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Easter is the important Christian feast commemorating the resurrection of Jesus. Resurrection is central to the life and witness of Christians. In the Old and New Testaments salvific activity of God is being made possible as we confess the Lordship of Jesus, who lived, crucified, buried, risen and lives in our midst. The core of Christian faith is deeply entrenched into resurrection. Therefore, resurrection is central to our faith insulated in our belief-system and thus vivifies in our existential reality assuring life in all abundance — promising a new beginning of life.<\/p>\n
In resurrection, the Lordship of Jesus the Christ is being established by offering to us the hope in the midst of death. Resurrection centres on the Lordship of Christ in the world and the church as God witnessing agency furthers our horizons of understanding of Jesus as our Lord and Saviour who has assured life after death. Therefore, we are thus permeated with the hope of eternal life which has been assured to us in resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n
As we celebrate the Easter event, it is to deepen our faith not just in words alone, but in our proclamation and action as the gift of new life offered to us in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Therefore, resurrection is pivotal, not only to our faith affirmation, but also to our very existence as Christians. God’s love and power are the ingredients of Easter. Paul rightly says that “the Kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power” (1 Cor 4: 20). <\/p>\n
The power of agapeic love transforms the world; that power is as real as the world, but it is stronger than the world. It overcomes the world as God in Jesus overcame death. This is the good news of Easter. When we say that we worship Jesus Christ who is risen from the dead it is the most powerful faith affirmation because it does make a difference in the world, in history, in life. The significance of Easter is to be reflected in our lives, since we are born anew. If the old life continues, then the essence of Easter loses it meaning and resurrection loses its essence. <\/p>\n
If we claim that God’s power is above all our understanding, distinct and unique, then it should manifest in our lives. If we say that we believe in the risen Lord, then we should overcome the power of the world – by redeeming, recreating and thus striving to establishing God’s Kingdom ‘here and now’. The texts for Easter Day, Matt 28: 1-10 is a foundational story of how the first believers came to new faith and new life. In addition, Paul’s Epistle Col 3: 1-11 and a text from Exodus 14 5-3 together unfolds deeper meaning comprehensively.<\/p>\n
By all means we will have to re-appropriate resurrection event as it takes us to the narrative of first witnesses leading to ecclesiological and ethical reflection on our new life. Remembering and reflecting about resurrection is essential. Because one without the other loses its essence and relevance, and therefore both put together are a powerful invitation for re-appropriation, since they complement each other. Easter Day is the culmination of hope in the midst of hopelessness, light as against darkness, and eternal life in the midst of death. <\/p>\n
This is how as a community of believers we are newly born-into, authorised and energised. Newness of life is to be rooted in Jesus, the Christ, is risen and lives amongst us. In the Gospels, the resurrection narratives have been mediated by the community of believers – ecclesia. Peter “saw” in (Jn vv 6-7), the other disciple “saw and believed” (v.8). The “other one” is the first one who come to faith in the resurrection. The “other disciple” who Jesus loved. <\/p>\n
Take for instance the resurrection narratives that treats Mary with great attention. Jesus appears before Mary. Mary is asked twice, “Why are you weeping?” (vv. 13, 15). The risen Jesus speaks to Mary again (v. 16). Mary has seen and knows more than the disciples! Christ is our life, and living “in him,” as Paul often puts it, we live by the power of God. Christians believe firmly the power of God that keeps sustaining the whole of creation and the entire universe, and thus functions in unique ways in God’s created order is because of resurrection. <\/p>\n
The power of God in Christ has taken us to greater heights which we can hardly believe, but to believe. So, we can boldly say to everyone and proclaim to the whole world that we are Christians by our words and actions that we believe and affirm that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Saviour who is risen and lives in our midst.Christ is our life, and living “in and though”. As Paul puts it that we live by the power of God. If we say we live by our strength and might without acknowledging the power of God leads to aberration and contradiction.<\/p>\n
Old Testament lesson Exodus 15: 1-11 adds more materials to it. The hymn of praise to Yahweh was sung as the Israelites saw a change in history. There has been total reversal of their life assuring the shall never be slaves but liberated – free. They rejoiced in the power of God who promised them freedom and was fulfilled. This is what Easter about – proclaiming what God has done in our lives – dismantling the fear of darkness and death, instead offering eternal life.<\/p>\n
Easter begins with Yahweh who led the Israelites to the Promised Land and thus delivered them from Egyptian captivity and Red Sea experience on such thing. The finality is in raising Jesus from the dead. Resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate and there’s nothing that came closer or can go beyond. It has put a stamp once for all to darkness and death. Resurrection of our Lord means deliverance from forces of oppression, domination, insecurity and fear. <\/p>\n
Dr. John Mohan Razu<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Easter: Dismantled shackles of death and promised eternal life<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-236706","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236706","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=236706"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236706\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=236706"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=236706"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=236706"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}