Alleluia! Christ is Risen
When Christians meet on Easter morning, a traditional greeting is "Alleluia, Christ is risen," with the reply: "He is risen indeed, alleluia!" It's a pity we don't go on with this for the rest of the year - for it is through Jesus' resurrection that we are what we are.
John the Baptist came preaching punishment and damnation for those who did not repent. Jesus came preaching love and forgiveness, and it is through his resurrection that we can share in the new life he offers us all. Our sin and suffering are transformed, first because Jesus shared in them on the cross, and overcame them at the first Easter, and secondly, because we too, in faith, in baptism, in the eucharist, share in his suffering, his total offering of himself, and therefore also share in his resurrection.
But what did Jesus himself say when he met people after his resurrection? The four gospels each have a different viewpoint they want to convey to us, and each recalls the events of that Sunday with a different emphasis.
Matthew: Rejoice
In Matthew's account, the two women, Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James and Joseph, learn of the resurrection from the angel at the tomb, and run to tell the disciples "with fear and great joy." "Suddenly", Jesus meets them, with one word: "Greetings", say most modern translations (older versions say "All hail"). And at this they take hold of his feet and worship him.
The word can just mean "Hello" - it is the word Judas greets Jesus with in Gethsemane. It is also the word the soldiers mock Jesus with - "Hail, king of the Jews." Or in other contexts it can have its full literal meaning: "Rejoice". Perhaps this was an element in Jesus' greeting to the two women, who were already bursting with joy.
Mark: Only Confusion
Mark's account ends at Mark 16:8. Scholars are divided as to whether the gospel ended here, or whether the ending was lost. Later writers added a variety of summaries to round the account off. In the account we have, the two women, together with Salome, are overcome with fear. Any joy there is comes later - and there must have been joy, or the "good news" would otherwise have been no more than worrying and confusing news!
Luke: Don't be perplexed
Luke records Jesus' first words after his resurrection addressed to Cleopas and his companion on the road to Emmaus. Jesus catches up with them and asks them what they have been discussing. It appears from their reply that they are indeed very confused. It never occurs to them that their new travelling companion is Jesus himself - even after he has explained that the Messiah's suffering was a door on the way to glory. They only recognize him for who he is "in the breaking of the bread" - not by his words, but by his actions. Perhaps we too should be "making Jesus known" not so much by our words as by our actions?
As Cleopas and his friend are telling the disciples and their companions about this back in Jerusalem, Jesus stands among them. Some versions of Luke's gospel quote Jesus' words recorded in John, "peace be with you", but more importantly, Jesus asks them why they are frightened. As on the road to Emmaus, Jesus' words seek to calm the thoughts of those who cannot yet grasp what is happening. We today take the events at the core of our faith for granted. For the disciples, what was happening was far from self-evident, and there are many people today to whom a crucified and risen saviour means little. What would Jesus say to them?
John: Called by Name
John's account also has Jesus' first words after his resurrection in the form of a question. "Woman, why are you weeping?" he asks Mary Magdalene, repeating the words of the angels at the tomb. "Whom are you seeking?" Like the travellers to Emmaus, she fails to recognize him until he calls her by her name. "Mary," he says, and we can imagine her response. Like the good shepherd, who calls the sheep by their name, so Jesus makes himself known because of a deep and personal relationship - they are on first-name terms.
When Jesus meets the disciples, his first words are "Peace be with you." As in Matthew, he gives a traditional greeting, shalom aleikhum, one he is recorded as using three times after his resurrection, recalling his words to the disciples in John 14:27: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid."
Joy and Peace
In his words, Jesus expresses the new life of the resurrection. It is a life not of worry and sin - these belong to another age. It is not a life lived in fear of hell-fire, for our Lord has overcome the sting of death. It is a life where Jesus greets us too - a life of joy, and a life of peace.
Alleluia!
HD