Easter Meditations

Has Christ Risen In You?

Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him
in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" (which means, Teacher).
- John 20:16 -

Look at Mary, weeping for days. She dared not hope that what Jesus said about his resurrection was true, and could not even recognise the Lord when she met him. Hope in her was dead. The one whom her life centred around was dead - for good. But look at her cry of devotion when Jesus calls her name: "Rabboni!" The Bible does not tell us the joy, the love and hope in that one word. But where there was despair a moment ago, there was now hope, and hope eternal, for the one she hopes in will never die again! Look at the disciples fishing in the sea. There Jesus performs the same miracle he did when he first called Simon, James and John. On hearing John say, "It is the Lord." Peter immediately jumps off the boat and swims towards Jesus! And there Jesus reinstates his call to his beloved disciple, "Follow me." And Peter did follow him. The once cowardly Peter who denied his Lord became a brave martyr for him. His despair too had turned into hope. His Lord had risen in him. And so it was with the many saints - the disciples who were martyred in one way or other, Paul who was tortured and beheaded, Polycarp who was burnt at the stake and pierced in the heart, and the many nameless others who lost all to gain Christ. Christ had risen in their lives. They had hope eternal because their beloved Master and Saviour lives forever. And they had come to heed his call: "Because I live, you will live also (Jn 14:19)." How about you? Has Christ risen in you?