The Excitement of that First Sunday

The Gospel reading from John 20:1-10 narrates the discovery of the empty tomb. The excitement of the moment of discovery is illustrated by the running that goes on, the men being speechless and the woman — a schematization of John — who gives the first proclamation about the Lord being out of place, that is, not among the dead. The narrative is but the opening scene of the Johanine Easter narratives. And we are invited to share in the excitement not because we don’t know but because we already know that the Lord had to rise from the dead according to the Scriptures.

Relevant Articles

Read the following articles and find the links to articles relevant for John 20:1-10

• Sunday Thoughts: Our Easter Faith
• Mag-aral Tayo: Ang Libingang Walang Laman

Reading Guide to the Text of John 20:1-10

1. After making your sentence flow of John 20:1-10, take note of the following:

• Who are the main characters of the story?
• What are their roles in the whole of John 20 and 21?
• In John 20:1-10 who has the speaking role?
• Using the data you have plotted in your sentence flow, how would you describe the excitement of that first day of the week? What was the excitement all about?

2. Compare the Resurrection narrative here and the ones you find in Mark, Matthew and Luke. What is the role of the women?

3. John gives a particular emphasis on the following. Try to figure out why

• Who reaches the tomb first and the one who enters first
• Mary Magdalene only saw the stone rolled away but the two males were the ones who go inside the tomb
• The arrangement of the burial clothes: what did the location and arrangement of the sudarion indicate?
• The verbs of “seeing”: John “saw (a different verb from those in the preceding verses) and believed”

4. Compare different Bible versions on vv. 9-10 and try to note the differences.

Comparing the Readings

The three readings for the Mass are related to one another by the theme of Easter. In the second reading, Paul motivates the Corinthians to live the Christian life using the image of the unleavened bread that is served during the Passover feast. Christ, the Paschal lamb has been offered and so the Christians should be like the unleavened bread. The old leaven should now be pushed aside, a reference to what Paul says in other occassions about the Christians death to sin and life in Christ.

The first reading is taken from the speech of Peter in Acts. 10. The context of the speech is the narrative of the baptism of Cornelius, a non-Jew. We have illustrated how the speech has a concentric arrangement with the outermost parallel elements gospel of peace–forgiveness of sins and at the center, the death and resurrection of Christ. Framing this central element are two declarations about Christ “He is Lord of all” and “God designated him Judge of the Living and the Dead”. We read it in the liturgy of Easter Sunday because it is a kerygmatic speech to Gentiles and provides the outline of a proclamation about the meaning of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for all men. Psalm 118 is linked to the victory of Christ in the resurrection and his entrance into glory.

Finally, the gospel reading narrates of that first day when women discover the empty tomb and tell of it to the disciples. John is schematic in presenting this part of the narrative. Focus however is placed on the beloved disciple who “saw and believed” inspite of the fact that he — like Peter — does not yet know of the scriptures that said Jesus had to rise from the dead.

Suggestions for the Lesson

The readings for Easter Sunday are packed: one need not comment on all the readings. A choice of any of the readings for the lesson or the homily would be sufficient. The following ideas can also be incorporated into the homily:

1. Our faith in the resurrection is not based on the Scriptures but on an experience — an apostolic experience — that has been handed down through two millenia of Christianity. The emphasis on the disciples not yet knowing the Scriptures that said Jesus had to resurrect demonstrates the fact that Christianity is not a religion of the book.

2. The death and resurrection of Jesus is the ground of his Lordship. The paschal mystery is therefore central to the Christian faith, and all the aspects of Christian belief and practise hangs on it. The choice for the second reading is not fortuitous — the Christian moral life is based on and motivated by the offering up of the Paschal lamb. ¹

3. See the Sunday Thoughts for Easter Sunday for more hints.