After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, approached, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. 3 His appearance was like lightning and his clothing was white as snow. 4 The guards were shaken with fear of him and became like dead men. 5 Then the angel said to the women in reply, “Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ Behold, I have told you.” 8 Then they went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce this to his disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
Before sunrise on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to the tomb carrying sorrow and devotion. They had watched Jesus suffer, die, and be buried. Hope, it seemed, had been sealed behind a stone. But the dawn of that Sunday unveiled a new and eternal light. The earth trembled. An angel descended in brilliance and rolled back the stone—not to let Christ out, but to let the witnesses in. “He is not here… He has been raised.” The world would never be the same.
This is no myth, no mere metaphor. It is the central event in the history of salvation. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ vindicates every word He spoke, every promise He made, and every hope placed in Him. Death has been defeated not by power, but by love. What appeared to be the end on Good Friday is revealed on Easter morning as the most astonishing beginning: the new creation, born not in Eden but in a garden tomb. This is the fulfillment of God’s covenant love, prefigured in the Exodus and promised through the prophets. The Risen Christ is the true Paschal Lamb (cf. 1 Cor. 5:7), the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep (cf. 1 Cor. 15:20), and the dawn of the eternal Sabbath rest promised by God (cf. Heb. 4:9-10).
The joy of Easter is not mere happiness or emotional relief—it is the unshakable joy of those who know they have been rescued from death and redeemed for life. We are not celebrating a memory, but a living Person: Christ, who once was dead but now lives forever (cf. Rev. 1:18). This joy penetrates even the deepest grief and restores hope to the most wounded hearts. In Christ’s Resurrection, sin no longer defines us, and death no longer enslaves us. As St. Paul affirms, “If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him” (Rom. 6:8). That is why Easter is not just a season of celebration, but a summons to transformation.
The Resurrection is not merely the conclusion of Christ’s passion—it is the beginning of a renewed humanity. The tomb is empty, but the world is not yet full of the Good News. Christ’s rising is the turning point of history, but it becomes the turning point of our lives only when we answer the call He gives to those who meet Him: “Go and tell” (Matt. 28:7,10). We are not meant to remain at the empty tomb in awe, but to become bearers of the message that death has been conquered, sin has been forgiven, and new life is possible. The risen Christ goes ahead of us—into our Galilees, our communities, our daily lives—calling us to witness with boldness, live with joy, and proclaim with conviction that He is risen indeed.
Lord Jesus, You have conquered death and shattered the silence of the grave. Fill our hearts with Easter joy that cannot be silenced. Give us the courage to go and tell the world that You are alive. Let our lives proclaim Your victory, and our voices echo the angel’s cry: He is not here, for He is risen! Alleluia. Amen.
Sources
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: The Pentateuch. Four Courts Press, 2017
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
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