Reflect and act on the resurrection of Jesus

On one occasion Jesus was with his disciples at the well-known “last supper.” This dinner was very similar to the Passover dinners of the Jewish community in those days, as Passover celebrates the liberation of the Hebrew people from the Egyptians. Particularly in the third cup, in which the lamb is shared as a sign of sacrifice, Jesus said: “ this is my blood, this is my body.” This expression offers us a clear vision of the self-image and self-concept of Jesus.

Jesus knew what he would be going through in the coming days. He knew the intention of the political-religious groups towards their desire for censorship, since he represented a great threat due to the influence he exerted on the people. Wait a minute, did he offend? Exactly. Jesus Christ throughout his ministry offended the egos of many, from all religious leaders, Romans and even his own disciples (inner circle).

As part of this reflection I want to share that Jesus wants to confront all our pride and self-sufficiency in order to understand that we are totally dependent on God and it is in that dependence that the revelation of Jesus as the Christ in our lives comes. It is he who offers himself as the lamb of God to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

Eventually, Jesus Christ is handed over to the Roman authorities by one of his own disciples, Judas Iscariot. Furthermore, another of his disciples named Pedro denies it for fear of being related as part of his inner circle. Jesus Christ is crucified with all the implications of this horrible death, since the Roman soldiers were expert murderers. In these moments what the prophet Isaiah said was fulfilled: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our sins; The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we were healed.” (Is. 53:5). This act shows the greatness of God's love before humanity that even though we were sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:6).

We are celebrating because death could not stop the wonderful work of God because Jesus Christ defeated death by resurrecting on the third day. This is a truth so compelling that the apostle Paul dares to declare

“And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith is also in vain.” (1 Cor. 15;14).

On the other hand, it is impossible for the disciples to invent such a story, since they did not believe that Jesus Christ would be resurrected. They were hopeless, hiding for fear that the same thing as their master would happen to them.

It is the resurrection of Jesus Christ that empowers you to deliberately proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God regardless of the cost or consequences. When we know the Christ of the cross and resurrection we are transformed and empowered by his Holy Spirit to proclaim the gospel. It's time to reflect, it's time to act...

References:

Reina Valera, 1960, John 1;29, Isaiah 53;5, Romans 5;6, 1 Corinthians 15;14.

Photo by Pisit Heng on Unsplash