The Resurrection and the Holy Fifties

The living Christ Who rose from the dead, is the spiritual foundation on which the church is built. The church presented us with an annual program of readings in a constructive and an integrated way. In the first chapter we find the mystery of the incarnation; in the second chapter we find the mystery of redemption, and each stage has its characteristic effects that work in building souls and churches.

We now celebrate the resurrection of Christ, which is the head of all stages. Through Christ’s resurrection, the concept of incarnation is completed (the first chapter). In the incarnation, Christ became united with us, and by His resurrection He is alive in us and He gives us eternal life. The resurrection of Christ gives all the significance to the meaning of the cross, death, and redemption. Without Christ’s resurrection, the cross is weakness and annihilation; however, through the resurrection of Christ, the cross became a power of resurrection for eternal life (the second chapter). The resurrection of Christ is what gave the church its meaning, its value, and its strength by the Holy Spirit. The church is a living resurrection, and this is the subject of the third and final chapter of the year.

The second chapter of the year is the spring of the spiritual life. In the season of the harvest and the gathering, the church presents to us in the readings, “the grace of the only begotten Son” and the work of salvation in the mystery of redemption. The Son came to gather everything into one in His body, making salvation and eternal redemption by the cross. He is the first fruit that is presented on behalf of the world by His resurrection from the dead and His ascension to the heavens, and His sitting at the right hand of the Father.

Seeing the Risen Christ during the Holy Fifties

The Holy Lent is to journey with Christ to the wilderness of temptations so that we may participate in His victory for our own account. During the week of Passover, we cross the Jordan River with the new Joshua, the greatest among the prophets in order to enter the Promised Land where He passed us through Jericho, the land of sin. Afterwards, our Lord Jesus the Son of David came to Jerusalem in order to establish His eternal kingdom. Our Lord Jesus, the greatest High Priest presents us with the sacrifice of His righteousness, to establish His heavenly temple that is not made by hands. By this we come to the resurrection. The readings of this chapter are organized by the Katamares of the Holy Fifties.

The Readings of the Holy Lent after the Resurrection

“…to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many ^[a]infallible proofs, being seen by them during holy fifties and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” (Acts 1:3)

“A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.” (John 14:19)

“Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.” (John 16:22)

The above three verses summarize the theme of the church’s readings for us throughout the holy fifties after Christ’s resurrection. Throughout the readings, the church shows us Christ Who was risen from the dead through many proofs, as follows:

1. “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.” (John 14:19)
2. Seeing Christ alive gives eternal life to everyone who can see Him, “…but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.” (John 14:19) This is where we see eternal life, and it gives joy that no one can take away.
3. 3.After Christ suffered, died, and was buried, there had to be many conclusive proofs that He was alive, even to His disciples who coexisted with Him. The proofs are not only tangible and visible, but for the most part they are spiritual.
4. That is why Christ revealed Himself to His disciples after His resurrection, to show them that He is alive. And because seeing the Risen Christ gives eternal life, this was linked to the topic of, “to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during the forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” (Acts 1:3)

Throughout the holy fifties, the church shows us the mystery of the living Christ and the church reveal’s Christ’s love to us along with His precious gifts for man as God’s beloved, through the resurrection.

The feast of the Resurrection, “Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again to their own homes…Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.” (John 20:8,18)

The first Sunday: “When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord…Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20: 20,29)

The second Sunday: “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”(John 6:40)

The third Sunday: “The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men,  “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?”(John 4:28-29)

The fourth Sunday: “Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me,believes not in Mebut in Him who sent Me.Andhe who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.” (John 12:44-46)

The fifth Sunday: this is the last Sunday in the holy fifties, “Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip?He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (John 14:8-9)

It is noted that these verses that pertain to seeing Christ, constitute a pivotal dimension in the belief of the risen Christ.

The Readings of the Glorious Feast of the Resurrection

There is no doubt that the resurrection of Christ is the focus of all the readings of the Coptic year. It is the focus of spiritual thought on the ecclesiastical and Christian level as a whole. The comprehension of the reality of the resurrection, and the soul’s entry into the mystery of the resurrection is the entry into the mystery of the kingdom and eternal life. This is the focus of the readings of the feast of the resurrection – Christ rose from the dead to save mankind, just as He was born in order to save mankind. He took our form, the form of man, in order to die with it and rise with it, as such, He resurrected us with Him, “And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.” (1 Corinthians 15:49)