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The First Eight Words of the Risen Jesus. 1 d

June 27, 2010: It has become clear to me that I can't write this "on the fly" and in occasional installments. Instead, once written, I will publish the whole work in a series of chapters on each Word.

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© 2010 by William D. Roberts

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We have looked at five uses of the imperative “Greetings!”― three of them joyous, two of them dolorous.

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The Baptismal Covenant* in The Book of Common Prayer includes this question: “Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?” to which the response is, “I will, with God’s help.”

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I had always understood this question in a narrow, evangelistic sense. To “proclaim by word” meant saying something like, “Jesus loves you!” or asking something like, “Are you saved?”

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Now I realize that “proclaiming by word” can also mean saying something like “Greetings!” joyously. Whenever we use words to bless rather than bleed, we proclaim the Good News of God in Christ. Whenever we use words to heal rather than hurt, we proclaim the Good News. And whenever we use words to salve rather than salvage, we proclaim Good News.

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© 2010 by William D. Roberts

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The Baptismal Covenant

Celebrant Do you believe in God the Father?
People I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

Celebrant Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?
People I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
    He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
    and born of the Virgin Mary.
    He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
    was crucified, died, and was buried.
    He descended to the dead.
    On the third day he rose again.
    He ascended into heaven,
    and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
    He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

Celebrant Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?
People I believe in the Holy Spirit,
    the holy catholic Church,
    the communion of saints,
    the forgiveness of sins,
    the resurrection of the body,
    and the life everlasting.

Celebrant Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and
fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the
prayers?
People I will, with God’s help.

Celebrant Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever
you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?
People I will, with God’s help.

Celebrant Will you proclaim by word and example the Good
News of God in Christ?
People I will, with God’s help.

Celebrant Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving
your neighbor as yourself?
People I will, with God’s help.

Celebrant Will you strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human
being?
People I will, with God’s help.

The First Eight Words of the Risen Jesus. 1 c

© 2010 by William D. Roberts

 

The betraying Judas and the mocking soldiers remind us that the same word may be used to harm as well as to heal, to savage as well as to salve.

 

But because one of our vocations as Christians is to redeem words from uncharitable use and reclaim them for the Gospel, we will give St. Paul the last word― twice!

 

One of Paul’s loveliest letters is the one he sent to the Christians in Philippi. Here’s how he concluded his letter: “Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord” (Philippians 3:1). There are two problems with this verse. The first problem is one we’ve already encountered― essentially. The imperative of the Greek verb cairw [chairō] can be translated either as “greetings” (and similar meanings) or as “rejoice.” The translators of the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible have opted for “rejoice,” and yet it could also mean, because it’s at the end of Paul’s letter, “farewell.” “Finally, my brothers and sisters, farewell in the Lord” works as well as rejoice.

 

Second problem: the letter didn’t end with chapter 3, verse 1. In fact, chapter 3 goes on for another 20 verses, and then we come to Philippians 4:4: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.”

 

And once again we’re confronted with the puzzle of which is the better translation. Is it “rejoice” or “farewell”? Having already― perhaps― wished the Philippians “farewell” in 3:1, perhaps this time Paul wants to signal that he really means it this time! “Farewell in the Lord always; again I will say, Farewell!” Maybe. Or maybe not, because Paul goes on for another 19 verses!

 

Have you ever meant to stop at some point. . . and then found yourself inexorably drawn to say or do one thing more? And then another? And, oh yes, this, too?

 

© 2010 by William D. Roberts

The First Eight Words of the Risen Jesus. 1 (continued)

© 2010 William D. Roberts

 

In fact, Jesus’ “Rejoice!” echoes the women’s response to the angel’s good news, for “they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy.”

 

Moreover, Jesus’ “Rejoice!” is in marked contrast to the two other occasions when the same Greek verb is used in St. Matthew’s Gospel:

 

“Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, ‘The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him.’ At once he came up to Jesus and said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ and kissed him” (Matthew 26:48-49).

 

and

 

“Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’” (Matthew 27:27-29).

 

© 2010 William D. Roberts

The Eight First Words of the Risen Jesus. 1

 

© 2010 William D. Roberts

 

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The First Word

 

“After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.” This is my message for you.’ So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’” (Matthew 28:1-9)

 

The First Word, “Greetings!” is literally the first word, not a sentence or conversation. And if St. Matthew’s is the earliest Gospel, this is also literally the first word that Jesus spoke after he was raised from the dead.

 

The Greek verb cairw [chairō] had an essentially secular meaning, so Jesus’ “Greetings!” could also be translated “hello!” or “good day!” Yet the literal meaning of the imperative verb is “rejoice!” and it’s hard to imagine that the risen Jesus would have met his beloved friends and disciples with anything less than a shout of the greatest joy.

 

© 2010 William D. Roberts

 

The Eight First Words of the Risen Jesus. Prologue (continued)

© 2010 William D. Roberts

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Why the Eight First Words? Why not the Seven First Words of the Risen Jesus to correspond with the Seven Last Words of the Crucified Jesus?

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It took six days for God to create the heavens and the earth, and then God rested on the seventh day. The eighth day, the day when Jesus rose from the dead, is the dawn of a new creation: “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” ( 2 Corinthians 5:17) The symbolism of the eighth day is expressed in the many octagonal baptismal fonts.

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Here are the Eight First Words of the Risen Jesus, and their Gospel citations:

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1. “Greetings!” Matthew 28:9

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2. “Peace be with you.” Luke 24:36 and John 20:19

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3. “Look at my hands and my feet.” Luke 24:39

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4. “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:22

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5. “Go.” Matthew 28:19

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6. “Follow me.” John 21:19

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7. “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” John 20:29

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8. “Come and have breakfast.” John 21:22

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© 2010 William D. Roberts

The Eight First Words of the Risen Jesus

© 2010 William D. Roberts

 

Prologue

 

Many Christians know about the Last Seven Words of Jesus from the Cross. These last “words”― sentences, actually― have been the subject of many meditations, especially on Good Friday. For many years I have read from Richard Holloway’s The Killing: Meditation on the Death of Christ during the traditional Three Hours when Jesus hung on the cross. Father Holloway was the Vicar of St. Mary Magdalen, Oxford, England, at the time he wrote his meditations; later he became the Primate of the Scottish Episcopal Church.

 

Here are the Seven Last Words as they appear in the Archbishop’s meditations, along with the Gospel citations where we find them:

 

1. “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34

 

2. “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Luke 23:43

 

3. “Woman, behold your son!”; “Behold, your mother!” John 19:27-27

 

4. “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Mark 15:34

 

5. “I thirst.” John 19:28

 

6. “It is finished.” John 19:30

 

7. “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!” Luke 23:46

 

It’s easy to understand why we find such poignancy in meditating on Jesus’ death on the cross. His death foreshadows ours, and his death for us amazes us, grieves us, and overwhelms us.

 

It’s also easy to understand why the cross is so central to our faith. Here how St. Paul puts it in one of his earliest letters, sent in the early 50s to the Christians in Corinth:

 

“For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength” (1 Corinthians 1:18-25, emphasis added).

 

What’s not so easy to understand is why Jesus’ first words after his resurrection aren’t equal subjects for meditation. When St. Paul writes to the Corinthians he is as eloquent about Jesus’ resurrection as he is about his death. In fact, Jesus’ death and resurrection are inseparable:

 

“For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures. . . .

 

“Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as in Adam all die, so all in Christ will be made alive. . . .

 

“Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust [Adam], we will also bear the image of the man of heaven [Jesus]. . . .

 

“ Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’ ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 20-22; 49-57).

 

The Seven Last Words are easily decided because they were all spoken within a few hours, and because they were necessarily brief― every breath a painful victory over asphyxiation, every word a rasping conquest forced from his parched mouth.

 

By contrast, the risen Jesus spoke with scores of people over the course of forty days, and frequently his “words” were conversations rather than sentences. Even so, I have decided on Eight First Words of the Risen Jesus.

 

© 2010 William D. Roberts

 

What the Eight First Words are, and why they number eight, shall be revealed in the next post!