EASTER '99
by Fr. Shnork Souin
"I believe in a spiritual resurrection ...but not a bodily Resurrection..." This was the theme of an Easter homily delivered by a certain minister, recorded in Time magazine in 1981. This sermon was lauded as contemporary in wisdom, in tune with modem thought and a comfortable and acceptable new way of approaching "faith" in today's world. Just last year, the Ottawa Citizen published an interview where the moderator of the United Church of Canada, Rev. William Fripp, denied the Resurrection of Christ, and the existence of Heaven and Hell. Many ecumenical bodies continue in thought word and deed to "empty the Cross" of all power, by seeking to turn Christianity into "one of many paths" a new and abhorrent Universalism which sees the power of salvation in the potential goodness in humanity.
While such expressions seem shocking and scandalous to some, others might say "well after all it is hard to accept that a man dead for three days could rise," or that "after all other religions might be right for other people...we can't impose our ideas on them."
This way of thinking is not new, in fact, it is the natural instinct of a fallen and sinful humanity to be swallowed by the devilish temptation to doubt. These views are not only contemptible and vile but are entirely in contradiction to the biblical account of the Apostles of Christ and the witness of the Armenian Orthodox Church.
Anything other than a true belief in and confession of our Lord's bodily Resurrection is fantasy, heresy and damnable. Any minister, priest, bishop, patriarch or pope who might dare to deny the true and glorious resurrection of Christ our God has no place in God's Church nor will they find their names written in the Book of Life.
The Didache, other wise known as the Teaching of the 12 Apostles, which is the most important sub apostolic writing that is possessed by the church says regarding those who deny the resurrection of Christ, "false prophets and perverters will multiply, sheep will turn into wolves, love will change to hate; then the deceiver of this world will appear as the Son of God and he will do sign and wonder and the earth will be given into his hands." It goes on to say, "many of the believers will be offended and lost, but, those who persevere in their faith shall be saved, then the same Lord Jesus that rose into the heavens shall return coming on the clouds of heaven. "
All the teaching of St. Paul and the Fathers of the Church on our very Salvation, that was promised to us and won for us by Christ and His Crucifixion, would be meaningless and devoid of any hope, meaning or deliverance if Christ was not and is not risen.
Understand all of you that the Resurrection of Christ is an act of God in history, the final eschatological event. The Resurrection is never presented in the New Testament as an isolated event, standing by itself. It is linked to the Cross which preceded it and with the ascension of our Lord and the descent of the Holy Spirit, which would follow. Just as the meaning of the Cross is revealed in the resurrection, so the ascension shows us the meaning of Christ's bodily resurrection. It is the resurrection of our dear Lord Jesus Christ that gives meaning and unity to the events of the past and the future.
St. Peter on the day of Pentecost, as recorded in the book of Acts (Kordsk Arakelots ) boldly proclaims, as he was filled with the Holy Spirit, that "God raised the same Jesus that the Jews had crucified, because it was not possible for Christ, the Son of God to be held captive by death." Again, in the gospels we here how the Oil-bearing women (yooghaperk) beheld the risen Lord and "took hold of His feet and worshipped Him." By contrast to this, St. Thomas who went on to be martyred for his testimony of the risen Christ, was himself invited by Jesus to touch Him (John. 20:27).
The most outstanding biblical witness to the Resurrection of Christ is found in the first letter to the Corinthians chapter 15, where St. Paul, who had his a personal encounter with the risen Lord on his way to Damascus, proclaims Christ's bodily Resurrection as "the first-fruits of those fallen asleep (1 Cor. 15:20)." But, Paul detected the rationalizations of a fallen humanity, he witnessed a sceptical audience who was offended by a concept that is alien to our reasonable way of thinking, an audience that sees in death only finality and hopelessness. Paul boldly proclaims the Good News of Christ's Resurrection in such a wonderfully brilliant way. He challenges the very reason of humanity by asking, "If Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found to be false witnesses of God because we testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up, if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise than Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; and, you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we still in this life still have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. But, Christ now is risen from the dead.
In our Creed we faithfully recite "CHARCHARYAL, KHACHYAL, TAGHYAL, HEROORT A VOOR HAROOTSY AL YEL Y AL EE HERGEENUS NOVEEN MARMNOVN, NUSDA V UNT ACHMEH HOR" "He suffered and was crucified and was buried and rose again on the third day and ascended into heaven with the same body and sat at the right hand of the Father."
The Creed still stands as the foundation and hallmark of the true and right faith. It rings as etrnally true today and relevant to our mission as ever. For this reason, Catholicos Symeon I of Yerevan (1763-1780) stated; "Our faith is not worn out to need repairs and is not lacking anything to need completion. Through the grace of jesus Christ we have received the perfect faith, the orthodox doctrine and the beautiful traditions of the Chruch from St. Gregory the Illuminator and his successors. They are sufficient to lead us to salvation and to eternal life."
Clearly, the Armenian Church in following the teaching of the Apostles, the Words of the Holy Scriptures, and the Holy Fathers from St. Gregory the Illuminator to our present age, teaches and confesses these true, eternal and life giving words.
Jesus Christ who is the same yesterday, today and forever, is the one and only Son of God who descended from the Father, became man, assuming all that is in man in order to heal the entire man. Christ became exactly what we are so that we could become through Him, all that He always was. Christ came to His own people and Himself in one selfless and humble action took upon Himself all the sins of the world. St. Paul says, "He who knew no sin became sin for us." Christ as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of all the world, became the sweet and sufficient offering to God by which we all "who had gone astray" might be healed and forgiven.
Just as all of humanity fell away from God by the disobedience of the first man, so are we made alive again by the obedience of the NEW Adam, the very Son of God, through whose blood and sacrifice, we have fellowship. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not die but inherit life eternal (cf Jn 3: 16). On this solemn and joyous Paschal celebration, we joyfully give thanks and magnify God our father for Christ both our King and our God, "in whose Blood, we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Col. 1:14)." to Him be glory dominion and honor, together with His Son and the Holy Spirit, both now and unto the ages of ages, Amen.
