THE PRE AND POST RESURRECTION JESUS

Friday, April 14, 2023.

Octave of Easter

First reading. Acts 4:1-12
Psalm 118:1-2,4,22-27
Gospel. John 21:1-14

TOPIC FOR REFLECTION

JESUS BEFORE AND AFTER THE RESURRECTION: ANY DIFFERENCE?

The questions are, is there any difference between Jesus before the resurrection and Jesus after the resurrection?

Why is it that Jesus whom the Apostles spent many years with before his death and resurrection could not recognize Him after His resurrection?

Actually, it is the same Jesus who lives before and after the resurrection. What we should not forget is that Jesus is God, and God cannot die. He lives forever and ever. Meanwhile, as we are aware that Jesus is the second person of the blessed Trinity, He took the human flesh and He died in the human form. That is, He died as a human being, and not as God.
Therefore, as God He rose from the grave and his body becomes glorified. If He had not risen from the dead, our faith in Him would have been useless. Invariably, Jesus as God has power over death.

Therefore, since He rose from the grave as God in His glorified body, and for Him to reveal Himself to the Apostles, He had to do that in His glorified body which was not familiar to them. This is more reason they could not recognize He was the one when they saw Him. Nonetheless, in the history of humanity, no one has ever broken bread as Jesus did. So, it becomes easy with the help of the Holy Spirit for them to recognize Him when He breaks the bread.

In today's Gospel, it is recorded that this is the third (3rd) time that Jesus is appearing to the Apostles. These actions of Jesus of appearing to the Apostles after His resurrection are to strengthen the faith of the Apostles which was already sowed in them.

Meanwhile, it is good to remind ourselves that Jesus' existence before resurrection was to establish the kingdom of God on earth, to sow the seed of faith in the heart and minds of His followers; and His post-resurrection (His appearance after the resurrection) is to strengthen the faith He had already established among men.

His appearance to His Apostles after resurrection yielded an abundance of good fruits and the boldness to proclaim the Good News without fear of death. An instance of it is what happened in today's first reading when Peter and John were arrested and brought before the rulers, elders, and scribes for judgment. The Holy Spirit entered Peter and he raised his voice high with boldness and told them that the Christ whom they kill, was the same person God rose from the dead, and it is in His Holy name we are acting.

Finally, Peter concluded that Jesus who is the stone they rejected later turns to become the cornerstone and of all the names in the world given to men, this is the only one by which we can be saved.

Dearly beloved, become the cornerstone of your life, your family, and society by imitating Jesus our savior. Recognize Jesus in your life, and in your neighbors, if this is done, we shall be able to see Jesus as the same both before and after His resurrection.

Peace ✌️ be with you.

Rev. Fr. Segun Oladeji, CRS.

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