In His Resurrection, Jesus Defeats Way of the World for Way of God

(See the readings for the Resurrection of the Lord: The Mass of Easter Day)

Two men entered Jerusalem in very different ways.

Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea appointed by Tiberius, ruled from Caesarea Maritima on the coast. For great feast days such as Passover, he would travel to Jerusalem on a 60-mile journey in great splendor, entering the city from a grand gate on the western side along with chariots, horses and soldiers dressed for battle. The spectacle is meant to inspire awe and fear, a vivid reminder to the people of this region that they are subjects of the “ruler of the world,” as the Romans described their emperor.

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Jesus, the King of Peace, enters quite differently. In all humility, he rides on a donkey. The people greet him with joy as they lay palm fronds on the ground or waive them in the air as he passes by. His mission is not to inspire fear but to free the people, and all peoples, from it.

The entry of these two men symbolizes the conflict and battle between the way of God and that of the world. Pilate enters with arms and arrows; Jesus with peace.

We marked Jesus’ entry last Sunday along with the events that unfolded a few days later, His passion and death. While the scene quickly changes from one of celebration to that of death, Jesus remains steadfast.

The “ways of the world” were not limited to Pilate alone. Jesus faced betrayal and denial from two of His apostles. He was abandoned by most of His friends. He was rejected by many of those who He came to save. His trial, conviction and execution might at first have seemed to be a victory for the way of the world.

On Easter Sunday that victory is exposed as a charade for Jesus is risen. He is the victor. Suffering and death have no power over Him. He is the true “ruler of the world,” and the “king of kings.”

The first Easter account in John’s Gospel is that of the empty tomb. The passage is one of the gospel passages used for Easter liturgies. Mary Magdalen comes to the tomb on the third day after Jesus’ passion. The stone is rolled back. Frightened, she runs back to the city to find Peter and the Beloved Disciple.

They return together in haste to the tomb. The Beloved Disciple outruns Peter but waits for him before entering. When they do enter, the Beloved Disciple “sees and believes.” His outrunning Peter is an indication of his hope. The hope is realized when he sees that Jesus is no longer bound by the tomb. His burial cloths lie on the floor while the head cloth is neatly rolled up.

That is all he sees at this point, the empty tomb. It is enough. All that preceded the passion prepared him for this moment, it all comes together now. Jesus is risen!

The Beloved Disciple, unnamed in the gospel, represents everyone who places their faith in Jesus. He reminds us that belief goes beyond sight. He will even say so in next week’s passage: “Blessed are those who have not seen and believe.” The Disciple’s realization of Jesus’ victory over death replaces grief with joy; fear with hope; darkness with light. The triumph is complete.

Now is the time to proclaim the Good News. As we celebrate Easter this Sunday, we will renew the baptismal promises that mark our profession of faith. It is through baptism, celebrated for adult catechumens all over the world Saturday night, that we are mysteriously (and sacramentally) joined to Christ in His death so that we too might share in His resurrection. His victory over death is not just for Him, it is for all of us and for all people.

The battle of the “ways of the world” with the “way of God” is symbolized by the opposite gates of Jerusalem, one entered by Pilate and the other by Jesus.

In many ways, we experience the battle now: when we see people subjugated by tyrants; when we see nations using war for peace; when we see the innocent suffer and die by oppression; when we see the grotesque gap between the lives of the uber rich and those living in poverty; and when we encounter injustice in its many other forms.

We are certainly not immune to the effects of the battle and sometimes it weighs us down with sorrow, sadness, grief, even fear. When we encounter the battle, we often have to make a choice. We can’t avoid the battle, we have to enter it. The question becomes through what gate do we enter? The gate of Pilate or the gate of Christ?

St. Paul, in his Letter to the Colossians (the second reading), urges us to the second gate:

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory.”

Celebrating Easter, we are reminded today that God has entered that battle, on our behalf, and has proved Himself the victor for, in the words of the ancient Christian greeting: “Christ is Risen. He is risen indeed, alleluia, alleluia!”

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Msgr. Joseph Prior is pastor of Our Lady of Grace Parish in Penndel and a former professor of Sacred Scripture and rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. Read more reflections by Msgr. Prior here.

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