Easter Sunday, the Day of Resurrection- John 20:1-10

The Paschal Feast, the Feast of the Resurrection, or Easter, is the culmination of the biblical message and of the church calendar. Jesus of Nazareth, who accepted terrible physical and spiritual suffering to save us from sin, has risen from the dead; He offers us new life, in this world and the next. Easter is the great dividing point in human history. Among other things, Christ's Resurrection is the seal of divine approval upon the earthly life, ministry, and death of Jesus. In addition, it is the key event that transforms a band of disheartened and defeated disciples into faithful witnesses and ministers of the Good News. The whole New Testament is written from the standpoint of faith in the risen Lord Jesus Christ.

In the traditional Books of Common Prayer, the first Easter Gospel is from St. John 20. 1-10. It proclaims the importance of faith. At first, the women at the empty tomb and the apostles who hear the women's report react with fear and curiosity. When the apostles hear the news from the women, Simon Peter and the other disciple (traditionally identified as John) run to see for themselves. Peter goes in first to see the grave clothes. Then that other disciple enters, "and he saw and believed" (St. John 20:8). Accepting that the empty tomb is a real and important event, but this is only a first step. There must also be a second step.  The reality of the empty tomb calls each person to a personal response: faith in the living Jesus Christ! 

So on this Easter, let each of us accept with faith what the empty tomb tells us about Jesus. He is unique. He is not merely someone who has recovered from physical death. He has experienced Resurrection; that is, He has conquered death. He has overcome the forces of evil, destruction, and death for all time, for all who truly believe in Him. He is the Word of God incarnate, God the Son. By overcoming death, He has (in the words of the collect) "opened unto us the gate of everlasting life." Christ lives, and because He lives, we also may truly live in union with Him. Alleluia. The Lord is risen indeed; O come, let us adore him. Alleluia.