20 April 2025 - Easter Sunday, Year C

 

Theme

Easter Sunday naturally offers us the stories of Jesus’ resurrection and the implications thereof. The Gospel passages explain the events of the women discovering the empty tomb and then sharing the Good News of Jesus’ resurrection. The Acts and Corinthians passage reveal the meaning of Jesus’ resurrection for Jesus’ followers. The Isaiah passage is a beautiful vision of a future world free of evil and death. 

Scriptures

Acts 10:34-43 - Peter preaches that God shows no favouritism and accepts all those who fear God and do what is right. Peter explains that those who witnessed Jesus’ life, death and resurrection have been made aware that Jesus has been chosen by God to be the judge of all - living and dead.

Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 - A Psalm of rejoicing in the day of the Lord. Sing songs and tell stories of what God has done. “The stone the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.”

1 Corinthians 15:19-26 - Paul explains that Jesus’ resurrection signals the hope of eternal life for all humans who have ever lived. Christ’s resurrection symbolises the final victory over evil and death, which will be fully realised when God’s kingdom is reconciled to God.

John 20:1-18 - Mary Magdalene arrives at Jesus’ empty tomb. She fetches Simon Peter and John who visit the tomb and believe that Jesus had risen. Jesus appears to Mary and asks her why she is crying as she weeps outside the tomb. Mary first thinks that Jesus is the gardener, but when Jesus says her name, she realises who Jesus is and calls him teacher. Jesus then tells Mary to go and tell the disciples that he is risen.

Isaiah 65:17-25 - A prophecy of a future world without death, pain, darkness or suffering. 

Luke 24:1-12 - The women arrived at the empty tomb and met with two angels who announce that Jesus is risen. The women go to tell the disciples the good news, but they don’t believe it. 

The Context

While both gospels mention that women were the first witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection, Luke’s account puts extra emphasis on this fact, mentioning all the names of the women who were present. Furthermore, Luke stresses that fact that the male disciples thought that the women’s news was “nonsense.” This story is a perfect example of how Luke emphasises Jesus’ care and trust in women throughout his gospel. 

Personal Application

The resurrection stories are a wonderful account of God’s inclusive Kingdom that gives preference to the voiceless and unheard. Women were the first to witness Jesus’ resurrection and they were trusted to share the good news with the rest of the disciples. And yet, still today, in many Christian circles, women’s voices are silenced or suppressed. Today’s readings remind us that God can and will use anyone who is faithful to God’s call. As Peter says, “God shows no favouritism and accepts all those who fear God and do what is right.”

Who might God be trying to use to speak to us who we have perhaps labeled as nonsense? Who have we ignored, silenced or excluded from our communities and churches who God might have used to share the gospel? 

Communal Application

The prophet Isaiah shares a beautiful vision of a future world without death and evil. Christians believe that because of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, God will instate this ideal world at some point in the future, but we have an opportunity to begin realising it in the world today. On Easter Sunday, we need to remind people of this perfect future that we all look forward to one day being a part of. At the same time, we should encourage people that we all have a duty of bringing God’s Kingdom to our communities now. As Jesus prayed, God’s kingdom come, God’s will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. 

How can we use the story of Jesus’ resurrection to bring hope to a world and people in despair? Whose voices should we be listening to and elevating in our churches, rather than ignoring and labeling as nonsense?