quickly because on Friday at 6 p.m. the Sabbath would start and they would not be allowed to do it, because of the Sabbath rest. Now the Sabbath was over they came to complete the work. To their surprise the tomb was open and empty. The fact that they first thought the body must have been stolen shows us that they were not thinking of the possibility of resurrection. There is no record in the New Testament that anyone witnessed the resurrection, only the empty tomb and later the appearances of “Jesus to different people, St. John says that till this moment they had failed to understand the teaching of Scripture that he must rise from the dead (verse 9). It was at this moment that faith in Jesus as the risen and living Savior of the world began.
This chapter contains the story of the conversion to Christianity of a pagan Roman army officer called Cornelius who was stationed at Caesarea. Cornelius already believed in the God of the Jews and was inspired by God to send for St. Peter. At the same time Peter was inspired to go to Caesarea and meet Cornelius. Peter’s address to Cornelius is chosen for today’s reading because it mentions the resurrection of Jesus as the main doctrine and big proof of the truth of the Christian faith. In I Cor.15:14 Paul says: “If Christ is not risen our preaching is worthless and your faith is worthless too.” Peter himself and the other apostles were the living witnesses of the resurrection because they had seen the risen Jesus and talked with him and eaten with him. They were convinced that the death of Jesus on Good Friday and the tomb in which he was buried were the end of all the hopes they had placed in Jesus. But the resurrection changed all that. Peter’s words to Cornelius contain all the main points of the Kerygma, as the first preaching of the apostles is called. 1)Jesus fulfilled the old prophecies of the Messiah. 2)Jesus died and rose again. 3)Jesus brings us the forgiveness of our sins. 4) Jesus will come again in glory. (See also Acts 2:14-39; 3:13-26; 4:10-13; 5:30-32 a 13:17-41). These are the main points contained in the early Christian Creeds. This passage stresses the events of the earthly ministry of Jesus, because pagans like Cornelius were not familiar with them and the early teaching of the church tried to stress it was the same Jesus whom they had known in Galilee and Judaea who had died by crucifixion and had come to life again, in opposition to those who were trying to spread the idea that the risen Jesus was only an appearance or a story invented by those who believed in him. It was precisely a story like this that the Jewish leaders hoped to prevent when they asked Pilate to put a guard at the entrance to the tomb. (See Matt.27:64).
The method by which people were baptised in the days of the apostles was that of being lowered down into the water and lifted out again or of going down into the water and coming up again out of it. Baptism has the meaning of being completely covered by the water. The water by which the catechumen was covered was the symbol of the tomb in which Jesus was buried. As Jesus left his old way of life behind and started a new kind of life when he came out of the tomb, so the catechumen left his life of sinfulness behind in the water and began to live a life of goodness when he came out of it. The new Christian has left all sinfulness behind and he must live his life now according to the teaching and example of Jesus. In chapters one and two of this Letter Paul has spoken both of the resurrection of Jesus and of the fact that we share in it by baptism. In the verses that follow this reading Paul speaks of the kind of things the new Christian must “put to death” and then he speaks of the kind of things he must “put on” like clothes. We are reminded of what he says in the letter to the Galatians that the baptised person has “put on” Jesus Christ, he must “wear” the fashion of Jesus Christ like clothes. The baptism clothes which the new Christian “puts on” are a sign of this fashion of Christ. Paul says the same kind of thing in Romans 6:3-11 which was read in the Easter Vigil Mass yesterday evening. He says a very strong thing there which every Christian must take to heart. “As Jesus died once and rose again and now death has no more power over him, so in the baptised person sin has been “put to death” and buried and sin must have no more power over him.” We can hang down our heads in shame when we think of the power sin still has over us.
Kefa W. MHM
What you’ll find here is my personal reflection on Scripture. I don’t claim to have all the answers, only a sincere desire to seek truth. Some of the references used are drawn from past study and experience, and I may no longer be able to recall all their exact sources. This reflection is not intended to establish official doctrine, theology, or official teaching. Feel free to leave your comments or personal reflections below as we continue to grow deeper together in the Word of God. I’ll see you next Sunday.
