If you watch the late night news on TV, you probably have seen the one on Channel 7 called “Saksi.” It has an American counterpart called “Eyewitness News.” Maybe that’s where the local station copied the idea. But whether it is “Saksi” or “Eyewitness News” the message and the meaning remains the same: they claim that they have seen the events they report on the news with their own eyes, or to be more precise, through the lens of their very own cameras.
At the end of the Gospel this 3rd Sunday of the Easter season, we hear Jesus say to his apostles who see his risen person, “You are my witnesses to these things.” That means they have seen the risen Christ with their own eyes. They are eyewitnesses of Jesus. Sila’y mga saksi ni Hesus na muling nabuhay dahil nakita ng sarili nilang mga mata ang lahat ng mga pangyayari. But is that really what being a witness to the risen Jesus is all about, seeing Him with their own eyes as he suffered, died and rose?
It’s very easy to limit the meaning of that statement of Jesus about being his witnesses to the events that happened to the Lord in his suffering, death and rising. Indeed, it includes all those events that happened during the last moments of the earthly life of Jesus. But if we be very precise about it, there were really no witnesses to the very moment when Jesus resurrected. Yes, they saw Jesus treated with much violence. They saw him nailed to the cross. They saw the blood flowing out from his body and witnessed the excruciating pain of his crucifixion and death on the cross. But the very moment of His resurrection, none saw it. They only saw the proof of it as Jesus showed himself to them alive again! In fact, only one of his apostles was an eyewitness to his death on the cross because they all ran away!
A second look at the entire statement of Jesus reveals why he suffered, died and is raised so that “repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name.” Only then did he say “you are witnesses to these things.” It becomes clear that witnessing to Jesus is not just seeing him with one’s own eyes. If that were so many of us his modern day disciples will never qualify as his followers. Many of us will never have faith in him because we are not eyewitnesses to what happened to him. Thankfully, being a witness to him is not about that at all. In his own words, Jesus says we are witnesses because we believe in the forgiveness of our sins through repentance. And that we are to make it known to all we meet. Thus, faith does not come from seeing him but from believing in him even if we have not seen him. We believe, therefore, we see who Jesus truly is. The more we believe, the more we see Him clearly!
Response
Why is it when it comes to modern technology we believe it right away? Take for example, cellphone text messaging. When we receive a text message through the cellphone, we right away believe that the person who sent the text message is the person he or she claims to be. We don’t completely know how that technology works and is able to send that message nor do our eyes see that it really is that person who texted us, yet we believe it is so. Yet, if we replace the word “technology” with God, we do not right away believe nor accept: we don’t believe right away God loves us so much, He forgives the sins of a repentant sinner. We don’t accept right away he is a mighty and powerful God. But that is what it means that we are witnesses of the risen Jesus. We believe, therefore, we see and understand better. Because we have faith, we are witnesses even if we have not seen him with our eyes. That’s what our Easter faith is all about.
