Throughout his Gospel, John calls attention to growth in faith through a step by step encounter with Christ. In this account of the resurrection, Peter and the disciple, thinking that Jesus’ body has been removed, rush to investigate the empty tomb. In seeing the circumstances, they begin to believe. But this faith has yet to be confirmed and deepened by a return to the Scriptures to see them in the new light of the Spirit, and completed in personal encounter with the risen Lord.

The Church and every Christian now have at their disposal two testimonies of the resurrection: the ancient Scriptures read now in and by the Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the witness of the apostles handed down in living tradition. Further, the Christian faithful encounter the risen Christ personally in the sacraments and in "the least of his brethren" (see Mt 25:31-46).

This is one of several discourses of Peter to Jewish crowds, showing how the apostles fulfilled the command to preach the Gospel. This sermon consists of a summary of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, with the conclusion that salvation comes through faith in him. Although the Gospels speak of Jesus rising from the dead by his own power, the Acts and the letters of Paul usually speak of God raising Jesus from the dead. (The references are quite extensive — Acts 2:24, 32; 3:15, 26; 4:10; 5:30; 10:40; 13:30-37: 17:31; Rom 4:24, 25; 6:4, 9; 8:11; 10:9; 1 Cor 6:14; 15:4, 12-20; 2 Cor 4:14; Gal 1:1; Eph 1:20; Col 2:12; 1 Th 1:10; 1 Pet 1:3, 21.) This is to emphasize that Jesus established the pattern of our own resurrection: we submit to the ultimate reality of death and it is God’s power that raises us up.

This is a hymn of thanks to God as Savior of his people, and it looks toward the enthronement of the Messiah as Lord for ever. Response: "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad."

Each of these readings, in its own different way, focuses on the new life that is God’s gift in the resurrection. Colossians concentrates on the promise of future fulfillment in eternity. Corinthians on the change of heart that the presence of the risen Christ now requires. (It alludes to the matzo — unleavened bread — of the passover that was made in Jewish households after the last year’s old yeasty dough fragments were thrown out as part of a ritual spring cleaning.)

1. How can we give witness to the resurrection by our actions? Can you give examples of how others show the risen Christ in their lives?

2. What is faith? Why does God expect faith? Wouldn’t it be better if the evidence of Christ’s resurrection were clearer and more convincing?