March 27, 2016

“That day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?” They said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before G*d and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up t be condemned to death, and crucified him. It is now the third day since this happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive.” Luke 24:13ff

“The Gospels do not record the actual Resurrection of our Lord–they only tell of the discovery of the empty tomb by the women and his later appearances to the disciples. The Orthodox tradition faithfully following the Scripture does not depict the moment of Christ’s emergence from the tomb. Instead, the icon of (of the Resurrection) depicts Christ’s descent into the abyss, the underworld, or hell where he frees all the righteous men and women who lived before he conquered death on the cross and opened the gates of heaven. The focus of the Icon is the risen Christ, victorious, wearing a robe of dazzling white, surrounded by a halo of radiant blue as he stands over the dark abyss of the dead.” “The Icon of the Resurrection” “For All The Saints” p. 982

What is your focus on this Easter Sunday? Do you focus on the risen Christ? Do you focus on the empty tomb? Do you focus on the egg hunt that you have to plan, or the family members coming over to eat? Do you focus on the chocolate Easter Bunny that you bought, and whether you should eat the ears or the feet first? I like the fact that the Icon of the Resurrection focuses on the abyss – the fact that Christ entered hell to preach to those who had died until his defeat of death. This act is chronicled in 1 Peter 3:19 – and of course we make reference to it every time we repeat the words of the Apostle’s Creed. The description of the Icon mentions the fact that Christ is standing upon what can be seen as either the cross, which is the means of his death but also of life for all believers.

As believers, we all stand on the cross of Christ – or another way to talk about the centrality of the cross is to say that we stand in the shadow of the cross. Either way, today we should be focused on the Cross of Christ – not as a means of putting a negative spin on this most joyous Sunday, but for the joy that begins with the fact that there would be no empty tomb, if there was no cross. Today, as you raise your voice to shout “Alleluia, Christ is Risen” – remember the centrality of the cross in your life – and then live into the joy of the resurrection.

Pastor Dave