Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.
Colossians 2:12
Today I'd like to look together at the Collect for Tuesday in Easter Week. Some background: collects are short, but theologically rich, prayers that we use in worship and personal devotion. The Prayerbook is full of collects: there is one for each Sunday, collects for various occasions, and collects for feasts & special days.
Interestingly, we have a collect for each day in the first week after Easter. Of course, the season of Easter lasts 50 days (till Pentecost), but the week after Easter is especially joyful.
Well, so here is the collect for today, Tuesday in Easter Week:
O God, who by the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light: Grant that we, who have been raised with him, may abide in his presence and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be dominion and praise for ever and ever. Amen.
This is really good. The best part, in my opinion, is the statement that we have been raised with Christ. That's exactly right. Indeed, it's not just Jesus' Resurrection that we celebrate in Easter; but it's our own, too. In Easter, we rejoice for Jesus and also for ourselves, who are joined to Him in Baptism, by grace through faith.
I have often used the following illustration: Imagine a newlywed couple. The wedding ceremony was glorious, the reception was fantastic, pictures have been taken, vows have been made, and congratulations have been offered. They are now driving off to their honeymoon, and the husband turns to his new wife and says, "Honey, dearest... I am so happy for you."
Wait... what? That's not quite right. Why would he say, "happy for you"? Didn't he mean to say, "Happy for us?"
It is the same with Christians in Easter. If we truly accept the grace of God and what happened on the cross and the empty tomb, then we should not think, "Jesus, I'm so happy for you." But rather, happy for us. Precisely because the Bible says that we have been united with Christ. As the collect states, we "have been raised with him." This is both an eternal promise of what is to come; and also a here-and-now promise about how we may live in freedom, casting away sin, and living for Jesus and his Kingdom.
Happy Easter, everyone. This season of joy is just beginning.
God bless you!
Fr. Matthew
