BUILDING ON THE KEYSTONE

EASTER FRIDAY

Act 4:1-12; Ps 118:1-2,4,22-27; Jn 21:1-14

The Corner Stone for our building

We cannot overemphasise the importance of understanding and appropriating the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have explained how the resurrection authenticated the true humanity and divinity of Jesus Christ. If Jesus Christ is truly a man, his resurrection from the dead opened a new possibility for all of us. The possibility of rising from the dead is the core of his message of salvation. If we are to overcome the grasp or prison of death, we must solve the problem of sin which caused our death in the first place. Understanding what constitutes sin as sin helps us to see how Jesus Christ resolved the ancient problem of sin and overcame the power of death. The power to solve the problem of sin, which is disobedience to the will of the Father, lies with one who lives sinless. There is no such man. So, God came to our rescue by sending his Son to assume our nature without sin. So, as the only sinless man, he offered himself to God with his mother, Mary, who is made sinless in association with the Eternal Word and by the will of the Father. The sacrificial offering of his sinless human nature atoned for our sins and consecrated human nature to God in principle. Since sin has no claim on him, the death he endured was to pay our debt and redeem us from the prison of sin and the grasp of death. What proved beyond doubt that this man who died was innocent is our freedom from sin in his name, and what proved that he was divine is his resurrection.

Subsequently, to remove the central piece of the puzzle, the paschal mystery, from our lives is to wander in the darkness of error and evil. Saint Peter’s speech to the high priestly families, elders, scribes, and the leading Sadducees, who were very angry to hear them preach the resurrection of Jesus Christ, underscores this point. “Rulers of the people, and elders! If you are questioning us today about an act of kindness to a cripple, and asking us how he was healed, then I am glad to tell you all, and would indeed be glad to tell the whole people of Israel, that it was by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the one you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by this name and by no other that this man is able to stand up perfectly healthy, here in your presence today.” The argument of Peter is simple: the man was healed at the invocation of the name of Jesus Christ with faith, implying the forgiveness of his sins, which proves the sinlessness and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The argument is scripturally and doctrinally sound. It should help us understand the purpose of signs, miracles, and wonders God grants in the name of Jesus Christ. They are demonstrations of his resurrection and the forgiveness of our sins. They are invitations to consecrate our lives to him, who sacrificed his life for us. God does not work miracles for our enjoyment and pleasure but so that we make the name of the risen Lord the keystone of our lives.

Peter proclaimed: “This is the stone rejected by you the builders, but which has proved to be the keystone. For of all the names in the world given to men, this is the only one by which we can be saved.” Saint Peter himself and the apostles learned this truth slowly by the constant nudging of the Lord. After receiving the news of the greatest gift to humanity, they thought they could continue their lives as usual. The gospel has the story of one of their encounters with the risen Lord, which points to the direction he wants them to go. They went as usual to fish, not minding much about the resurrection of the Lord. They caught nothing all night, which was the Lord dissuading them from resuming their former occupation. In the morning, “Jesus called out, ‘Have you caught anything, friends?’ and when they answered, ‘No’, he said, ‘Throw the net out to starboard and you’ll find something.’ So they dropped the net, and there were so many fish that they could not haul it in.” The miracle made beloved John recognise the Lord and informed Peter, who left the miracle immediately and went towards the Lord. God works miracles and signs at our invocation of the name of Jesus Christ to invite us to build our lives around and in the name of Jesus Christ. The invitation to communion with Jesus Christ is his resurrection. Let us not neglect the keystone in building our lives.

Let us pray: Almighty ever-living God, who gave us the Paschal Mystery in the covenant you established for reconciling the human race, so dispose our minds, we pray, that what we celebrate by professing the faith we may express in deeds. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.