Raised with Christ (1st Sunday of Easter)

Click here for this Sunday’s Reading

Click here for the Old Testament Reflection (The Victory of the Servant)

In St. Paul’s letters, much emphasis is placed on the reality of the Resurrection. Without Christ’s resurrection, the Christian faith would be pointless. By contrast, if He was raised from the dead, then this makes all the difference in the world, as this means we too will someday experience a future Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15).

However, in Colossians 3:1-4, Paul emphasizes that the Resurrection is not merely a future event, but a present reality which believers experience in their day to day lives. Elsewhere, he writes that they have been made alive from spiritual life (Ephesians 2:1-10). This accords with Jesus’ teaching that those who believe in Him have been born again (John 3:1-6, cf. 1 Peter 1:23).

According to this, Paul urges believers to live lives that reflect this spiritual reality. Since they are raised with Christ, they should pay no heed to worldly things. This includes worldly passions and desires (cf. Galatians 5:24), as well as the old religious rules of the Judaizers (Colossians 2:16-23). Instead, they should set their mind on heavenly things. As he commands elsewhere: “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8)

As Christians, we live in this Resurrection reality, and should always strive to live in that light. Our lives should always reflect the new life we have in Christ.

J. Luis Dizon