Easter Sunday AD 2024
In the first part of the traditional Easter liturgy, twelve prophecies from the Old Testament are read. The first one speaks of the creation of the world and man, the second of the flood and the subsequent new beginning. The third prophecy is the story of the sacrifice of Isaac, which foreshadows God’s giving of His only begotten Son for the redemption of mankind.
The fourth prophecy speaks of the liberation of the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt through the water of the Red Sea as a symbol of baptism. The fifth prophecy is Isaiah’s call to all the hungry and thirsty to come to God, who gives us the Bread of Life and water from the fountain of salvation. The sixth prophecy, which is taken from the book of Baruch, speaks of divine wisdom that teaches us to live according to God’s commandments.
The seventh is the prophet Ezekiel’s prophecy about the resurrection of the dead, and the eighth is the prophet Isaiah’s promise that God will take away the shame of His people. The ninth prophecy speaks of the slaughter and preparation of the Passover lamb as a foreshadowing of Christ as the true Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
The tenth prophecy is Jonah’s sermon of repentance, and the result was the people of Nineveh repented and were saved from destruction. The eleventh prophecy is Moses’ song of praise about God’s great works as an exhortation to the people of Israel to remain faithful to their Lord.
And finally, the twelfth prophecy tells of three young men who were thrown into a fiery furnace by king Nebuchadnezzar because they chose to remain faithful to God instead of obeying the pagan king.
In ancient times, the prophecies were followed by the baptism of catechumens and then the Easter Mass, the Epistle of which is the admonition of the apostle Paul to the newly baptized: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.”
The traditional Gospel of the Resurrection is the story of Jesus’ resurrection from the Gospel of Matthew: “Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for He is risen, as He said.”
All these Scripture readings show how God has had a plan for the redemption of mankind from the beginning of time. He has redeemed us with nothing less than the blood of His only and beloved Son. But these readings also show that participating in the redemption accomplished in Christ means a completely new life for us – no longer in the sins of the old, fallen man, but in the righteousness, truth and love of Christ.