Easter Sunday (20 April 2025)

Today let us meditate based on our Gospel reading, the Gospel according to St. John chapter 20. On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone was rolled away and that the tomb was empty. She ran back and went to Peter and John and informed them that someone had taken away the body of Jesus. They all went to the tomb and while the disciples went to their own home, Mary stood there weeping. At that time, she saw two angels sitting inside the tomb and Jesus. The Resurrected Jesus told Mary “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God”. The Resurrected Jesus gave Mary the first task to go and tell the disciples that she had seen Him.  

We read about Mary Magdalene in Luke 8:2 that she was healed of evil spirits and infirmities. Mary Magdalene was there with Jesus’s mother and the other women when Jesus was crucified. Luke 7:47 says the one who is forgiven most will love the most. Mary Magdalene had great love for Jesus because she received a great deliverance from Jesus. Jesus met four kinds of people after His resurrection: 

1.  Those who knew not the scripture  

2.  those whose eyes were not opened  

3.  those whose understanding was not opened 

4.  those who did not believe   

1.  Those who knew not the scripture  

John 20:9 says, “For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead”. In this verse, ‘they’ refers to Peter and John. In Luke 9 we read about Jesus’s transfiguration before Peter, James and John and talking with Moses and Elias. They were talking of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem, which is the passion and death of Jesus. In Matthew 17: 9, Jesus told His disciples to not tell the vision to any man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead. Jesus then told the disciples about His betrayal, death and resurrection. However, when the disciples witnessed the empty tomb, they did not remember what Jesus told them.  Peter, James and John did not know the scripture that Jesus would rise again from the dead.

2.  Those whose eyes were not opened 

Luke 24: 31 says, “their eyes were opened, and they knew him”. Here, ‘they’ refers to two of Jesus’s disciples, Simon Peter and Cleopas. During the last supper with His disciples, Jesus explained about His passion, death and resurrection. Peter was one of the disciples present at the Last Supper. In Matthew 26:32 He told them that He would  go before them into Galilee. After His resurrection, Jesus said in Matthew 28:10, “Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me” and the disciples were informed that He would meet them in Galilee. When Simon Peter and Cleopas were on the road of Emmaus to Galilee, they were talking about Jesus’s death. Jesus joined them and they told Jesus about all that happened. He addressed them as “O fools” and explained those things had to happen to fulfil what the prophets said and about the scriptures. They were sad because they thought Jesus “should have redeemed Israel”. His reply should have made them realise that they were talking to Jesus but they didn’t.  The eyes of Simon Peter and Cleopas were not opened until Jesus brake bread with them after resurrection.

3.  Those whose understanding was not opened 

Luke 24: 45 says, “Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures”. In this verse, ‘they’ refers to the eleven disciples. Simon Peter and Cleopas return and tell the disciples about meeting Jesus on the road to Emmaus. At that time, “Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.” Jesus showed them His hands and feet. Verses 44 and 45 read, “he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures”. The understanding of the eleven disciples were not opened until Jesus showed them His hands and feet.

4.  Those who did not believe 

Mark 16: 11 says, “they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.” This was when Mary Magdalene told the disciples that Jesus was resurrected from the death. Verse 13 says, “they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.” This was when the two disciples who met Jesus on the road to Emmaus told the other disciples about the resurrection of Jesus. Here, ‘they’ refers to the disciples. In John 20: 24 and 25 we read that Thomas said, “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe”. Jesus appeared to them and Thomas. He showed the wounds in His hands and feet and they then believed that Jesus was resurrected from the dead. Jesus’s response was “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed”. The disciples did not believe that Jesus had resurrected until they saw for themselves.

All of these people who knew not the scripture, whose eyes and understanding were not opened and those who did not believe the resurrection were all in close communion with Jesus during His ministry. They witnessed His miracles and heard his preaching. Although they were told about what would happen, they did not know or could not understand when the events actually unfolded before their eyes. However, after Jesus showed Himself to them, they established the early church, lived and died for Jesus. They are the pillars of the early church.  

On this Resurrection Sunday when we celebrate the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, let us self-examine ourselves. Today, when we read about these happenings, we can easily comment on the disciples not believing. Even if we are like those who knew not the scripture, whose eyes and understanding were not opened and those who did not believe the resurrection, Jesus said about us “blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed”. We are blessed because He offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins. We are blessed if we have experienced the second birth that Jesus offers. Today, let us ask ourselves if we are blessed. If we are blessed, the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus has true meaning in our lives. If not, let us fulfil our part to be blessed by our Resurrected Saviour.

On this day that we celebrate our Lord’s resurrection,  I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints (Eph 1:18). Amen!