He is Risen! Let Ciaphas and Pilate Rage and Threaten: He Still Reigns!

I just got back from Church and it was a terrific service of joy, hope and triumph. Jesus is risen! He is risen indeed!

When I went down to breakfast this morning I made the mistake of looking at the morning paper. The Toronto Star chose to celebrate Easter Sunday by splashing stories and headlines about the Catholic child abuse scandal all over the front page and on several pages inside. The Star had called all 225 Catholic parishes in the GTA during the past week asking for copies of the priest's Easter Sunday homilies and then criticized the Church for not devoting the Easter Sunday celebrations to the child abuse story the media has been in a feeding frenzy over during the past week. What is next? Ritual humiliations of priests in the streets? Physical attacks on Churches? Will the violence of the French Revolution come again? The hostility to Christianity was not even disguised; it was so obviously a hate fest that it may have sickened many people, even those not otherwise favorably disposed to the Church.

Imagine if the Star did something similar on Ramadan demanding that every Inman talk about suicide bombing and apologize for 9/11. Imagine front page headlines implicating all of Islam for the actions of Al-Qaeda? Can you picture it happening? No, neither can I. The Star is too cowardly to do that. But it is safe to pick on Christians because it is well known that there is no danger of Christian terrorists putting out a contract on the Editor or setting off bombs at the Toronto Star building. They are essentially bullies who only pick on those who don't fight back.

Anyway, it made Easter have a more authentic feel than ever. The first disciples in Jerusalem that first Easter Sunday were huddled in an upper room with the doors locked. The religious and political authorities were on high alert and believers were in danger. Then Jesus rose from the dead! And the ragtag group of disciples grew into a movement and eventually a Church and eventually a world-wide religion that continues to grow today as people continue to meet the risen Lord Jesus Christ.

We have been blessed to have politicians who did not persecute us for a long while. But now we are entering a new phase of the Church's existence, one characterized by persecution. Jesus warned us that it would be so and He does not call us to anything he himself not only endured - but triumphed over! That is what we remember especially on Easter and indeed on every Resurrection Day week by week.

Happy Easter!

In honour of Easter, here are the words from the end of Part II and all of Part III from the greatest Easter music ever written, Handel's Messiah. Note how biblical this work is.

Chorus: Hallelujah! for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. (Revelation 19 : 6) The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever.(Revelation 11 : 15) King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. (Revelation 19 : 16) Hallelujah!

PART THREE : A Hymn of Thanksgiving for the final overthrow of Death

Air (Soprano): I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. (Job 19 : 25-26) For now is Christ risen from the dead, the first fruits of them that sleep. (I Corinthians 15 : 20)

Chorus: Since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. (I Corinthians 15 : 21-22)

Accompagnato (Bass): Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.(I Corinthians 15 : 51-52)

Air (Bass): The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality.(I Corinthians 15 : 52-53)

Recitative (Alto): Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: Death is swallowed up in victory. (I Corinthians 15 : 54)

Duet (Alto/Tenor): O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. (I Corinthians 15 : 55-56)

Chorus: But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.(I Corinthians 15 : 57)

Air (Soprano): If God be for us, who can be against us?(Romans 8 : 31) Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth, who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is at the right hand of God, who makes intercession for us. (Romans 8 : 33-34)

Chorus: Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by His blood, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. Blessing and honour, glory and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 5 : 12-13)