{"id":12167,"date":"2010-04-04T01:04:24","date_gmt":"2010-04-04T06:04:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/?p=12167"},"modified":"2010-04-04T01:36:37","modified_gmt":"2010-04-04T06:36:37","slug":"easter-sunday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2010\/04\/easter-sunday\/","title":{"rendered":"Easter Sunday"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_12168\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12168\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12168\" title=\"EmptyTomb\" src=\"http:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/EmptyTomb-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"&quot;Empty Tomb,&quot; Interior View of the Herodian Family Tomb, first century AD, Jerusalem.\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/EmptyTomb-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/EmptyTomb-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/EmptyTomb.jpg 912w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12168\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">&quot;Empty Tomb,&quot; Interior View of the Herodian Family Tomb, first century AD, Jerusalem.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>The <a href=\"http:\/\/hccl.byu.edu\/faculty\/HuntsmanE\/Seasonal-eh\/Easter\/Resurrection.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Resurrection<\/a>: Matt 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20:1\u201318<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li> The Empty Tomb (Mark 16:1\u20138; Matt 28:1\u20138; Luke 24:1\u20139; John 20:1\u201310)<\/li>\n<li> Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9\u201311; Matt 28:9\u201310; Luke 24:10\u201311; John 20:11\u201318)<\/li>\n<li> Chief Priests React to the Resurrection (Matt 28:11\u201315)<\/li>\n<li> The Road to Emmaus (Mark 16:12\u201313; Luke 24:13\u201335)<\/li>\n<li> Jesus Appears to the Disciples (Mark 16:14; Luke 24:26\u201348; John 20:19\u201323 [to the Ten only])<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Because Easter is not a biblical term (and has pagan origins), some suggest that &#8220;Resurrection Sunday&#8221; would be a better term.\u00a0 The word itself only appears once in the King James Bible at Acts 12:4, where is is better translated as &#8220;Passover.&#8221; So significant was the event of that Sunday morning that Christians since have celebrated it as &#8220;the Lord&#8217;s Day,&#8221; and it has become our weekly sabbath, replacing the Saturday of the Old Testament. Still, for millennia the term &#8220;Easter&#8221; has come to be synonymous with resurrection, hope, and the joyful refrain &#8220;He is risen!&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12169\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12169\" style=\"width: 191px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12169\" title=\"Bouguereau_Tomb\" src=\"http:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/Bouguereau_Tomb-191x300.jpg\" alt=\"William Bouguereau, The Three Marys at the Tomb, 1876.\" width=\"191\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/Bouguereau_Tomb-191x300.jpg 191w, https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/Bouguereau_Tomb.JPG 287w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 191px) 100vw, 191px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12169\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">William Bouguereau, The Three Marys at the Tomb, 1876.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>All four gospels begin their resurrection narratives with an account of the empty tomb, preserving the wonder and awe that filled the women who came to the tomb that early morning to find the stone rolled away.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. And they said among themselves, &#8216;Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?&#8217; And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. And he saith unto them, &#8216;Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.\u00a0 (Mark 16:1-6)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12170\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12170\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12170\" title=\"Burnand_Disciples\" src=\"http:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/Burnand_Disciples-300x186.jpg\" alt=\"Eeugen Burnand, The Disciples Running to the Sepulchre, 1898.\" width=\"300\" height=\"186\" srcset=\"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/Burnand_Disciples-300x186.jpg 300w, https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/Burnand_Disciples.jpg 532w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12170\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Eeugen Burnand, The Disciples Running to the Sepulchre, 1898.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12171\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12171\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12171\" title=\"Rane He Is Not Here\" src=\"http:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/Rane-He-Is-Not-Here-300x187.jpg\" alt=\"Walter Ranes, &quot;He Is Not Here&quot;\" width=\"300\" height=\"187\" srcset=\"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/Rane-He-Is-Not-Here-300x187.jpg 300w, https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/Rane-He-Is-Not-Here.jpg 380w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12171\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Walter Ranes, &quot;He Is Not Here&quot;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A favorite Easter hymn, &#8220;Christ the Lord Is Risen Today,&#8221; catches the feelings of joy\u00a0 that we share with Christians the world over at the Easter miracle.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>Christ the Lord is ris\u2019n today, Alleluia!<br \/>\nSons of men and angels say, Alleluia!<br \/>\nRaise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!<br \/>\nSing, ye heav\u2019ns, and earth reply, Alleluia!<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p><em>Love\u2019s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!<br \/>\nFought the fight, the vict\u2019ry won, Alleluia!<br \/>\nJesus\u2019 agony is o\u2019er, Alleluia!<br \/>\nDarkness veils the earth no more, Alleluia!<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p><em>Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!<br \/>\nWhere, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!<br \/>\nOnce he died our souls to save, Alleluia!<br \/>\nWhere thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!<\/em> (Hymn 200)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The Gospel accounts make it clear that the risen Lord was seen, heard, and felt. To these accounts one can add Paul\u2019s list of post-resurrection appearances in 1 Corinthians 15:3\u20139 (Peter, the rest of the Twelve, over five hundred at once, James the brother of Jesus, &#8220;all the \u2018apostles,\u2019&#8221; and, last of all, Paul).<\/p>\n<p>Much later the apostle John, referring both to the reality of the Incarnation and Jesus\u2019 continuing physical reality wrote:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:1\u20133)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12172\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12172\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12172\" title=\"Incredulity_Caravaggio\" src=\"http:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/Incredulity_Caravaggio-300x217.jpg\" alt=\"Caravaggio, &quot;The Incredulity of St. Thomas,&quot; c. 1603.\" width=\"300\" height=\"217\" srcset=\"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/Incredulity_Caravaggio-300x217.jpg 300w, https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/Incredulity_Caravaggio-1024x742.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/Incredulity_Caravaggio.jpg 1070w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12172\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Caravaggio, &quot;The Incredulity of St. Thomas,&quot; c. 1603.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em><strong>Reflection<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Each of the resurrection narratives carries beauty and power, confirming our own testimonies that Jesus indeed rose from the dead and lives today. The fact that the first to actually see him were Mary Magdalene, the other women, and the two disciples on the road to Emmaus suggests that all disciples, not just the Twelve, can receive sure testimonies that Jesus lives. Nevertheless, we are grateful for such special witnesses, &#8220;to whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs [Greek <em>tekmeriois<\/em>, &#8220;sure signs&#8221; or &#8220;tokens&#8221;]&#8221; (Acts 1:3).<\/p>\n<p>For my final Easter message, however, I want to share the implications of his resurrection for us. Inasmuch as Jesus has overcome death, all shall live again . . . and as the Book of Mormon teaches, all will be restored to a perfect frame with imperfections corrected and challenges overcome (see Alma 11:42\u201344).<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12182\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12182\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12182\" title=\"Easter card pic\" src=\"http:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/Easter-card-pic2-300x183.jpg\" alt=\"Samuel and Rachel on Palm Sunday, March 28, 2010\" width=\"300\" height=\"183\" srcset=\"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/Easter-card-pic2-300x183.jpg 300w, https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/Easter-card-pic2-1024x626.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12182\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Samuel and Rachel on Palm Sunday, March 28, 2010<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Mounting examples in this life of those who struggle with physical, developmental, and other challenges\u2014including <a href=\"http:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2009\/12\/christmas-with-autism\/\" target=\"_blank\">those of my own precious son<\/a>\u2014have caused me to see a new need for the hope of renewal, rebirth, and healing that are so marvelously illustrated in the reality of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus\u2019 own resurrection healed hearts as &#8220;grief turned to joy&#8221;:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. (John 16:20\u201321)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The hope of the resurrection continues to heal many grieving hearts as well as bodies, giving new meaning to the prophecy &#8220;but unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings&#8221; (Malachi 4:2). Significantly, Jesus\u2019 final commission to the apostles included the important injunction that they go forth not only to teach and baptize (Matt 28:19\u201320) but also to lay hands on the sick that they should recover (Mark 16:18, 20). Certainly part of our discipleship should be that as Christ brought hope and healing, so should we work for these ends in our own small way.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond this, however, is the hope of a <em>glorious <\/em>resurrection for those who accept him and are true and faithful to the covenants that they make with him. In recent years the deaths of grandparents, my father, my mother-in-law, and others dear to me have brought new meaning to this Easter message. Because He lives, so shall we . . . accordingly I close with the words of Paul that I shared at Dad&#8217;s funeral, followed by the testimonies of both Paul and Jesus himself in Revelation:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:14\u201317; see D&amp;C 88:95\u201398).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>\u201c\u2018I am he that liveth and was dead; behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and death\u2019 . . . He which testifieth these things saith, \u2018Surely I come quickly.\u00a0 Amen.\u2019 Even so, come, Lord Jesus.\u201d (Revelation 1:18; 22:20)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Because Easter is not a biblical term (and has pagan origins), some suggest that &#8220;Resurrection Sunday&#8221; would be a better term.  The word itself only appears once in the King James Bible at Acts 12:4, where is is better translated as &#8220;Passover.&#8221; So significant was the event of that Sunday morning that Christians since have celebrated it as &#8220;the Lord&#8217;s Day,&#8221; and it has become our weekly sabbath, replacing the Saturday of the Old Testament. Still, for millennia the term &#8220;Easter&#8221; has come to be synonymous with resurrection, hope, and the joyful refrain &#8220;He is risen!&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":129,"featured_media":12168,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12167","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-corn"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/EmptyTomb.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12167","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/129"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12167"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12167\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12192,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12167\/revisions\/12192"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12168"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12167"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12167"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12167"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}