Today’s Scripture Readings

Gospel Reading

NRSV

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.” This is my message for you.’ So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’

The Vigil with its seven Old Testament readings makes it clear that the resurrection didn’t come from nowhere. It wasn’t some kind of sudden afterthought of God once things got out of hand. The Vigil begins with the creation story: the resurrection brings creation to its completion. It brings to birth a world where death has lost its power. But the preparation for the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ continues through the ages, which is why we hear the promise made to Abraham that a baby would be born from a barren womb, just as Jesus walks free from the tomb. We also hear the oracles of the prophets, all of whom looked in one way or another to revival beyond disaster, life beyond death.

All of this leads to the New Testament readings, where St Paul makes clear that the resurrection is not for Jesus alone: we are all called to follow where he has led. Jesus is the first-born from the dead, but not the only-born from the dead. He is the first-born of many brothers and sisters. And for us the resurrection is not
something that will only happen after death. It begins to happen even now, after we have gone down into the waters of Baptism, dying with Christ in order to rise with him.

Again, Matthew has an earthquake, because the resurrection shakes the foundations of the world in which death has the last word. Yet this is an earthquake that creates rather than destroys. It opens up a vast new vision of possibility, the hope born of Easter. The women are the unlikely first witnesses of Easter, though no one sees the resurrection itself. They only meet the risen Lord after his resurrection. But before they can witness, they are told twice, “Do not be afraid” (Matthew 28:5, 10), since fear is the natural human reaction to something so unexpected and extraordinary.

Clearly, the disciples weren’t sitting around waiting for Jesus to rise. They struggled to understand what both the empty tomb and their encounters with Jesus meant. Their first response is to fall at his feet and worship. But he says it’s not just a matter of worshipping him: the mission is more important. So, he sends them to witness to the other disciples to the fact that he has risen from the dead by an all-powerful act of divine love which changes everything forever, sanctifying creation to the full.