Scripture Study for
Easter Sunday of The Resurrection of The Lord
Acts 10:34a, 37–43 / Psalm 118:24 / Colossians 3: 1–4 / 1 Corinthians 5: 6b–8 / John 20:1–9
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Understanding the Word
By Dianne Bergant, C.S.A.
Peter’s teaching regarding the Resurrection includes several important aspects. Clearly a work of God, it is a genuine resurrection from the dead, not merely a resuscitation. That it occurred three days after Jesus’ death is evidence of this. That Jesus was seen by some, ate and drank with several of his followers, Peter among them, demonstrates that the appearances of the risen Christ were genuine physical experiences and not some kind of hallucinations. Finally, the fruits of the Resurrection are both transformative and all-encompassing. Thus Peter explains the mystery of Jesus in terms of prophetic expectation, reinterpreting earlier prophetic tradition and developing new religious insight.
Set against the backdrop of ancient cosmology, the passage from Colossians contains the fundamental teaching about the Resurrection and the way it transforms the lives of Christians. Christ rose from the dead and is now in heaven. Enthroned there, Christ both enjoys God’s favor and, at God’s “right hand,” bestows blessings on others and administers God’s righteousness. Having gone through the death of human life, Christ has been raised to a new life. In a new and total way, Christ’s being is rooted in God. Christians should now turn their attention away from the things of this world and commit themselves to the things of heaven.
The Resurrection stories begin with a report of Mary Magdalene’s visit to the tomb. No explanation for her visit is given. Details about the burial wrappings are significant. They are still in the tomb, though the body is not. If the body had been merely transported to another tomb, burial wrappings would still have been needed and taken along. It is unusual that Resurrection faith would spring forth from an experience of the empty tomb rather than from an appearance of the risen Lord, but it is the case here. The reading ends on a curious note: they did not understand the scriptures concerning the resurrection of Jesus.