The Empty Tomb:
A Test of Faith
By Mike Lambrecht
Easter, at last, is upon us and today we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord from the dead. It is truly a momentous occasion. But why are we here? What brings us to celebrate these wonderful and sacred mysteries? The answer of course is our faith. But how do we know that our faith is not misplaced? What assurances do we have? Let us examine just how certain our faith can be.
The Catechism tells us that, “The first element we encounter in the framework of the Easter events is the empty tomb. In itself it is not a direct proof of Resurrection; the absence of Christ’s body from the tomb could be explained otherwise. Nonetheless, the empty tomb was still an essential sign for all.”1 The Bible tells us that a guard was posted and that the tomb was found open with the heavy stone rolled away.2 While this is an important fact, it doesn’t grant us certainty.
Why then do we believe? “The empty tomb and the other facts were perceptible to the senses; but the resurrection, even though it had effects that could be tested by experience, requires faith if it is to be accepted. Christ’s resurrection is a real, historic fact: his body and soul were reunited.”3 The requirement of faith is not a bad thing. God tested Abraham just as he is testing us today. We know the outcome of Abraham’s test. The question is, how are we going to answer our own test?
We can read in Scripture about the appearances of Jesus to Mary Magdalene after his death. His talking with the apostles on the road to Emmaus. His encounter with Thomas who at first doubted the resurrection. All of this can be known to us with absolute certainty because faith can be more certain than empirical proof.
“What moves us to believe is not the fact that revealed truths appear as true and intelligible in the light of our natural reason: we believe ‘because of the authority of God himself who reveals them, who can neither deceive nor be deceived.’4 In other words, we believe because we trust in the revelation of God, who is the source of all truth.
On earth, we cannot always fully comprehend the mysteries of faith. “Now, however, ‘we walk by faith, not by sight’, we perceive God as ‘in a mirror, dimly’ and only ‘in part.’ Even though enlightened by him in whom it believes, faith is often lived in darkness and can be put to the test.”5 If, however, we remain true to the end, we can be assured that God will remain true to us. Let us then go out and proclaim to all the world on this joyous day that “Jesus Christ is Risen!”
1 Catechism of the Catholic Church #640
2 See Matthew 27:57-66
3 Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible. Bodmin, Cornwall: MPG Books, 1999.
4 Catechism of the Catholic Church #156
5 Catechism of the Catholic Church #164