Easter Reflection written by Dr.Elizabeth Conde-Frazier

Matthew 28:5–6 (NRSV)

5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.”

Romans 8:18–25 (NRSV)

18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; 20 for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; 23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Easter is the celebration of the event of the resurrection. Too many however, celebrate the resurrection as if it is separated from the crucifixion. They will mention the two as separate from each other or without looking deeply into the connection between the two. The resurrection without the cross is the theology they live. They forget the letters of Peter and Paul who both mentioned the sufferings of Christ that the church too is to bear as it wages battle over the enemy and his forces.

Between the two events there are three days of silence but they are not silent. It is during that time that Jesus descended and fought with the forces of evil and darkness. There is no resurrection without that battle taking place but many times Latino evangélicos portray the transition between the two almost like a magic that takes place and Jesus does a disappearning and reappearance act.

The battle between the crucifixion and the resurrection—the silence of Holy Saturday—holds profound implications for the Church’s work of justice. It reminds us that the Church often labors in the in-between, in that liminal space where oppression still rages, where evil still seems to rule, but where God is already at work dismantling powers from within. Just as Christ entered death to break its power from within, the Church is called to enter the broken places of the world—not with quick fixes or false triumphalism, but with faithful presence. We work for justice knowing that the fullness of resurrection has not yet been revealed, but we labor because God is already doing the hidden work of salvation that breaks down the infrastructure and strongholds of social sin. In our justice work, the work of social holiness, we are called to be with those whose voices are erased—the detained, the violated, the executed. Like Christ in the grave, we stand in solidarity with those who wait for resurrection without yet seeing it. Even when victories are not visible, acts of compassion, truth-telling, organizing, and advocacy are part of God’s quiet resistance to the powers of death. Every protest and every unjust policy challenged is a participation in Christ’s war against the dominion of death.

The time between crucifixion and resurrection teaches the Church to persist, even when change seems buried. It teaches us that justice is not only reactive but redemptive, rooted in Christ who goes into the darkest places to bring life. It gives us courage to stay in the struggle, trusting that resurrection is not delayed—it is being born in hidden places.

Christ’s resurrection was the triumph over death and the invitation into a life of compassion, mercy and mission- social holiness. It’s a call to live out the love Christ showed us, serving those who are vulnerable, welcoming the stranger, and being the Church in action. The resurrection is a historical event that confirms Christ’s victory over death. A present reality that empowers believers for holy living. A future promise of eternal life and bodily resurrection. A call to mission and social transformation. It is the heart of Christian hope, calling us to live as people of resurrection power—transformed by grace, empowered for holiness, and motivated by love to bring renewal to the world.

- Dr.Elizabeth Conde-Frazier