Victory over Death?

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You often hear people talk about Jesus having victory over death.  What exactly does that mean?

I heard a comment recently that satan thought he had won on Good Friday because Jesus was crucified, but then on Easter, when Jesus rose from the tomb, the realization came that neither death, nor a tomb, could hold him.  What a shock for satan!

This is what is meant by Jesus having victory over death.  Not even death, which we know as finite, was powerful enough to keep Jesus.  Can you imagine that?  It's certainly not something we experience every day, which is why it is so hard for us to comprehend the magnitude of the event and its significance.

So what does that mean for us that Jesus was victorious over death?

Well, for starters, it shows us that Jesus was who he said he was and he did what he said he would.  And further, it shows us that after our own death, we, too, will rise to new life.  This is no small thing, and it should affect the way we live our life, for, knowing that this world is not all there is, we should be interested, to some degree, in what comes next.

In reality, God doesn't send us to Hell as we might fear.  In fact, we choose Hell for ourselves by knowing what we do about God and eternal life and dismissing it.  God is a loving and merciful God who wants us with him, but he has given us the freedom to choose good over evil, and which we choose is up to us.

God has given us the structure to follow in the Ten Commandments.  He has revealed himself to us in his Word.  He sent his son Jesus to show us the way.  He gives us the Church and the sacraments, especially the Mass.  I'm not sure what more he can do if we continue to stand in obstinance.

I don't think God is obsessive, just waiting to strike us down if we make a mistake or a bad choice.  I think he is bigger than that.  But, I do think, in his justice, he must allow us to receive what we deserve by our own making.

This can be great news for those who stay in the struggle.  By that I mean that even if you do not agree with everything that the Catholic Church stands for, or does, you continue practicing the faith and going to church.  We don't walk away from what we do not understand nor even fully accept, but we continue striving in the midst of it.  It is worth staying in the struggle.

Honestly, we want Heaven, don't we? There isn't anything that sounds good about staying in darkness, in blindness, in a tomb, for as the Gospel of Matthew tells us (Chapter 28:5-6) through the angel's response to Mary Magdalene,  “Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said."

We should, indeed, keep seeking the resurrected Jesus.  Let go of your preconceptions, misunderstandings and stubbornness, and meet the one who has the power to give you life.

Janet Cassidy

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