Why do many still reject the Resurrection despite clear testimony?
First Reading: Acts 10:34,37-43
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 117(118):1-2,16-17,22-23
Second Reading: Colossians 3:1-4
Gospel: John 20:1-9
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It is common to to meet people who deny even the most evident facts, especially when those facts challenge their established beliefs, values, or sense of control. Imagine someone who, after surviving a deadly illness, tries to share their experience of miraculous healing, only to be dismissed or ignored by others who would rather stick to medical statistics. Or consider how someone who returns from war with stories of survival, sacrifice, and divine intervention is met with skepticism from those who stayed behind and cannot relate. There is something within the human heart that resists mystery when it defies our familiar categories. The Resurrection of Christ remains one of those realities that is well-attested, clearly preached, and constantly celebrated, and yet, many in today’s world, inside and outside the Church, continue to treat it as myth, metaphor, or mere liturgical poetry. Why? Why is it so difficult for modern man, even for practicing Christians, to take the Resurrection seriously and let it shape their lives?
The First Reading from Acts of the Apostles (10:34a, 37–43) presents Peter speaking in the house of Cornelius, a Gentile centurion. This is a pivotal moment in the narrative of Acts, marking a major shift where the Gospel, once primarily proclaimed to Jews, now reaches non-Jews with equal force. Peter does not begin by demanding belief but by recounting the events of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, and identifying himself and others as eyewitnesses. However, he acknowledges that not everyone saw the risen Christ; only those “chosen beforehand by God.” This already implies a tension: the Resurrection was not a public spectacle but a revelation to selected individuals. The Sitz im Leben here reflects the early Church’s mission in a hostile Roman and Jewish environment where claims about Jesus had to be defended against accusations of blasphemy or foolishness. The Greek verb “pisteuō” (πιστεύω), used throughout Acts and the New Testament to describe “believing”, does not just mean mental agreement but implies trust, reliance, and personal commitment. The challenge is that many hear the Resurrection proclaimed, yet refuse to entrust their lives to its implications. They may acknowledge it intellectually but live as though it makes no difference. The difficulty lies not in lack of evidence but in the unwillingness to surrender control and embrace what this new life demands.
Psalm 118 is the natural response to the reality of the Resurrection. “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.” It is a psalm of victory, often sung during the great feasts of Israel, especially after deliverance from danger or oppression. In the Easter context, the rejected stone has now become the cornerstone, highlighting the irony that Christ, dismissed by religious and political leaders, has become the foundation of God’s new people. The problem is that rejoicing requires recognition. If one does not see the Resurrection as a divine act that changes the course of human history, then there is nothing to celebrate. The psalmist speaks from a place of lived experience, not theoretical belief. “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.” This is not mere poetry. It is the declaration of someone who has truly seen the hand of God in life and cannot help but respond with joy. Yet many today join in singing these words during Mass but are emotionally and spiritually distant from their truth. The disconnection between liturgical expression and personal conviction reveals a deeper crisis of faith. One may wonder: is the Easter Alleluia truly theirs, or just a seasonal noise?
Flowing from the psalm’s joyful proclamation of a new day wrought by the Lord, the second reading urges us to lift our gaze toward that new reality: “If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above.” This call to live in the light of the Resurrection prepares us to understand the Gospel, where the beloved disciple, faced only with signs: the empty tomb and linen cloths, responds with faith. The transformation urged by Paul in Colossians begins precisely in that moment of trusting what cannot yet be fully seen but is already true.
The Gospel from John (20:1–9) brings us into the confusion and silence of the first Easter morning. Mary Magdalene finds the tomb empty and assumes a theft. Peter and the beloved disciple run to verify her claim. The beloved disciple sees and believes, yet the text carefully notes, “they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.” Understanding comes later. Belief is first. And that is what most people struggle with today. They want certainty before commitment. They want scientific clarity before personal surrender. But the Resurrection doesn’t work that way. It is disclosed to those who trust first and understand later. The Sitz im Leben of this passage lies in the Johannine community’s experience of conflict, persecution, and internal questioning about Jesus’ identity and the meaning of the Resurrection. The Greek verb used here for “believed” is again “pisteuō,” but it stands in tension with their lack of full understanding. This reveals a disturbing reality: it is possible to believe and still not grasp the depth of what one believes. Today, the empty tomb continues to be proclaimed, but many prefer to focus on alternative explanations: metaphorical resurrection, moral influence, or spiritual legacy. They avoid the literal truth that Jesus physically rose. The body is not stolen, yet they live as though he never rose. Like Mary, they cling to their assumptions and do not recognize what God is doing beyond the grave.
What practical lessons emerge from this? First, faith in the Resurrection cannot be imposed, even with clear testimony. It must be freely embraced through grace and humility. People reject the Resurrection not because the evidence is weak, but because they fear what it demands: change, conversion, and submission to a risen Lord.
Second, Easter joy must be more than liturgical routine. It must flow from personal encounter with the risen Christ. Otherwise, we risk singing Alleluia with our lips while denying it with our lives. If Christ is truly risen, then everything changes: our priorities, our fears, our view of death, and our purpose for living. The real scandal is not that people doubt the Resurrection, but that so many believers live as if it never happened.
Finally, the Church must continue to witness, like Peter, not as moral police or enforcers of doctrine, but as people who have truly seen and been changed. When Christians live as though Jesus is truly alive, the world will take notice. Until then, many will continue to reject the Resurrection, not because they doubt its truth, but because they see little evidence of it in us.
O that today you would listen to his VOICE, harden not your hearts! (Ps. 95:7)
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Shalom!
© Fr. Chinaka Justin Mbaeri, OSJ
Seminário Padre Pedro Magnone, São Paulo, Brazil
nozickcjoe@gmail.com / fadacjay@gmail.com
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Have you prayed your rosary today?
This is the day the Lord has made, let’s rejoice and be glad.