He arose! Hallelujah, Christ arose!

It was early Sunday morning, the third day day after Jesus had been crucified. The two Marys (Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus) were on their way to anoint the body of Jesus. Arriving at the tomb, they were met by an angel whose brilliantly shining face said that something of a miraculous nature had taken place. They entered the tomb only to discover that the recently crucified body of Jesus was no longer there. Suddenly there appeared angelic beings dressed in dazzling white who told them not to fear. “You're looking for Jesus,” they said, “He is no longer here. Go tell Peter and the others that he will met them up in Galilee – just like he promised.”
      The women hurried from the tomb and ran to carry the news to the eleven disciples. But Mary remained outside the tomb in tears. In shock she bent down and looked into the tomb once again. Perhaps it was all a dream. But there sat two angels dressed in white where the body had lain. They asked, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
       At that point Mary glanced back over her shoulder and saw the resurrected Jesus, but didn’t recognize him. Thinking he was probably a gardener she asked where they had put the body. Then, in the stillness of that dramatic moment Jesus, with a voice filled with compassion, said, “Mary.” Never had she heard her name spoken with such tenderness. Turning she recognized him. Then quickly reaching out and taking hold of him, she cried out Rabbouni (Teacher)!
       “You don’t have to hold on to me, Mary,” he said, ”I haven’t gone back to my Father in heaven as yet. Rather, I want you to go to my disciples and tell them that before long I will be returning to our Father in heaven.”
       The other women who had been with Mary at the tomb, were on their way to tell the disciples what had happened when Jesus suddenly appeared to them along the way. He wished them the fullness of joy and  told them to tell the disciples to set out for Galilee where he would join them. When they got to the disciples, Mary Magdalene was first to exclaim, “I have seen the Master!” And so did they, and so will we!
       There is no other faith like Christianity. While the ethical code of the Bhagavad Gita resembles in part that of the Christian faith it knows nothing of the one great event that distinguishes the Christian faith from every other religion, and that is the resurrection. Once asked how to start a new religion, the old sage replied, “Crucify your leader and have him rise to life three days later.” There is a reason why we start to work on the second day of the week – we worship on the first, on Sunday.
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Come next Easter, we will lift our voices and sing --
        “Up from the grave he arose,
          With a mighty triumph o’er His foes;
               He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
               And He lives forever with His saints to reign.
          He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!”