God's "Yes" to the world's "no"

“You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, he is not here, he has risen just as he said.” And with that announcement a flurry of activity was set off in the world that would never be the same again. The women ran back to tell the disciples the news.

Just a week before, as Jesus entered Jerusalem on the colt of a donkey, he was greeted by the peasants lining the road. They welcomed him by laying down their cloaks and palm branches for the colt carrying Jesus to gently step upon. There were shouts of Hosanna, and Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord and welcome to the Son of David. They were warned by the authorities, warned to keep quiet so they did not risk the wrath of the other procession entering Jerusalem. At the same time Jesus was entering from the Mt of Olives in the East and being welcomed primarily by the poor, Pilot was entering Jerusalem from Caesarea Maritima “Caesar by the Sea,” about sixty miles to the west and was also being greeted by a crowd, but one made up of a different group of people. This crowd was filled with the well connected, the land owners and the leaders of the temple who served largely at the pleasure of Caesar. They too were shouting as they were welcoming the one bearing the royal insignia of Caesar, who was known as the son of god, the prince of peace. Two different processions that would meet in the royal city that week and change the world forever.

In the conflict between the Kingdom of God, preaching a Gospel of hope for the hopeless, and good news for all on the one hand and the kingdom of Caesar representing the power and might of this world on the other, it seemed as if the kingdom of Caesar would win. Jesus was turned over to the authorities and crucified on a cross for all to see, a punishment reserved only for those who threatened the power of the state. At his dying, the land was plunged into darkness as was the whole of life. At his death, hope. The curtain in the temple separating the Holy of Holies, the very place thought of as the dwelling place of God, was torn, no more to symbolize the separation of God and humanity. Following his death, it was not the disciples, who had fled, but the centurion, the representative of the Royal Godhead of Caesar who pronounced that truly this was the Son of God. In doing so, he was proclaiming therefore Caesar and all his military might and power, was not the son of god.

If the crucifixion was the worlds “no” to the Gospel message of justice and caring for the least, lost and lonely, then a few days later was God’s response. The women peered in to see the empty tomb and hear the words, “he is not here, he is risen just as he said.” The empty tomb was Heavens “no” to the powers of this world, powers that rule by brutality and wealth and military might. Heavens response was a yes to all of creation. It is a call put aside the injustice and violence. It is a call to work to bring about an equality of power and wealth and with it, hope. It is a call not only to truly see one another as brothers and sisters in this world, not just the wealthy, not just the poor, not just those who think and act and believe and live and love as we do, but all people, but to act on that vision.

The disciples did not fully believe the message the women brought on that Easter morning and most of the time, neither do we. But we are called each and every day to let the vision unfold before us and to try to truly live in the midst of God’s “yes!!!” in this world.