Easter Day - The Resurrection of the Lord By Tobe Eze

Easter Day - The Resurrection of the Lord

FIRST READING
Acts 10:34a, 37—43

SECOND READING
Colossians 3:1—4

GOSPEL
John 20:1—9

THEME: THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN SAVE.

Alleluia Alleluia. It is been said in Igbo language, Onye ihe ọma mere adịghị aza Ọzọemena. He who is favoured by fortune do not say, let it not happen again. A good thing has happened to us that the Lord has risen from death freeing us from death. Ihe ukwu mere anyị, ka anyị kele nu Chukwu.   A Story:

Night Watchman: The manager of a firm advertised for a night watchman. All the applicants were present. But the manager was not satisfied. He found something wrong with each man. There was Raju, an applicant. He was sitting in a corner waiting for his turn of interview. Manager found nothing wrong in his appearance. He questioned about his health. He got the reply that he was suffering from sleeplessness. Manager was happy and appointed him.  It was St. Anselm who said, when God was looking for the one who will bring salvation to humankind, he could not use any of the created thing both man and animal for both are not perfect. It was only he himself that is perfect and he took human nature to save mankind. The manager who was looking for someone whom he will employ, he could not find anyone for the job except he that was suffering from sleeplessness. God also knew that Jesus was, is and will continue to be only the perfect being that can save humankind from sin and suffering, he also knew that Jesus was, is and will continue to suffer from love. It was because God saw that Jesus has everything it takes, that was why he gave him up for us.

The journey of our salvation which started on the annunciation day has been fulfilled today. Today the Lord has risen from the dead and this is the salvation which God prepared for us through Christ immediately after the fall of the first Adam. Christ’s mission on earth are (1) Died to win death for us. (2) For his side to be opened, so that salvation and the Church will be born. (3) He died to be the firstborn from the dead. (4) He died to fulfill what the scripture said. (5) He died for our sins. And lastly (6) He died for love. Continue Reading

These six reasons for Christ death can be seen or be represented by the sacraments that our Lord left us to carry on with. The first which is, Jesus died on the cross to win death can be the sacrament of baptism which is the only way we die and rise again with Jesus. Jesus through his death and resurrection has made death powerless. The death we talk about is the eternal damnation. It is death of the soul. It will only take us a little and we will get that life everlasting. It requires us to take the sacrament we received which is baptism seriously and not to go back to our sinful nature. To die with the Lord and rise with him, we have to embrace the sacrament of baptism which will bring us into the life he has gained through winning death. The second reason is, For his side to be opened, so that salvation and the Church will be born. From his side, Church and salvation came from. The blood that came out from him side is our salvation while the water that came out is the Church. Church and our salvation came out from his side. Christ is the bridegroom of the Church as St. Paul said. It was through Adam’s side that his wife Eve was created so also it was from the side of Jesus that the Church and our salvation which are his brides also came from. Jesus knew that it must be through his wounds that we shall be saved and be healed, so, he died before the soldiers could reach where he was crucified, so they pierced him to check if he was really dead. They were doing it not knowing that they were fulfilling one of Jesus’ purposes on earth. This represents sacrament of reconciliation. It was to bring forgiveness that Jesus allowed water which is the Church to come out from his side so that Church will give his people way to come back to him and reconcile his people with him and for salvation to reach his people. The third point which is, to be the firstborn from the dead. Jesus knew that if another that is not as perfect as he is should be the first to rise from the dead. Our salvation would not have been secured. He became the firstborn from the dead to secure our salvation for us. Another man or thing could not have given us life everlasting. He is the only one for he is the first that have risen from the dead. This is also embedded in the sacrament of Holy Oders. He is only one who chooses his priests, and priests on the day of their ordination die with Christ and rise to draw men to him. He is the only one who calls the one whom he will perfect like himself. It through Holy Orders that other sacraments reach us. It is only through Christ we can win eternal death. The forth one, He died to fulfill what the scripture said. Jesus death is a fulfilment of what the sacred scripture said, that the throne will never depart from the tribe of David. Again that he will be with us forever as he himself said it. If a grain do not fall and die, it will not yield any fruit. It was to fulfill this that he said, so he died so that he will get us as the fruit he bears. I am the true vine and my father is the vine dresser and you are my branches. He died for us to be his branches. This can also fall to the sacrament of matrimony. To get more people for God through legal marriage according to the scripture, one man one wife. Fifth reason, He died for our sins. It is because of the sins of the world that our Lord Jesus Christ left his place in heaven to come to this world, be maltreated by men, be killed by men, be buried by men to free men both the righteous ones who died before him and us who are still in this world. It is to free us from sin and shame that our Lord was crucified on the cross. When we continue to sin, we drag our Lord back to his sufferings on the way and on the cross. This can be found in the sacrament of Anointing the Sick, the sick here is not only those physically challenged but also our spiritual lives. We may be healthy in our physical nature, but our spiritual nature may be seriously sick and needs more attention than our physical nature. So we all need this sacrament. The sixth reason, He died for Love. For God so love the world that he gave his only begotten son ………... It was because of the love our Lord Jesus has for us that he gave up his life to save us from eternal condemnation. Jesus is sick of love. It is this love that he used to summarize the whole laws and prophets. What pleases him is love not sacrifice. Here we can see sacrament of confirmation in it. Making us soldiers of love, for he is love. When we are confirmed and conformed to Christ through Love, one of his reasons for coming to the world to suffer and die is fulfilled. Lastly, Jesus who because of the other six reasons for his coming and death knew that if he should leave us without looking for something or somebody to handover things to, we will go back to our evil way of living. Again men are full of imperfection so he could not give any person the work rather he left himself for us as the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. The source and summit of everything we are, we do and we think of doing (good things). This plan of salvation can be traced to the first miracle that Jesus did on earth. He turned water into wine, water that was in six jars. These jars can also represent the sacraments and the seventh sacrament is Jesus who turned water into wine. He showed us his intention of coming in his first miracle. Looking at all these beautiful gifts he has left us (sacraments) we can now see that He is the only one who can save us. Nnụnụ abụọ adịghị aza Ugo. Two persons cannot answer the saviour, only him can save. THANKS AND HAPPY EASTER. Alleluia Alleluia

Too See more http://tobeeze.blogspot.com