"He is not here: for He is risen, as He said."
— St. Matthew 28:6 (NKJV)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
We come this Easter morning not to mourn a death, but to proclaim a victory. Not to dwell in sorrow, but to rejoice in triumph. Today the Church throughout the world lifts its voice in joyful chorus, declaring the most glorious truth ever uttered in human history: He is risen. The tomb is empty. Death has been conquered. The sinless One who died has risen in power and glory, just as He said He would.
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is not merely an article of faith; it is the cornerstone upon which the entire edifice of Christianity stands. If Christ be not raised, then, as St. Paul tells us, our faith is futile and we are still in our sins (1 Cor. 15:17). But Christ is risen from the dead, and that reality changes everything—not just for eternity, but for today.
-The Empty Tomb and the New Creation-
St. John’s Gospel records that Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark. This detail is no accident. She comes in darkness—literal and spiritual. She comes expecting to grieve over a corpse. She comes, like many of us, weighed down by despair, confusion, and loss. But what she finds is not what she expected.
The stone has been rolled away. The body is gone. The tomb—intended as a monument to finality—has been transformed into a sign of new beginnings. Angels declare the truth: “He is not here.” And soon, the Risen Christ Himself will appear—not only to Mary, but to the disciples, to Thomas the doubter, and to hundreds more.
In the Resurrection, we see not just a reversal of death, but the inauguration of a new creation. Just as the first Adam brought death into the world through disobedience, the second Adam—Jesus Christ—ushers in eternal life through His obedience even unto death. The tomb becomes the womb of the new world, the place where God begins again with mankind.
-Resurrection and the Vindication of Christ-
Easter morning is the Father’s “Amen” to the Son’s “It is finished.” On Good Friday, Jesus bore the wrath of God against sin. On Easter Sunday, the Father declares that the sacrifice has been accepted. The resurrection vindicates Christ. It proves that He was who He claimed to be—the eternal Son of God, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, the Resurrection and the Life.
Many in the world are willing to admire Jesus as a moral teacher or a prophetic voice. But moral teachers do not rise from the dead. Prophets do not empty graves by their own authority. Only the Son of God has that power. The Resurrection, then, is not just something Christ does; it is who He is. He told Martha at the grave of Lazarus, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25). And He proved it.
-What the Resurrection Means for Us-
So, what does this mean for us who believe? The Epistle appointed for today, Colossians 3, gives us a striking answer: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above.” The Resurrection is not just a past event or a future hope; it is a present reality in the lives of believers. Those who are united to Christ by faith share in His death and resurrection. We are dead to sin and alive to God. We are not merely improved or reformed—we are made new.
This has practical consequences. We are called to set our minds on things above, not on earthly things. Easter is not simply about what happened to Jesus two thousand years ago; it is about what is happening in us today. We are being raised from spiritual death to spiritual life. We are being shaped into the image of the risen Christ.
Let us be honest: too often, we live as though Holy Saturday never ended. We believe, but we still act as if death has the final word. We serve a risen King, but we live like subjects in exile. Easter calls us out of that shadowland and into the bright light of Resurrection life. It calls us to live with joy, with courage, with holiness, and with hope.
-The Resurrection and the Defeat of Death-
It is no small thing to say that death has been defeated. For all of human history, death has mocked our pretensions and shattered our dreams. It has taken children from mothers, soldiers from battlefields, and saints from their prayers. But in Christ, death is now a defeated enemy. The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law—but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:56–57).
This is not poetic language. It is not wishful thinking. It is the settled and unshakable hope of the Church. At every Christian grave, we proclaim it. At every baptismal font, we symbolize it. In every Holy Communion, we receive the life of the Risen Lord, who broke death’s power and opened the gate of everlasting life.
-Witnesses of the Resurrection-
It is worth noting that the first witnesses of the Resurrection were not the apostles, nor the learned rabbis of the law, but women—Mary Magdalene chief among them. In a culture that often dismissed the testimony of women, Christ chose them to be the first heralds of His victory. This is not only a mark of divine grace and justice, but a reminder that the Resurrection is not a secret reserved for the elite. It is Good News for all people.
And so, like Mary, we too are called to be witnesses. We are called to run and tell the others. To say with joy, “I have seen the Lord.” The world needs this message desperately. In an age of cynicism, despair, and spiritual apathy, we must proclaim with boldness and clarity: Christ is risen. He is risen indeed.
-Living the Easter Life-
Let us then live as Easter people. Let our homes be filled with the fragrance of resurrection joy. Let our churches echo with the glad songs of victory. Let our hearts be set on Christ, who sits at the right hand of God.
Let us forgive, because we have been forgiven. Let us love, because we have been loved. Let us hope, because our Redeemer lives. Let us serve, because our King is coming again.
And when trials come—and they will—when death casts its shadow—and it must—we shall not fear. For we know that the worst thing is never the last thing. In Christ, life triumphs. In Christ, sorrow turns to joy. In Christ, graves become gardens.
Beloved, the empty tomb is not just a historical curiosity; it is the turning point of the universe. It is the moment when eternity broke into time, when divine mercy swallowed human sin, and when the Light of the World burst forth from the darkness of the grave.
So this day, and every day, let us say with full hearts and confident voices:
Christ is risen. Alleluia!
The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!
Amen.
