Christ is risen! Unwilling to accept the reality that somehow the body of Jesus had disappeared despite the guards at his tomb, the Pharisees pay off the guards to say what they want them to say: “Say that his disciples came by night while you were asleep, and stole the body of Jesus. If Pilate comes to know of this, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.”
The victory of Christ gives us the choice to accept him as the Messiah or to continue to reject him as the Pharisees did. Do we truly believe in Christ’s triumph over death and evil? Do we live our lives in the light of Jesus’ resurrection?
In the first reading Peter proclaims the Easter message, “This Messiah is Jesus and we are all witnesses that God raised him to life. He has been exalted at God’s right side and the Father has entrusted the Spirit to him.”
