Easter Saturday: No mere conjuring trick with bones

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.” This is my message for you.’ So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’

While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened. After the priests had assembled with the elders, they devised a plan to give a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, ‘You must say, “His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.” If this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.’ So they took the money and did as they were directed. 

[Matthew 28.1-15a]

Easter Saturday: No mere conjuring trick with bones

It’s an age-old slander, the idea that the body of Jesus was either stolen by his followers, or that Jesus did not die upon the Cross, but rather was taken down (unconscious) and was later revived. The former is dealt with in today’s Gospel reading, the latter is easily disproved: the Romans knew how to kill someone, their executioners were experts in it. They would no more have taken down an unconscious prisoner as they would have let one of the followers steal the still breathing body away. It simply does not make sense.

No, it is clear from the accounts of the scriptures, and from basic theological logic that Jesus had died upon the Cross. It is also vital for our understanding of the power of the Cross; Jesus’s death brought us life. His death defeated the old order of sin and death, and brought to birth a new order where the power of sin and death were and are no more. Without his death and resurrection our faith becomes meaningless, a mere chasing after the wind as Quoholeth, the writer of Ecclesiastes puts it.

The painting of the reurrected Christ by Piero della Francesca is a not just a representation of those soldiers who were persuaded to say they were sleeping, it is a reminder that the moment of the Resurrection is hidden from us. It is a moment that has no witnesses, other than the one who was resurrected. It is as though at that moment the world were asleep, but when awaking we awake not just to a new day, but to a new Creation.