The First Day of Pascha: Teaching 3 (On the Appearances of the Risen Lord to the Apostles on the Day of the Resurrection)

The First Day of Pascha:
Teaching 3

A Homily for Vespers on the First Day of Pascha

(On the Appearances of the Risen Lord to the Apostles on the Day of the Resurrection, with Moral and Dogmatic Conclusions)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. On the very day of the Resurrection, in the morning, the risen Lord appeared first to Mary Magdalene, then to the other Myrrhbearers. Around evening of the same day, two of Christ's disciples, Luke and Cleopas, went to the village of Emmaus, which is ten miles from Jerusalem. They walked very sadly. The unexpected death of Jesus Christ killed their hope for better days for the people of Israel. On the way, they talked among themselves about everything that had happened in those days. The main subject of their conversation was Jesus Christ. A Stranger came up to them and asked them: "What are you discussing among yourselves and why are you so sad?" The disciples of Christ were surprised by this question. "Are you really just coming to Jerusalem and do you not know about the things that have happened in these days?" they said to the Traveler who approached. "About what?" their companion asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and before all the people? How the chief priests and rulers delivered Him up to be condemned to death and crucified Him. But we did not expect this from Him, but trusted that it was He who was appointed to deliver us Israelites. And behold, this is the third day since all these things were done. And some women of our company astonished us. They were early in the morning at the tomb and did not find his body, and returned and said that they had seen angels saying that he was alive. And some of our company went to the tomb and found everything just as the women said, but He they did not see.” Then the Traveler who joined them said to them: "In vain do they hesitate: for the sufferings of Christ were foretold by the prophets, and therefore were to befall the Messiah. Ought not Christ to suffer these things and enter into his glory?" He said these things to them and as proof cited all the prophecies about the sufferings of the Messiah, beginning with Moses. The disciples were amazed. Meanwhile, in the conversation, they imperceptibly approached Emmaus. The Stranger pretended that He wanted to go further, but the disciples began to persuade Him to spend the night with them, since evening had come. The Traveler agreed. They entered the house and lay down at the table to strengthen themselves with food. The Traveler took bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to them. How vividly all this reminded them of their dear Teacher! After all, He did exactly the same before eating. They began to peer into the features of the Stranger - and suddenly they saw Christ before them. But as soon as they recognized Him, He immediately became invisible and disappeared. "Did not our hearts burn within us, while He explained the scriptures to us on the way?" they said to each other and then late in the evening they returned to Jerusalem to the other Apostles and said that Christ was risen. "Truly He has risen," the Apostles told them, "and He appeared to Simon Peter." But how He appeared to Peter, there are no details about that appearance in the Gospel. Having appeared to him separately and before the others, the Lord, of course, uttered to him alone a complete forgiveness for his threefold rejection of the Lord.

On the very day of the Resurrection, late in the evening, ten disciples gathered together and spoke about the appearances of the risen Lord. The Apostle Peter was there; only Thomas was absent. The doors were locked for fear of an attack from the Jews. Suddenly, through the locked doors, the risen Christ Himself appeared among them. “Peace be with you,” He said to them. They were troubled. "Is this not a spirit, or a phantom, standing before us?" they thought. Christ does not approve of such doubts. “Why,” He says, “do such thoughts enter into your hearts? Look at My hands and My feet, that I am Myself; handle Me and see: for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see Me have.” And having said this, He showed them His hands and feet. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. But with their joy, or rather, from their excessive joy, they still lacked complete faith - they would like to be even more convinced that this was real. And so the Lord asks them: "Do you have here anything to eat?" They gave him a piece of baked fish and honeycomb, and He ate it before them. And their doubt was now replaced by complete faith and joy. The Savior talked with them for a long time, explained to them all those prophecies that spoke of His suffering, death and resurrection. "Peace be with you!" He concluded His conversation. "As the Father has sent Me, so I send you. Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven them; whose sins you retain, they are retained." With this He breathed on them and became invisible. When Thomas came to them, they all said to him: "We have seen the Lord." But he answered: "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."

II. a) When did Christ appear to the Apostles? At the time when they were talking about Him. He appears for the fifth time, and each time – to those who were occupied with Him – they think about Him, they talk about Him. Understand from this, Christian, that the Lord will be close to you when you often think about Him, often pray to Him, often read His word, visit His temple, often approach His Holy Mysteries, when you try to do good in His name.

b) Christ appeared to the Apostles through the closed doors. This shows that the body of the Savior after the resurrection was not the same as it was before. It was already a subtle, light, spiritual body, not knowing any barrier to communication with one place or another: a body illuminated by spiritual light, through which the light of the Divinity penetrated. Our bodies will be similar, brethren, after the resurrection. But for this it is necessary now during this life not to make them an instrument of sin, to keep them pure.

c) "Peace be with you," said Christ to the Apostles to whom He had appeared. This means that this is what is most necessary for societies, families and all of us for earthly happiness. Where there is no peace, there is enmity, division, strife, mutual opposition, malice, hatred. Where can we get peace? Christ is our peace: He gave peace to the apostles, and He will give it to us.

d) The Apostle Thomas did not believe in the resurrection of the Lord for a long time; but his unbelief was not like the unbelief of the Jewish leaders, who heard about the resurrection of Christ from the guards, eyewitnesses, and still did not believe. The unbelief of these people came from stubbornness, bitterness, pride, malice. But Thomas did not believe from joy, just as we do not believe in what we are especially glad about, what is especially pleasant to us. But when he became convinced, he confessed that Christ is our Lord, King and Master, the Author and Finisher of our salvation.

e) We have heard, brethren, that the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. But no less than the disciples of the Lord, we also must rejoice at the very thought of the resurrection of the Lord from the dead.

And how can we not rejoice, how can we not be glad on this feast! We fear hell, but now there is nothing to fear of it: it is now destroyed. We tremble at death, but now there is nothing to tremble at it: its sting is destroyed. We fear the devil, but there is nothing to fear of him: he is overthrown. We desire paradise: the gates of paradise are open. Everything is ready, whatever our soul desires; the Resurrection of the Savior has provided us with everything.

However, listeners, despite the fact that rivers of joy flow everywhere, the doors are open to everyone; despite this, I say, even now there are many sad people among us Christians, despondent in the midst of general joy, gloomy in the full radiance of joy.

Who are these sad and gloomy people?

The poor are sad and gloomy now, however, not only those poor who stand at the doors of the temple, go from house to house, lay in the alleys. These poor have a voice: good people will not let them cry for long. Especially sad and gloomy now are those poor who have nothing to live on, but do not know how to ask; who are in poverty, but hide their poverty; shed tears of grief, but hide them from others. These are people who have their own - a poor state, not corresponding to their rank, age, dignity. These are poor widows with small children; poor fathers with large debts; once noble houses, now in utter ruin. These poor are sad and gloomy now. Grief is not sweet even on ordinary days, but how tormenting it is on the Bright feast! Needs are not always easy, but how burdensome they are amidst general prosperity!

Of course, when the heart is happy, the face is happy; with inner beauty, one can do without external adornment; in a peaceful family, even a stale piece of bread is tasty: but... not on a feast, listeners!

Sinners are sad and gloomy now; however, not only those sinners who sin against God; they can wash away their sins with tears of repentance and God will forgive them their sins, and they are cheerful. But especially sad and gloomy now are those sinners who sin against us, and they often sin only because they live with us or depend on us. These are people who have angered us, with whom we have not yet made peace; these are our subordinates, humiliated and neglected by us; these are relatives and friends, left without any attention by us; these are servants who work and serve us for a piece of bread. These, in general, are all those people who, having a relationship with us or being with us, or depending on us, do not see even now a kind look, do not hear a friendly word. It is evident that the times have passed forever when quarrels were forgotten for the sake of a bright feast, burdensome proprieties were abandoned, and distinctions of rank and status were cast aside. It is evident that the times have passed and will never return when on this day a subordinate calmly rejoiced with his superior, a slave rejoiced carefreely with his master, poor relatives joyfully rejoiced with rich relatives, when a common feast for all was celebrated by all together.

However, no one is so bitter now as the poor prisoners. For them, even the ringing of the bells is drowned out by the thunder of their own chains; even on this bright feast they can barely see the sunlight, dimly shining for them through the stone fences and iron bars. Bitter now are those suffering ones with whom hospitals and almshouses are filled; who even now impatiently await a piece of bread from the hands of a self-seeking guardian; whose cries are even now, from excessive joy, not heard by those who are obliged to listen to them always.

It is bitter today for the homeless orphans with whom the almshouses are filled; abandoned by their fathers and mothers, they are now forgotten by those who have undertaken to look after them.

Therefore, here are those who are now despondent and sad: despondent and sad are those whom Jesus Christ calls His lesser brothers, with whom He shares sorrow and despondency, as always, so especially now.

III. Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ! On this day of joy and Christian love, let us love everyone and bring joy to those who have been saddened or offended by us in any way and at any time. 

Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.