Resurrection ...

Tuesday, April 19, 2022. Good morning! Christianity is something special. If it would be just faith in a God, all religions have that. If it would just be ethical behaviour, all humans have some type of ethics. But Christians have claimed great things which God did, in and through Jesus. They claimed that he died, and that he rose again at the third day. The resurrection of Jesus is something special, not just a miraculous healing.

Special Events …

From a Christian viewpoint, the events we celebrate at Easter form a break in world history. More than that, they are the crucial building block of God's history with mandkind and the whole universe. Let us first read the story as written in the gospel of Matthew, chapter 28:

1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: “He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.” Now I have told you.’ 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. ‘Greetings,’ he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshipped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’ (Matthew 28, 1-10)

You might find the story quite fantastic, with the angels, with the earthquake, with the lightning. It sounds fantastic indeed. The important point: the toomb is empty. And then they meet Jesus. And he is repeating what he told them before: he would go and meet them in Galilee.

Important Events …

The death and resurrection is, from a Christian point of view, the most important event of world history. The death of Jesus is important, since from the beginning of human history it was clear that freedom, independence, ethics and holiness are difficult topics for humans. In the bible, the foundation of death is understood in its ethical perspective. God is life, and humans are intended for eternal life. But eternal life without holidness should not be. Everythink in creation is put under the rule of death. This is our standard and daily experience. We all die! Humans die, animals die, plants die.

The claim is that here something really special happened. Jesus did not just get healed. He rose into a different type of life. His body is called resurrection body. He is the first of a new creation. But he bodily rose, he met his disciples, he even talked to them and explained the logic and narrative of his death and resurrection.

You might say that this is strange. It is! But it is in no way stranger than what physicists learn about the atomic nature of our creation, or about the structure of space and time. It is not stranger than what biologiest and chemists learn about life, mind, emotions and intelligence. We live in an exciting world, which with the resurrection and pentacost learns about far reaching events, with God opening a new door and with the holy spirit to be available to all who believe. (Roland Potthast)