As a pastor, I am always filled with joy and awe during the Easter season. It is an opportunity to reaffirm and celebrate the foundation of our Christian faith – the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. One greeting that has been passed down through the centuries, particularly in the Western church, encapsulates this truth – “He is risen!”, to which the response is invariably, “He is risen, indeed!” These words often prompt the exchange of three kisses on alternate cheeks, a tradition that varies from one congregation to another. In the Orthodox and Catholic churches, this greeting is so entrenched in their liturgies that it is often referred to as the “Paschal greeting.”
The roots of this greeting can be traced back to Luke 24:34, and this affirmation of Christ’s resurrection has been consistently translated over centuries across various versions from the Latin Vulgate (c. AD 400) to modern translations including the English Standard Version (ESV 2001). This verse states: “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” However, the chronology of how this Bible verse eventually morphed into a traditional greeting in church, especially during Easter, remains uncertain, with several theories attempting to shed light on its origin.
Historical liturgies and religious customs indicate that this statement initially found its footing in the Eastern and Byzantine churches rather than the Western Church. There is an enduring tradition in the Eastern Orthodox Church that ascribes the popularity of this saying to Mary Magdalene. According to the tradition, Mary Magdalene, one of Christian history’s most prominent women, is said to have addressed Emperor Tiberius in Rome with the words “Christ is risen.”
For believers, this greeting goes beyond being a simple tradition or a routine religious phrase. The words “He is risen!” is not just a reminder of the good news that we celebrate at Easter. It’s a proclamation that Jesus’ death was not an exercise in futility. It’s an affirmation of His extraordinary power to conquer death. Every time we echo the response, “He is risen, indeed!” we are reminded of this profound truth and stand a chance to share this incredible reality with one another. More than that, the resurrection of Christ plants a seed of hope in us – the hope for salvation, the hope for our own resurrection, and the aspiration for eternal life. It’s this hope that fuels our faith, and that makes the Easter greeting such an integral part of our Christian tradition.
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