Bishop Gerald’s Easter Message 2014
The Gospel that is read in our ByzantineChurches on Easter Sunday is part of the firstchapter of St. John’s Gospel. It is one of thegreat achievements of the Bible. It reveals Jesus as thevery WORD OF GOD, who speaks to humankindabout who and what God is like. The very firstsentence says: “In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was in God’s presence, and the Word wasGod” (Jn.1:1).
It was St. John’s idea that Christ is none otherthan God’s creative and life giving Word, that He isthe Power of God that created the world and has comeinto the world in human form to speak directly tohumankind about God.In this one sentence, St. John says three things aboutthat Word, i.e. Jesus:
(1) The Word was already existent at the verybeginning of creation. Here, St. John is thinking ofthe very first sentence of the Book of Genesis: “Inthe beginning, God created the Heavens and theearth…” (Gn. 1:1). What St. John is saying is thatChrist was not one of the created things of God.He existed before creation. He was with God even
before the world began. From this we can concludethat if the Word (Jesus) was with God before timebegan, than God was always like Jesus, i.e. whatthe Bible reveals to us about Jesus, is exactly whatGod is like. Sometimes we think of God as a veryuncompromising God who inflicts punishmentson individuals and on nations for their sins. Jesus,
however, was totally unlike that. He reveals God to bea merciful, loving Father.
(2) St. John goes on to say that the Word is inGod’s Presence. What did St. John mean by that? Hemeans that there was always such a close and intimateconnection between the Word, i.e. Jesus, and Godthat no one can tell us what God is like, what God’sWill for us is, what God’s love and mind and heartare like, as Jesus can. Let me give you an example. Ifwe want to know how someone really feels and thinksabout something, and if we are unable to directlyask that person, we would go to someone who is anintimate friend of that person for many years.We know that he/she would be able to interpret themind and heart of that person for us.That is what St. John is saying about Christ’srelationship with God. Jesus is so close to God thatGod has no secrets from Him; therefore, Jesus is theone person who can reveal to us what God is reallylike and how God feels about us.
(3) Finally, St. John comes right out and says it:“The Word was God”, i.e. Jesus is of the same essenceand being of God. He says that in Jesus, God isperfectly revealed to us.So, in the very first sentence of his Gospel, St. Johntells us that in Jesus, there is perfectly revealed tohumankind all that God was, is and always will be andall that He feels about us and all that He desires for us.The reason whythis Gospel is read on
Easter Sunday is toproclaim to all peoplethat the reason whyJesus resurrected from
the dead was that HEIS GOD! Death had nopower over Him!This Gospel
is also a reminderthat if Christ is God,then His Teachings, i.e.His Words to us, are the
definitive Truth, and allpeople must accept that Truth.