THE EVENTS OF THE RESURRECTION St. Mark, presenting to us the Lord Christ as a Minister, working with love even to the Cross, intended to carry us with him to the glories of resurrection. That is why he did not let the curtain of his narration fall with the events of the cross, but set forth with us to the Resurrection and Ascension of the Lord. 1- The stone rolled away 1-4. 2- The angel gives the good news of the Resurrection 5-8. 3- Christ’s appearance to Mary Magdalene 9-11. 4- Christ’s appearance to the two disciples of Emmaus 12-13. 5- Christ’s appearance to the eleven 14-18. 6- Christ’s Ascension 19-20. 1- THE STONE ROLLED AWAY St. Mark draws down the curtain at the scene of Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joses, observing from afar where the Lord was laid. As he raises the curtain of the Resurrection, we see them together with Salome, carrying spices, setting forth to the tomb to anoint His body. Whoever encounters the Lord on His Cross, and accompanies Him on the road of Passion until his burial will be worthy of experiencing the joy of His Resurrection. The evangelist says, “Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun has risen. And they said among themselves, ‘Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?’ But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away - for it was very large.” (verses 1 - 4) St. Ambrose1 believes that the Lord Christ had risen after the Sabbath came to an end, with the breeze of the dawn of Sunday. It is as though these women, carrying the spices and setting forth towards the tomb, refer to the Church of the New Covenant, which sets forth from the literal darkness of the Sabbath into the light of the freedom of Sunday, to enjoy her Groom the Sun of Righteousness, rising on the believing souls, abolishing the darkness. St. Jerome says: [Once the grief of the Sabbath passed, a day of joy has risen. Now risen, it gained the priority over all days. On this day, the first light has shone, and the Lord had risen, conquering death2.] If the ‘Sabbath’ refers to rest according to the Law, (symbolizing the true rest in Christ Jesus, risen from the dead), the Lord waited for the end of the Sabbath to rise with the beginning of the new day, proclaiming the end of the symbol and the beginning of the symbolized. St. Athanasius the Apostolic wrote of the Pasch: “The Pasch is our feast... It is no longer the feast of the Jews, as it came to an end, as far as they are concerned. The old things passed away, and now come new things, according to which, every one has to keep the feast, abiding in Him who says, “Observe the month of Abib (the new things), and keep the Passover to the Lord your God” (Deut. 16: 1)3.] The women set forth to the tomb not thinking about the guards nor the seal. They 1 In Luc 24. 2 Cf. Catena Aurea. الحب الإلهي، 1967 ، ص 3 .623 5 had left the previous day, before the Jews went to Pilate to ask for of the guarding and the sealing of the tomb. They only worried about the stone; “who will roll it away from the door of the tomb?” All had forgotten, amid the horrible events of the Cross, the issue of His Resurrection; that is why the women worried about the stone that closed the door of the tomb, not thinking of Him, who is capable of rising while the door is closed! Fr. Severian of Gabala comments on that stone, saying, [That stone is nothing but the literality of the Law, written on stone: That literality should be rolled away from the heart, by the grace of God, to be able to behold the divine mysteries, and to receive the Spirit of the life-giving gospel. As long as your heart is sealed and your eyes are closed, you will not be able to behold the splendor of the open and spacious tomb1.] Anba Paulis El-Boushy says, [The Lord has risen while the stone on the door of the tomb was sealed. In the same way He was delivered by St. Mary, while still a virgin, according to the prophesy of Ezekiel (Ezek. 44:1-4). The rolling away of the stone from the door of the tomb was in order to proclaim the resurrection clearly; lest, if the stone stayed sealed, it would be assumed that the body was still in the tomb2.] 2- THE ANGEL GIVES THE GOOD NEWS OF THE RESURRECTION “And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. But he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed, you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go and tell His disciples - and Peter - that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.” (verses 5-7) The evangelists tell us of more than one visit by the women to the tomb. Each of them presented a scene to consummate together the events of the resurrection. Here, St. Mark the Evangelist tells us of the entrance of the women into the tomb. They saw an angel, in the form of a young man, sitting on the right side and clothed in a long white robe. St. Augustine says that this does not signify their actual entrance into the tomb, but rather their very close approach, to the extent of being able to behold everything inside the tomb. They saw an angel inside, although they saw him later outside. As St. Augustine also says, there were angels all around area, inside as well as outside the tomb. The tomb turned into a heaven, where the angels desire to dwell. According to the Law, the tombs represented uncleanness, where no one dwelt except the dead, the lepers, and those possessed with evil spirits. Whoever touched a tomb, was considered unclean and in need of purification. The entrance of the body of the Lord Christ into the tomb has taken away its uncleanness, and turned it into a place where believers from all over the world desire to come together to enjoy the blessings of the Living One who has risen in it. The angel appeared in the form of a young man, not of a child or an old man; because since he is preaching the resurrection, he is presenting to us, by his person, a mark of life risen in the Lord. This life knows no immaturity of children, nor inability of old age; but is of unfailing strength, and does not get weak or old. His sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white robe, refers to our life risen in the Lord, that exalts us to be on the right hand of God and to be clothed with purity and joy. 1 Cf. Catena Aurea الحب الإلهي، 1967 ، ص 2 .674 6 Fr. Gregory the Great says: [He appeared clothed in white to proclaim the joys of our feast.] St. Jerome also says; [Now the enemy escaped, and the kingdom is restored. So the shining white robe, refers to the true joy; the King of peace being sought and found, never to be taken away from us. That young man, therefore, has proclaimed the nature of the resurrection for those who fear death1.] As to the preaching message of that angel, it embraced the following: (1) He proclaimed the message of the resurrection to the women seeking the Crucified: “You seek Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified,” No one can receive the message of the resurrection in his inner life, or can encounter the Lord Christ risen from the dead, unless he seeks Him in his inner depths. (2) Although the Lord Christ had risen, the angel called Him, “Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified.” The words “of Nazareth,” refer to His incarnation, having risen in Nazareth. His resurrection confirmed His incarnation, and revealed the mission for which He came. As to calling Him “Who is crucified,” the resurrection did not take away from the Lord Christ His mark as “crucified,” but proclaimed the acceptance of the sacrifice of the Cross. In ancient times, God sent a fire to consume the sacrifice offered by Elijah to confirm His acceptance of it. But in the new covenant, the resurrection came to proclaim the glory of the sacrifice of the Cross, not through the consumption of the sacrifice, but the proclamation of the power of life in it, being the sacrifice of the Living Christ, who is capable of rising from the dead. The resurrection made the sacrifice of the Cross present at all times, granting the power of the resurrection to whoever enjoys communion in it. (3) Having gone to the tomb, where they encountered Christ risen from the dead, they enjoyed the privilege of testifying of the Lord Christ before others: “Go and tell His disciples - and Peter -that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.” The women came heavy hearted, but the Resurrection of the Lord turned their grief into joy and granted them the ability to preach the Resurrection to all, telling them to set forth to Galilee to encounter the Risen One from the dead, according to His promise. (4) The invitation for all to encounter Him in ‘Galilee’ a word meaning ‘crossing,’ came to proclaim, that the Lord had risen from the dead to cross with us all from death to life, from the Passion to the glory of the Resurrection, and from our ancient man to the new life in Him. St. Augustine2 believes that Galilee designates the crossing over of the disciples to preach among the Gentiles, after He opened the door for them, saying, “I am going before you into Galilee.” 3-,,,CHRIST’S APPEARANCE TO MARY MAGDALENE “Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.” (verses 9-11) Mary Magdalene enjoyed that encounter: Having been relieved of the kingdom of the devil once set within her by seven demons, her heart became kindled to enjoy within her the kingdom of the Risen One from the dead. In other words, we can not experience 1 Cf. Catena Aurea 2 Harmony of the Gospels 3: 25: 86. 7 the joy of His Resurrection in us, and the reigning of His kingdom in our depths unless we submit our heart for Him to dwell in after first casting out the evil from it. St. Mary Magdalene saw Him early on the first day of the week, that is after the darkness of the night was cast away from her heart, and enjoyed Him after being freed of the seven demons. St. Ambrose says, [If you wish to find Him, the sun is now rising. Come like those women, that is, with hearts devoid of the darkness of evil, as the lusts of the body and the evil deeds are all darkness. Whoever has darkness of this sort, will never behold the lights or have Christ; since Christ is light. Brethren, cast away the darkness from yourselves: namely, cast away all evil lusts and deeds. Have the sweet fragrance, which is the zealous prayer, saying with the Psalmist, “Let my prayer be set before You as incense.” (Psalm 141:2) If you wish to behold the Lord, and to come to your heavenly home, you will have to forsake the evil, abiding in the goodness that you started to adopt1.] 4- CHRIST’S APPEARANCE TO THE TWO DISCIPLES OF EMMAUS “After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.”(verses 12, 13). St. Luke the Evangelist talked about that encounter in some detail. We intend, with the help of God, to deal with this when we study the Gospel according to him (Lk. 24:13-35). St. Augustine says about that encounter [When the Lord approached the two disciples, they lacked the faith... They did not believe that He had risen, nor that anyone can ever do this... They lost faith and had lost all hope... They walked with Him along the way, as dead with the living. ‘Life’ was walking with them, yet their hearts were not pulsating with life2.] 5- CHRIST’S APPEARANCE TO THE ELEVEN “Afterward He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after he had risen. And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe. In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (verses 14-18) As the Risen One appeared to them, He granted them the ability to preach to the whole creation; so that, as the apostles enjoy life risen in the Lord, they could present others with the ‘power of Resurrection.’ In the talk of the Lord Jesus with His disciples after His resurrection, the following are to be noticed: (1) The Lord rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart; and as St. Jerome says: [He rebuked their unbelief to replace it with submission, and rebuked their 1 PL 17: 671 Ser 34. 2 .( القمص متیاس فرید: مع المسیح القائم، أبریل 84 ، ص 27 (عظة 235 8 hardness of heart to replace it with softer hearts full of compassion1.] Thus the first work in our lives, through the Resurrection of the Lord, is a complete inner resulting in a lively faith and a compassionate heart. This change should involve both faith and works amalgamated together. He grants us faith in Him, working inside of us and through us. That is why St. John Chrysostom says, [We do not see that there is nothing we can do without Christ!2] (2) Having enjoyed the work of the Resurrection within them, having been granted a lively faith, and having enjoyed the change of heart to experience the life of virtues in the Lord, they were commanded to preach the gospel to the whole world and to every creature. The Resurrection frees the preacher of narrowness of heart, raising it above any bigotry. He sees himself like everyone else, fallen beneath the weight of death, and risen with no goodness on his part. That is why he desires the entire world to be raised, and to enjoy the new life of freedom. “A bishop or a priest,” in the eyes of St. John Chrysostom, [has been assigned to the world as a whole to become a father to all People3.] The evangelist started his book with the voice of the one crying in the wilderness, and ended it with the Lord’s invitation to preach to the world as a voice crying in the wilderness. Pope Gregory (the Great) says, [We can consider ‘every creature,’ to mean every nation4.] This expression also presents us with a symbolic interpretation that “every creature,” means man as a whole; as he shares, certain aspects with non-living things without sensation; other aspects with plants living but lacking sensation; others with animals, living, sensing, but lacking reason; as well as sharing aspects with reasoning angels. Preaching to man is preaching to every creature in him, through utterly sanctifying him. (3) Baptism, amalgamated with faith, is the main object of salvation. Through it, the baptized enjoys the new risen life, according to Christ’s words: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (verse 16) St. John Chrysostom says: [It is not through a mother or a father, nor through human union, nor through pains of labor that we are born again. But by the Holy Spirit, we gain the tissues of our new nature. In water it is formulated, and from water we are secretly born, as though from the womb5.] [In baptism, the pledge of our covenant with God is realized: death, burial, resurrection, and life. All that happens at once6.] St. Augustine comments on the importance of Baptism, saying: [If children are not baptized, they would be counted as nonbelievers, and would never have life. “He who does not believe in the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (Jn. 3:36)7] (4) He granted them possibilities, that are not their own, but gifts that support them in preaching. Such as casting out demons, performing wonders and speaking in tongues, in order to preach among those whose language they do not understand. As St. 1 Cf. Catena Aurea 2 In Eph. hom 1. 3 De Sacerdotis 6:4. 4 PL 76 In Evan. hom 29. الله مقدسي، 1967 ، ص 5 .48 6 In loan. hom 25. 7 On Forgiveness of Sins & Baptism 3. 9 Ambrose says: [He granted them everything, not to be seen as human power, but as grace working through them1.] 6- THE ASCENSION St. Mark, the Evangelist ends his book with the ascension of the Lord to heaven, and the going out of the disciples to preach, saying: “So then, after the Lord has spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.” (verses 19, 20) If the Gospel according to St. Mark is about Christ working for the Church, then having accomplished much for the sake of His Church hidden in Him, He ascended to heaven so that the Church would work for the sake of Christ hidden in It. He ascended to heaven and sat on the right hand of God the Father to grant His Church to sit in the bosom of His Father or on His right hand. Pope Gregory (the Great) comments on the ascension of the Lord Christ, saying: [We should notice that Elijah was said to have gone up in a chariot, to reveal that a saintly man is still in need of some help... But we did not read about our Savior, that He ascended with any help from an angel or a chariot; as He, who created everything through His authority, is above all... Enoch who was “taken” and Elijah, who “went up” to heaven, were two symbols of the Lord’s ascension. They proclaimed and witnessed to His ascension - the first one before the Law, and the second under the Law - until He, who truly can enter heaven, will come2.] St. Augustine presents us with an interpretation of the expression “the right hand of God” saying: [We should not understand His sitting in the physical sense, as though the Father is on the left and the Son is on the right. But the right here designates the authority given to Him by the Father, being a man (a representative of humanity). In order to come and to condemn, He, who first came to be, Himself was condemned. The word “sits” means “dwells,” as we may say of someone, that he sat (stayed) in some place for so many years. Thus we believe that Christ dwells at the right hand of the Father, as He is blessed and is dwelling in the beatitude, designated as “the right hand of God. 3”] The evangelist confirms that the Lord who ascended to heaven, is working with the preachers, and confirming the words through accompanying signs. Although He ascended up in glory, yet He continued to work so that the whole Church would ascend with Him and in Him, and would enjoy the fellowship of His glories.
Welcome