I Do Not Concern Myself

Orthodox Easter, (Pascha) is a time which, while celebrating the joy of the Risen Christ, the world's Savior, there are events which have sadden a number of Christians. We add our prayers to theirs.

Every year, I take something away with me in my celebration. This year, it is "I Do Not Concern Myself with things to great for me." Several days ago someone tried to defend the Resurrection of Christ and while he did a great job, it remains in one word a matter of faith.

Can the Resurrection be reasoned? Can we really know how one can be beaten so brutally, drained of His blood, lanced with a spear, having flesh wounds on His entire body, carry a cross and literally be nailed to it for hours, dehydrated, and plaited with a crown of huge thorns, and be able to walk away from the tomb, if it were not a miracle? If He were Not God? There can be no other explanation.

The dead rose from their graves and were seen in the city. A Roman soldier, acknowledged Him to be the Son of God.

We have old testament scriptures that prepared us, and the myrhbearing women who encountered an angel with the news, "He is risen."

We will see doubting Thomas, who in his disbelief , will examine His hands and His side, to determine for himself. Thomas declared Jesus as "my Lord and my God." Make no mistake Jesus is recognized in the breaking of the bread, and the apostles know Him. Jesus eats fish with his apostles, while Jesus gives them further instructions.

Christians live by faith, trust and hope. Far be it for me to concern myself with things too great for me. As far as I'm concerned it all adds up and the evidence has it. There is hymn sung on Holy and Great Pascha, (the Hypakoe). It goes like this: When they who were with Mary came anticipating the dawn, and found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre, they heard from the angel: Why seek ye among the dead, as though he were mortal man, Him who abideth in everlasting light. Behold the grave clothes. Go quickly and proclaim to the world that the Lord is risen, and has put death to death; for He is the Son of God, Who saveth the race of man.

Who rolled away the stone? Where were the posted guards? Why were His grave clothes found there? Would someone steeling the body remove his wrappings? Where was the dripping blood? Do not persist in your unbelief but believe that Christ is Risen, as countless have during the many years, who, as a result, have gone to their deaths. Who would die for a lie?

Jesus raised his friend Lazarus, four days dead and in a decaying process in order to prepare us for that day, when we will experience our own resurrection from the grave, (death to life). Maybe its time you took a second look, this is no ordinary event. Jesus is the only one who has risen from the dead. Is it so hard to believe that someone loves you so much that they would die so that you may inherit paradise for all eternity?

The only One who could abolish Death for all time by His Death and Resurrection, was Jesus the only sinless One. Time to come out of the dark and into the Light.