By: Rev. Fr. Innocent Ike Nwachukwu, Ph.D.
The resurrection of Christ is “a real event, with manifestations that were historically verified, as the New Testament bears witness” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 639). It is “the most beautiful, joyful and overwhelming news that has ever resounded in all of history …the quintessential ‘Gospel” which attests to the victory of love over sin and of life over death” (Pope Leo XIV, Catechesis, Holy See Press Office, Vatican City, November 5, 2025). This is the strength, the secret, and the foundation of the Church. It is not simply about the historical fact of an empty tomb; it is about Jesus who has left the tomb and began to appear to his disciples as proof that he is alive (cf. John 20:1-31; John 21:1-25). Thus, “the resurrection of Jesus is not a question of mythology or of mere symbolism, but of a concrete event. It is confirmed by sure and convincing proofs” (Saint John Paul II, Angelus, Holy See Press Office, Vatican City, April 21, 1996). These testimonies are true, real, and indisputable (cf. Mt 28:1-15).
Pursuing this logic, Pope Benedict XVI affirms that Christ’s resurrection “is not a theory, but a historical reality revealed by the man Jesus Christ by means of his Passover, his passage, that has opened a new way between heaven and earth (cf. Heb 10:20). It is neither a myth nor a dream, it is not a vision or a utopia, it is not a fairy tale, but it is a singular and unrepeatable event: Jesus of Nazareth, son of Mary, who at dusk on Friday was taken down from the cross and buried, has victoriously left the tomb” (Pope Benedict XVI, Urbi Et Orbi Message, Holy See Press Office, Vatican City, April 12, 2009).
In effect, the Easter celebration is marked by three significant biblical and theological symbols: light (fire), water (baptism), and a new song (Alleluia). We shall now examine each of these Easter symbols, respectively:
- . Light (fire): At the beginning of creation, God says, “Let there be light,” and there was light (Gen 1:3), and he separates light from darkness (cf. Gen 1:1-5). The Paschal candle represents Christ, the Light of the world, Incarnate Word, the image of the invisible God. “At the Easter Vigil, the Church represents the mystery of the light of Christ in the sign of the Paschal candle, whose flame is both light and heat… From the Paschal candle, we all light our own candles, especially the newly baptized, for whom the light of Christ enters deeply into their hearts in this sacrament” (Pope Benedict XVI, Easter Vigil Homily, Vatican City, April 11, 2009).
The blessing of fire, preparation of the Easter candle, and procession at the Easter Vigil symbolize how God guided the Israelites on their escape from Egypt by giving them a pillar of fire to light their way across the dark desert (cf. Ex 13:21-22). Thus, “the resurrection of Jesus is an eruption of light. Death is conquered; the tomb is thrown open. The risen One himself is Light, the Light of the world” (Pope Benedict XVI, Easter Vigil Homily, April 12, 2009). For this reason, the early Church described Baptism as the “Sacrament of illumination, as a communication of light, and linked it inseparably with the resurrection of Christ.”
In Catholic tradition, the theme of light is exceptionally rich. It has inspired profound contributions from a diverse array of thinkers, philosophers, theologians, scientists, and poets alike, each illuminating its deeper meaning. They join the Psalmist in saying, “Lord, in your light we see light” (Psalm 36:10). In other words, there would be no earthly light if it were not for the divine Light. “We see light and the things that light illuminates. Light gives us knowledge, but it points to something above knowledge, a sense of the transcendent (God), the Light above light. To see the light without sensing the light is to be spiritually blind.” God bathes us in his eternal light so that we may see all things.
As the cause of being, light is distinguishable from darkness, which has no capacity for causation whatsoever. Light causes being; darkness, since it is nothing, cannot cause anything. Light and darkness have nothing in common. Light is; darkness is not. Light is a source of illumination; darkness is not. Light dispels darkness; darkness cannot dispel light.” Christ is the true Light from which all life originates, “from whom all good things come” (Roman Missal) because “all good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17).
2). Water (baptism): The Church at the Easter Vigil, during the blessing of the baptismal water, commemorates “the great events in salvation history that already prefigured the mystery of Baptism” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1217). The culminating point in the liturgy is “the lowering of the Easter candle (representing Christ) into the water and raising it. It symbolizes how Christ was lowered into death and rose from the tomb.” Thus, water becomes a symbol of both death and life. Christ “descended into the sea, into the waters of death, as Israel did into the Red Sea.” Having risen from death, he gives us life. “To baptize means to plunge or immerse; the plunge into the water symbolizes the catechumen’s burial into Christ’s death, from which he rises up by resurrection with him, as a new creature” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1214).
In Baptism, Jesus draws us towards himself; he draws us into true life and “takes us, as it were, by the hand and leads us along the path that passes through the Red Sea of this life and introduces us to everlasting life, the true and upright life. We are called to grasp his hand firmly. Whatever may happen, whatever may befall us, let us not lose hold of Jesus’ hand. Let us walk along the path that leads to life” (Pope Benedict XVI, Easter Vigil Homily, March 22, 2008). Like the Israelites, we shall cross the “Red Sea” of problems, sickness, fear, hatred, injustice, misfortunes, uncertainties, and loss and share in the victory of the risen Lord, the victory of grace and favor, love, joy, peace, and victory for justice.
3). New Song (Alleluia): Unlike light and water, which are external to human beings, song is a human activity. The overwhelming and astonishing good news of the resurrection is so powerful, “so important that the Church never ceases to proclaim it.” It is the singing of the new song, Alleluia. This is because the “resurrection of Christ is beyond our human experience, and our joy in the resurrection needs to be expressed in a manner beyond mere speech.” Joy in the resurrection must be sung (Exsultet and Easter Sunday Sequence—Víctimae Paschali laudes). At the Easter Vigil, we hear from the Book of Exodus (Third Reading), the very first reference to singing in Scripture, the song of Moses and the people at the Red Sea. It was a joyful reaction from the Israelites after the crossing of the Red Sea. We join in singing that very song of exultant praise: “I will sing to the Lord, for he is gloriously triumphant; horse and chariot he has cast into the sea” (Ex 15:1). We sing it as our song, because we too, through God’s power, “have been drawn forth from the water, liberated for true life” and nourished by the Eucharist, the Body of the risen Christ.
Having examined the meaning of Easter, the true event of Christ’s resurrection, and the three theological symbols: light (fire), water (baptism), and new song (Alleluia), we can attest that there is a connection between the Old and New Testaments in salvation history. These theological symbols of light, water, and the new song (Alleluia) speak of hope, rebirth, and joy. Thus, Pope Benedict XVI affirms that “Jesus’ resurrection was about breaking out into an entirely new form of life, into a life that is no longer subject to the law of dying and becoming but lies beyond it, a life that opens up a new dimension of human existence” (Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth, Holy Week: Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 2011, p. 244).
By his resurrection, Jesus opens for us the way to a new life. This new life is above “all justification that reinstates us” in God’s grace, “so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Rom 6:4). At Easter, we recall how Jesus first called us, how he overcame our fears, our sicknesses, “our darkness, our resistance, our sins, and how he touched our hearts with his word.” Hence, Jesus warns us not to return to the dead, digging up regrets, disappointments, hatred, reproaches, hurts, and dissatisfactions, without letting the risen One change us (cf. Pope Francis, Easter Vigil Homily, April 20, 2019).
As the nation faces the tragedy of “economic meltdown,” as well as “many false securities that have now crumbled, and so many hopes betrayed, with the sense of abandonment that weighs upon our hearts, Jesus says to each one of us: ‘Courage, open your heart to my love. You will feel the consolation of God who sustains you’” (Pope Francis, Palm Sunday Homily, April 5, 2020). This reassuring message helps us to understand that Jesus is a “specialist at turning our deaths into life, our “mourning into dancing” (Psalm 30:12). With him, we too can experience a Pasch, a Passover, from self-centeredness to communion, from desolation to consolation, from fear to confidence. Let us not keep our faces bowed to the ground in fear but raise our eyes to the risen Jesus.”
During these challenging times, we are called to trust in God, who has the final word. Bad government, insecurity, and crime do not have the last word; neither did Pilate, Caiaphas, nor the guards who tried to hide the resurrection (cf. Mt 28:11-15). Only God has the last word, the victory of Christ’s resurrection. Christ is Risen!
