Death and Resurrection of Christ

/a contemplative prayer/

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Introduction

The spiritual resurrection of the Church will begin through a restored celebration of the Day of Resurrection – Sunday.

Early Christians had four fundamental spiritual pillars: a) the apostles’ teaching, b) fellowship (koinonia), c) common prayers, d) the Eucharist (see Acts 2:42). All these four elements need to be realized on the day which is wholly consecrated to God. It is not sufficient just to attend the Divine Liturgy (the Eucharist), but Christians also need to gather in small communities (cells). Again, the pattern for us is the Apostles and early Christians. They not only attended the temple but also gathered in their homes.

We bring forward a model for celebration of the Resurrection Day (every Sunday) as well as prayer models for contemplation of the sufferings of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Last Supper

a) Reflection on God’s Word:

On Thursday evening Jesus celebrates the Last Supper with His apostles. The Passover is connected with the sacrificing of the lamb and with the Passover meal. This festival commemorates the passing over of Israel from the slavery of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Jesus came to deliver mankind from the slavery of sin and the devil.

At the beginning, Jesus washed the apostles’ feet. Thus He gave them the example of humility and love. Thereafter, He warns them against the spirit of betrayal, behind which is the devil.

Then Jesus speaks about love: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s brethren.”

He also speaks about the Holy Spirit: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth.”

a) Reflection on God’s Word:

Jesus is arrested: The apostle-traitor brought soldiers and temple guards with torches into Gethsemane. He came near to Jesus and gave Him a traitorous kiss. And the soldiers seized Jesus.

Jesus before Annas: They brought Him to the high priest Annas. He questioned Jesus about many things. One of the guards struck Jesus in the face.

Jesus before Caiaphas: When they had bound Him, Annas sent Jesus to the high priest Caiaphas. Caiaphas said: “I put You under oath by the living God, tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus replied: “You have said so.” The high priest tore his clothes and said: “He has uttered blasphemy!” The crowd began to shout: “He deserves death!” Then they started to spit in Jesus’ face and strike Him on the head.

GOLGOTHA – seven words from the cross

a) Reflection on God’s Word:

“There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said: ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do!’” (Lk 23:32-34)

“When they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him…”

Death by crucifixion was the most cruel and disgraceful punishment possible. When they had arrived at the site, Simon of Cyrene was ordered to place the cross he had carried on the ground. Jesus was quickly thrown backward, with His shoulders against the wood. The soldier – executioner – felt for the depression at the front of the wrist and drove a heavy, square wrought-iron nail through it and deep into the wood. The nail cut through the skin and went through the place where the nerve runs which controls much of the function and sensation from the hand.

a) Reflection on God’s Word:

“One of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying: ‘If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.’ But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying: ‘Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said to Jesus: ‘Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ And Jesus said to him: ‘Amen, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.’” (Lk 23:39-43)

“Jesus…”, the criminal fastens his eyes on Jesus’ tortured face wet with blood: a wound caused by a stroke of a stick across the nose and the right cheek, grazes on the eyelids and eyebrows, a swelling on the cheek, nosebleed, bruises and puncture wounds caused by thorns. The wounds on His hands and feet are bleeding. The criminal hears the mockery and blasphemy by the soldiers as well as by the other criminal hanging on the cross. He can hear the blasphemy by the arrogant hierarchy. He, however, aware of his own sin, looks into Jesus’ eyes, believes in Him and utters with faith: “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” He thus confesses before all that Jesus is really the Son of God who forgives sins and makes us partakers of the kingdom of God. It is a glorious and public confession of Jesus before His enemies taunting Him.

a) Reflection on God’s Word:

“Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother… When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother: ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then He said to the disciple: ‘Behold, your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple received her into himself.” (Jn 19:25-27)

“Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother…” She sees Him crucified, tortured, His whole body covered in wounds. The crown of thorns in particular causes Him excruciating pain. Pressed into His head, the sharp thorns pierce the scalp and cause copious bleeding. She saw Him fall down on His face several times under the burden of the cross, the falls leaving sore bruises on His knees. When she met Him there, carrying His cross, it was just a split second, and now she is standing here. Jesus sees her again. He is looking at her – Mary is standing here in perfect spiritual unity, crucified together with Him. Standing beside her is the disciple John. When Jesus saw him, He said to His mother: “Woman, behold, your son.” The disciple cannot fully understand how deeply the mystery of his new birth is being accomplished. He is looking at Jesus, for whom he has forsaken all, and Jesus’ word penetrates the innermost of his heart. Here, into his heart, he spiritually receives the mother of Jesus, who has now become his mother too.

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a) Reflection on God’s Word:

“After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said: ‘I thirst!’ A vessel full of sour wine was standing there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth.” (Jn 19:28-29)

Jesus is hanging on the cross. He thirsts. Cruel flogging has lacerated His holy body and He has lost a lot of blood. The whip consisted of three braided leather thongs with metal balls. The flogging first caused deep contusions, then the whips cut through the skin, and as the blows continued, they cut deeper and deeper tearing out muscles even to the bones. Two executioners were scourging Jesus with full force. The heavy whip was brought down across the back, arms and legs, first on the back of Jesus’ body but then also on its front. The soldiers spared no part of the body, not even head and face. The skin of the back was hanging in long ribbons, and the entire area was an unrecognizable mass of torn, bleeding tissue. When Jesus was near death, the flogging was finally stopped. The half-dead Jesus was then untied and allowed to slump to the stone pavement, wet with His own blood. Sudden copious loss of blood caused rapid heart rate, fainting and an extremely strong thirst. The immense pain caused by the open wounds and the strong thirst tormented the Lord Jesus even during His way of the cross. He feels an even more burning thirst on the cross now. His lips are dry, chapped, His tongue has stick to jaws.

a) Reflection on God’s Word:

“At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice: ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachtha-ni?’ which means, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’” (Mk 15:34)

Jesus is dying on the cross. His body is covered in wounds and bruises, the skin is wet with cold, clammy sweat. He cannot find any position which would allow Him at least some relief. The nails in the wrists are putting pressure on the large median nerve, and the severely damaged nerve causes excruciating pain. As He pushes Himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, He places His full weight on the nail through His feet. Again there is searing agony as the nail tears through the nerves between the bones of his feet. Every movement is followed with new bleeding. As the arms fatigue, great waves of cramps sweep over the muscles, knotting them in deep, relentless, throbbing pain. The cramps squeeze the nerve endings in the muscles. Air can hardly be drawn into the lungs and cannot be exhaled. Jesus fights to raise Himself in order to get even one short breath. Finally, the carbon dioxide level increases in the lungs and in the blood stream, and the cramps partially subside. Spasmodically, He is able to push Himself upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen again. He suffers hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending cramps. With every movement up and down His lacerated back scrapes against the rough timbers of the cross. The temperature rises; every stroke of His head against the crossbar presses the thorns deeper in His scalp and reopens the wounds.

a) Reflection on God’s Word:

“When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said: ‘It is finished!’” (Jn 19:30)

Jesus’ arms become fatigued, they are losing strength. Great waves of cramps sweep through the muscles, knotting them in deep, relentless, throbbing pain. The muscles of the chest are paralyzed and unable to act –cycles of suffocation and agony begin. Jesus fights to get even one short breath. He feels a deep crushing pain in the chest. The pericardium, the sac surrounding the heart, slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart whereby it restricts its movements. The heart beats irregularly. The loss of blood and burning thirst have reached a critical level; the compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood to the tissues, and the tortured lungs are making a frantic effort to inhale at least small gulps of air. Jesus can feel the chill of death creeping into His limbs. With one last surge of strength, He once again presses His torn feet against the nail, straightens His legs and takes a deeper breath. His word is heard: “It is finished!”

a) Reflection on God’s Word:

“It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said: ‘Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit!’ And having said this He breathed His last.” (Lk 23:44-46)

“… the earth was shaken, and the rocks were rent… When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said: ‘Truly this was the Son of God!’” (Mt 27:51.54)

Streams of blood, which is still darker, are flowing down the deadly pale Jesus’ face. The cheeks covered in wounds elongate. The lips are blue and contracted. His head is sinking onto His breast, the heart stops beating. Jesus knows that He is on the threshold of death.

Resurrection of Christ

Jesus is Risen!

First hour

The Resurrection of Christ

a) Reflection on God’s Word

Turn your eyes towards the sky of stars. Millions of stars. They all move according to laws established by God. And how big they are! The Sun is 1.300.000 times as large as our Earth. Sirius is 8 times larger than the Sun and there are even bigger celestial bodies! The Milky Way is 20.000 light years away. Many other constellations are millions of light years away. One can observe wonderful laws on our little Earth too: conditions for life, the mystery of life and its transmission, the wonders of animal instincts. The mystery of human life: immune system, activity of the brain or heart or lungs, nervous system, sight. Moreover, the mystery of mental and spiritual life, desire for happiness, conscience… A series of wonders! Belief in Darwin’s atheistic ideology is contrary to critical science and reason. By our reason we come to a knowledge of the invisible Creator, the Author of the creation. There are miracles all around us. Let us open our eyes! God works miracles in our lives as well.

Second Hour

Angels appear to the women

a) Reflection on God’s Word

On Sunday, very early in the morning, while it is still dark, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary come to the garden where Jesus was buried. Near the tomb they are suddenly frightened by a great earthquake. Here an angel of the Lord appears to them. They see him descend from heaven, come and roll back the large stone from the door of the tomb and sit on it. Perplexed, the women look at the angel’s face. His countenance is like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow shining in the sun. Even the soldiers guarding Jesus’ tomb are witnesses of this glaring appearance. But now they are lying on the ground like dead men, shaking for fear of the angel’s presence. Likewise the women are frightened, yet they look at the angel with hope.

Now the angel says to them: “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.” (Mt 28:5-7)

Third hour

Jesus appears to Peter by the tomb

a) Reflection on God’s Word

What feelings and thoughts filled Peter’s heart when on Friday, before the rooster crowed, he publicly denied Jesus three times – cursing and swearing that he did not know Him, that he had nothing to do with Him?! Fear and, moreover, remorse for his betrayal of his Lord tormented his soul. The other apostles likewise are in deep sorrow and fear.

And now on Sunday morning Mary Magdalene comes running, hurriedly knocks at the door and cries: “The tomb is empty!” Shortly afterwards the other women, too, come running and announce the same.

Peter and John resolve that they will go themselves and find out what the truth is. They run to the tomb. Peter goes in… “Then the other disciple went in also; and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.” (Jn 20:2-10) But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping… Soon after, she met Jesus Himself. “Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples: ‘I have seen the Lord.’” (Jn 20:18) Not long after, the other women came who also told the apostles that they had seen the Lord, that they held Him by the feet and worshipped Him (see Mt 28:9-10).

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Fourth hour

Baptism with the Holy Spirit

a) Reflection on God’s Word

Jesus said: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me.” (Acts 1:8) The condition for receiving the Holy Spirit is repentance: “Repent… and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you … and to all who are afar off…” (Acts 2:38-39)

It is necessary, through continual repentance, to receive the Holy Spirit again and again! It means to get out of the darkness of sin into God’s light, out of lie into the truth, out of death into life! Standing into light always involves self-denial. Every time we repent, i.e. enter God’s presence and here confess our sin and belief in the power of Jesus’ blood, the Holy Spirit comes and gives us the light and strength to know and do the will of God! “The Holy Spirit makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Rom 8:26) If we receive the Holy Spirit in fullness, the spirit of the world must retreat from our soul!