Questioning What The Rising From The Dead Meant

Follow us on the web

Subscribe to the Diocese's Email List

Join to receive messages from His Grace and event reminders or update your information.

home › resources › literature › Questioning What The Rising From The Dead Meant

Keraza Magazine issue 19-20 May 20, 2016

Although the story of the Transfiguration is mentioned in the Gospels of Sts. Matthew, Mark, and Luke, St. Mark is the only one who commented on the disciples' reaction to the Lord's request not to tell anyone what they have seen, except after the resurrection of the Son of Man from the dead, writing: "So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant" (Mark 9:10).

To the disciples, at that time, resurrection was mysterious, and therefore, instead of sending joy and rejoicing into their souls, it caused confusion and puzzlement. As for their reaction after the Lord's actual resurrection, it greatly contrasted, as resurrection was a live event that they lived fully, dispersing their sadness, manifested in their ministry.

Although Christ did indeed arise, and although we repeat this saying in our greetings to each other throughout the Holy Fifty Days, yet the resurrection for many remains a mysterious event whose nature they question without tasting or knowing it by experience in their lives. To them it is a story they read, and at best relay to others, considering it the story of Christ, not their personal story. Therefore, St. Paul's fearful expression applies to them: "Since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame" (Hebrews 6:6). This means that although Christ truly and actually arose, He remains crucified and buried in the lives of many in whom resurrection is not yet revealed. Although Christ has truly risen, all who have not yet risen are not Christians, although baptized in the name of Christ, since the effects of baptism in our lives are not complete unless the new person rises within us. All who remain in hatred, envy, judgment, anger, sadness, distress, bitterness, complaining, discontent, hard-heartedness, arrogance, lust, laziness, blasphemy, atheism, prejudice, ignorance, and other dark works of the old man remain outside the circle of resurrection, ignorant of its nature, meanings, and effectiveness.

How can the body of Christ have risen from the dead if "we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones" (Ephesians 5:30) are still in our graves? The only answer to this question is that all who continue living –rather dead- in sin, wretchedness, sadness, and despair look like a dry branch cast outside the living vineyard that had withered because the stream of life and resurrection from the living vineyard did not flow to them. All who are steadfast in the vineyard are steadfast in the resurrection and cling onto life.

Now, as the ax is laid to the root of the tree, each one of us must decide whether he wants to be "vessels of wrath prepared for destruction" or "vessels of mercy prepared for glory" (Cf. Romans 9:22-23), "the aroma of death leading to death" or "the aroma of life leading to life" (2 Corinthians 2:16), "And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely" (Revelation 22:17).

Bishop Youssef
Bishop, Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States