Today we celebrate the joys of Easter. Jesus, who suffered a humiliating death on the cross three days ago, is no longer in His tomb. HE IS RISEN. The joyous news of all. It is the summit of our Christian Faith where Jesus himself became the first concrete example of resurrection designed by GOD for all men. Easter comes in the spring season where flowers began to bloom after many months of gloomy autumn and winter. Christians in many parts of the world specially in the northern hemisphere celebrate it with much festivities for they do not only celebrate the rising of christ but also as the season that preludes summer where the colors of plants and trees come again to life.
But to be able to understand easter and the celebration of LIFE in its fullness, we must first understand death and its meaning. We will not be able to understand LIFE if without understanding DEATH. Death, as we all know, is the total absence of life. When we die, our hearts stops pumping blood throughout our body, degenerating oxygen that allows us to breath and live. When we close our eyes upon death, darkness sets in and our conciousness erased as if we all fell into deep sleep. Death is about non existence and forever date with darkness.
I remember having a semi date with death way back in 1996. I was biking along the highway with a friend when a wayward car hit us from the back throwing me up from my sit and on the side of the road. The driver happened to be a high school student and appeared to be practicing his driving skills. It was a total black out and conciousness snapped out of my head. All I could remember was that I'm very much dizzy and theres a terrible pain in my head. Once in the hospital, my brother Jerry seems to be talking to me but I could not understand a word he said. I ended up recuperating in hospital for five days from a cerebral concussions which, thank GOD, not serious enough to kill me. Just like that, death can come anytime when we least expect it.
Death come to Jesus like anybody else. The humanity of the Son of God is no different from the rest. He felt every bit of slashings in his body. He felt the weight of the cross on His shoulders and the injuries caused by the many fall he had on his way to the calvary. He shouted in excruciating pain when nails entered his hands and feet. He was mocked, slapped and tortured by the very same people that glorified Him when he entered Jerusalem. But the worst and most painful of all, He was deserted by His friends. After all the great things he has done, only few symphatized with Him. According to Isaiah 52; ' He was spurned and avoided by people.' Ito na siguro ang pinaka mahirap sa lahat ng pagdurusa ng panginoon Jesus. Ang iwanan ka ng mga taong nakasama mo nang matagal at ngayo'y iniwanan ka sa ere....sa gitna ng pagdurusa. But to Jesus, this is part of what he needs to take up as an obedient Son of the Father. Para sa kanya Okey lang. Bahagi yan ng kahinaan ng tao na kailangan nyang ituwid. 'He symphatized with our weaknesses...similarly been tested, yet without a sin.' ( Hebrews 4: 15)
But the life of Jesus did not end in death at the calvary. He entrusted His life to God and the Father rewarded him with resurrection. He died a physical death and now He rises to a new life. This new life is not similar to the life we are having here on earth. Its a NEW SPIRITUAL LIFE THAT FLOWS FROM GOD HIMSELF. The new life of Christ belongs to God. A victorious and heavenly life which death can no longer overcome. As baptized christians, we shared in this mystery and the promised of resurrection awaits us because we hold it in our hearts. When Christ died on the cross, we died with him. "We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life." (Romans 6: 3-11)
EASTER brings a message of Hope. That all the sufferings and afflictions we are experiencing right now also has its end. Our faith, fidelity and trust in God shall crown us with redemption and resurrection. HUWAG MAWALAN NG PAG-ASA SA MGA DINARANAS NA PAGHIHIRAP. PANGHAWAKAN NATIN ANG MENSAHE NG MULING PAGKABUHAY NI JESUKRISTO!
- BONG BUENAFLOR (April 8, 2012)
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