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It’s Day 91!!
Yesterday we talked about Jesus Descended into Hell
We didn’t plumb the DEPTHS of that…Ba bum bump psshhhhhhhh 😉
BUT…
We hopefully shed some light on what it means when we DECLARE, PROFESS, and SAY that JESUS DESCENDED INTO THE REALM OF THE DEAD
Today is PARAGRAPH 2: ON THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD
We will talk about the reality that the Resurrection is THE HISTORICAL AND TRANSCENDENT EVENT
We will recount the story of the Resurrection today
Not only that…
BUT…
We will make it ABSOLUTELY CLEAR that the Resurrection REALLY AND TRULY HAPPENED
WE KNOW THIS!!
THIS IS AN HISTORICAL REALITY!!
There is PROOF of the REALITY of the Resurrection
There are some people who say, “The Resurrection is real but that’s because Jesus really rose in the hearts of the believers.”
THAT IS NOT TRUE!!
THAT IS NOT WHAT THE CHURCH IS SAYING!!
Jesus REALLY ROSE LITERALLY from the dead
BODILY from the dead
CORPORALLY from the dead
WE HAVE TO AFFIRM THIS!!
As Catholic Christians we have to recognize all the signs of Christ’s Resurrection…
From the EMPTY TOMB…
To the appearances to MARY MAGDALENE and all the other HOLY WOMEN…
To the appearances to PETER…
To the appearances to ALL THE OTHER APOSTLES
St Paul said that Jesus appeared to OVER 500 PEOPLE AT ONCE
ALL OF THIS…
Points to the HISTORICAL FACT of the PHYSICAL RESURRECTION OF JESUS
BODILY RESURRECTION OF JESUS FROM THE DEAD
We will affirm that today
We will walk in that today
THIS IS A FUNDAMENTAL TRUTH ABOUT CHRISTIANITY!!
If Jesus has not Risen from the Dead, then our Faith is WORTHLESS
IT IS ABSOLUTELY WORTHLESS IF JESUS HAS NOT TRULY RISEN FROM THE DEAD!!
Let’s just pray and dive in!!
Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in Heaven, we give you praise. Thank you so much for your Son’s Resurrection. Thank you so much, not only for the fact that He gave Himself out of love, that He lived a life of obedience, to redeem us and to glorify you. But also, thank you. Thank you for His Resurrection. Thank you for the gift of proving to us that He is who He says He is in the Resurrection from the dead. We thank you for inviting us to have a share in that Resurrection, as you have invited us to participate in His Passion, as you have invited us to participate in His suffering, you also, Lord God, you also invite us to participate in His Resurrection. And so this day, we rejoice. Because this day we know that you are the conqueror of death. We know that you are the one who was slain and yet still live. Forever and ever, you are the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. The One who was, who is, and who is to come. And we praise and glorify you in Jesus’ name. Amen”
So there we are!!
MAN!!
THE REALITY!!
THE HISTORICITY!!
OF THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS!!
THIS IS SO SO IMPORTANT FOR US!!
Let’s go back to what St Paul had said, “If Christ is not raised from the dead, our faith is in vain.”
There are even some Christians who will say that Christ rose in OUR HEARTS
OR…
“You know the message of Jesus is that He is alive IN US.”
NO NO NO!!
We know the MESSAGE of Christ IS NOT DEAD
We know that Christ is ALIVE IN US
BUT…
HE ACTUALLY ROSE FROM THE DEAD BODILY!!
THIS IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL!!
The Church makes it ABSOLUTELY CLEAR
THIS IS AN HISTORICAL FACT!!
The empty tomb is NOT DEFINITIVE PROOF
BUT…
The empty tomb points to this REALITY
Paragraph 640 says, “The disciple ‘whom Jesus loved’ affirmed that when he entered the empty tomb and discovered ‘the linen cloths lying there,’ ‘he saw and believed.’ This suggests that he realized from the empty tomb’s condition that the absence of Jesus’ body could not have been of human doing and that Jesus had not simply returned to earthly life as had been the case with Lazarus.”
Remember when Lazarus was raised from the dead by Jesus through the power of God, he was STILL BOUND HAND AND FOOT
He had the burial cloths WRAPPED AROUND HIM
BUT…
St John looks into the tomb and sees the linen cloths lying there in such a way that he recognized that Jesus TRULY HAD RISEN FROM THE DEAD
NOT LIKE LAZARUS!!
BUT…
IN A UNIQUE AND UNPRECEDENTED WAY!!
IT IS REMARKABLE!!
Then Jesus appears FIRST to Mary Magdalene and the other Holy Women
They become the APOSTLES TO THE APOSTLES
They were the first ones to bring the MESSAGE OF RESURRECTION, the core of this new Christian Faith, to the Apostles themselves
IT IS REMARKABLE!!
Peter next adds his witness to their testimony
IT IS REMARKABLE!!
Paragraph 642 says, “Everything that happened during those Paschal days involves each of the apostles-and Peter in particular-in the building of the new era begun on Easter morning…Peter and the Twelve are the primary ‘witnesses to his Resurrection’...Paul speaks clearly of more than five hundred persons to whom Jesus appeared on a single occasion and also of James and all the apostles.”
St Paul says in 1 Corinthians, “Many of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.”
Why would he say that?
Fr. Mike’s theory is that St Paul says that because he is declaring the true Resurrection of Jesus Christ to the Corinthians
He is basically saying, “If you really want to talk to those people who had seen the Risen Christ, they are STILL ALIVE. THey are STILL AROUND. Over 500 of them. Yes, some have died. But many of them are still alive.”
THIS IS AN HISTORICAL REALITY!!
THIS IS AN HISTORICAL FACT!!
Paragraph 643 says, “Given all these testimonies, Christ’s Resurrection cannot be interpreted as something outside the physical order, and it is impossible not to acknowledge it as an historical fact.”
THIS IS SO COMPLETELY TRUE!!
Not only did they SEE this
Not only did they GIVE WITNESS to this
BUT…
THEY WERE TRANSFORMED!!
They went from people who were DEMORALIZED…
They went from people who were DISCOURAGED…
They went from people who were FRIGHTENED…
TO…
People who were TRANSFORMED
People who were EMBOLDENED
People who were COURAGEOUS
It wasn’t their FAITH that did this
IT WAS THE FACT THAT THEY SAW THE RESURRECTION!!
It wasn’t the fact that they would BELIEVE whatever someone told them
IT WAS THE FACT THAT THEY ACTUALLY HAD TRULY ENCOUNTERED THE RISEN JESUS!!
AT THE SAME TIME…
Paragraph 644 says, “Even when faced with the reality of the risen Jesus the disciples are still doubtful, so impossible did the thing seem: they thought they were seeing a ghost. ‘In their joy they were still disbelieving and still wondering.’”
Then we have Doubting Thomas
Even though all his friends and people who know him very well said, “We saw Jesus!! He is alive!!”
St Thomas says, “Nope! Unless I put my fingers in the nailmarks and my hand in His side, I WILL NOT BELIEVE!!”
Paragraph 644 continues, “...during the risen Lord’s last appearance in Galilee ‘some doubted.’ Therefore the hypothesis that the Resurrection was produced by the apostles’ faith (or credulity) will not hold up. On the contrary their faith in the Resurrection was born, under the action of divine grace, from their direct experience of the reality of the risen Jesus.”
THE REALITY OF THE RISEN JESUS!!
WHICH IS REMARKABLE!!
ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!!
Let’s have one last note on the Resurrection and the Apostles’ fidelity and faithfulness…
It is one thing to tell a lie to get ahead
Right?
It is one thing to tell a lie to get what you want
It is one thing to tell a lie to avoid pain
BUT…
To bear witness to the Resurrection WAS NOT A LIE
It was not a lie to GET POWER
It was not a lie to AVOID PAIN
Why?
Because in their bearing witness to the Resurrection…
(SQUIRREL!! 😉)
They could have all gone home
Every single one of them was free to go
They could have all gone back to their former lives
They could have lived out their lives in peace
They could have lived out their lives in tranquility
They could have lived out their lives however they wanted
Because they encountered the RISEN LIVING TRUE HISTORICAL FACT OF JESUS CHRIST RISEN FROM THE DEAD…
What did it bring them?
Fame?
NO!!
Did it bring them power?
ABSOLUTELY NOT!!
Did it bring them a long life?
Honors?
Health?
Wealth?
NONE OF THOSE THINGS!!
IN FACT…
It brought them all TO AN EARLY DEATH
Except for St John
BUT…
Even St John lived a life of pain and suffering
PAINFUL AND SUFFERING LOVE
A pain and suffering nonetheless
NO ONE WOULD GIVE THEIR LIVES FOR A LIE!!
These men and women were witness to the REALITY
These men and women were witness to the TRUTH
THAT THEY SAW CHRIST RISEN FROM THE DEAD
IT COST THEM EVERYTHING!!
IT COST THEM THEIR ENTIRE LIVES!!
Not one of them…
Even though all of them were TORTURED…
NOT ONE OF THEM EVER SAID, “I MADE THE WHOLE THING UP!!”
Why?
BECAUSE THEY DID NOT MAKE THE WHOLE THING UP!!
BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY ENCOUNTERED JESUS RISEN FROM THE DEAD!!
THE RESURRECTION IS AN HISTORICAL FACT!!
IT IS TRUE!!
IT HAPPENED!!
JESUS CHRIST IS LORD OF THE LIVING AND OF THE DEAD!!
HE HAS CONQUERED DEATH!!
HE NOW LIVES FOR THE GLORY OF THE FATHER!!
HE LIVES TO INTERCEDE FOR YOU!!
LET’S JOIN IN HIS INTERCESSION!!
Fr. Mike is praying FOR YOU!!
Please pray for Fr. Mike and for each other!!
I cannot WAIT to see you tomorrow!!
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