Jesus lives and he is Our Lord by bringing us to new life. He is our God by making of us a new creation. That is the Easter proclamation. We hear the proclamation. We may even repeat and sing the proclamation. But has the proclamation of resurrection reached deep enough into our minds and hearts so as to shape our real-life expectations – shape our expectations of life and of ourselves? Above all, has the Easter proclamation reached deep enough to shape our expectations of Jesus?
It makes a big difference to our expectations whether we think someone is dead or alive. When someone is dead – even someone we knew alive – we may be able to learn more about him/her as time goes by, but the information is about someone no longer here. We are hearing an echo from the past. And we expect nothing more.
But when we think someone is alive, we have a completely different set of expectations. People who are alive are still capable of doing and saying new things. They can show up at times, places and in ways different from how they used to show up previously. They can surprise us. When someone is living – and we are in relationship with that person – then our knowledge of the person can grow and change. New data is always coming in – sharpening our understanding of earlier words and actions. We are not limited to old data and past memories. With the dead, on the other hand, their deeds are ended. Their words are complete and their power to affect change gone.
The Easter proclamation raises for all of us who hear it this most crucial of questions: do we think Jesus is dead or alive? Are our expectations of Jesus of someone who is dead or of someone who is alive?
For those who do not share our Christian faith – Jesus is another dead man. His deeds, however wonderful in life, are now done, finished. Now he does nothing more. His words are complete. Now he speaks nothing new. His power is gone. Now he brings on no change. The non-Christian can always learn more about Jesus but can never learn more from Jesus.
For the Christian Jesus is alive. The empty tomb calls on us to search for “the Living One”. Jesus is not to be found among the dead. His deeds continue – he does new things among us and within us. His words continue – he speaks new words, new meanings into our lives. His power continues – he affects change in our lives. We find ourselves being changed – being transformed. We receive his love by becoming his love. Jesus is becoming our life-giving Spirit, as Paul tells us.
Jesus lives. Jesus is Lord. Jesus brings new life. That is our Easter proclamation. And while it raises for us a fundamental life-question, it also comes as amazing grace. It is God’s own invitation to learn from the Living Jesus – to open mind and heart to Jesus’ life-giving Spirit. This is my Son, my Beloved; learn from him [Mk 9, 7]. He is your way. He is your truth. He is your life [Jn 14, 6].
In the Book of Revelation we hear the classic Christian prayer spoken in Aramaic, Jesus’ own language: Marana-tha! Our Lord, come! [Rev 22, 20]. Every liturgy acts out that prayer. We here intend to address a real, living person fully capable of manifesting his presence ever more palpably, ever more clearly and closely.
As we begin the Easter season together as a parish, let us pray Marana-tha each day. Let us look for and learn Jesus’ life-giving presence in our lives. Our Lord, come!
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