Worship - 20 April 2025

Summary of this week's theme

We gather today to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus—the heart of Easter and the foundation of our Christian faith. We rejoice in an empty tomb, but we must first remember there was once a body in it. Resurrection only has meaning because there was death.

Jesus’ crucifixion wasn’t a peaceful passing - it was a brutal execution, rooted in human sinfulness: selfishness, pride, and injustice.  Caiaphas may have thought Jesus’ death was politically expedient, but in truth, Jesus gave his life out of love - not just for one nation, but for the whole world, the entire cosmos.

So, as we celebrate the resurrection, we must not forget the cost of the cross.  The resurrection is a gift, but it also calls us to respond.  Perhaps the message is simple: just stop - stop contributing to the sin that crucified Christ.  Take responsibility, live differently, and let the hope of the resurrection transform us.

Jesus put his body on the line.  His death was costly, and yet it opened the door to new life.  As Bishop Gerard of Menorca reminded us at the conclusion of the Via Crucis last week, while the heart may symbolise love, the cross symbolises a greater love - a gateway through which resurrection becomes possible.

We are invited to recommit ourselves to love: to love God with all our hearts, minds, and souls, and to love our neighbours - whoever they may be.

The resurrection challenged even those who were closest to Jesus.  Peter, for example, must have felt joy mixed with dread - if Jesus was truly alive, he’d also know about the denials.  Guilt and disbelief clouded the disciples' hearts.  Perhaps they dismissed the women's testimony because it seemed unbelievable - or maybe because they couldn’t yet grasp that Jesus had truly died, let alone risen.

But that shock and disbelief are part of Easter’s power.  The resurrection changes everything.  It marked the end of the world as it had been, and the beginning of Isaiah’s promised new creation.

Let’s not skip over the pain of Good Friday.  It is in feeling that pain that we understand the depth of God’s love.  And as we encounter unlikely messengers with improbable news - let us listen, even if the tale seems idle.

As a priest who has walked with many through grief, I know how powerful the resurrection is. It is sheer gift to say, even in sorrow: Christ is risen.  Death is not the end.  The tomb is empty.  Thanks be to God.