Scott Hahn reflected on the meaning of Easter Sunday in a message released on April 2. He focused on the story from the Gospel of John, where Peter and John see burial shrouds in an empty tomb and come to believe that Jesus has risen.
The reflection explores why this moment is significant for Christians. Hahn said that although Jesus was not physically present, “Peter and John ‘saw and believed.'” He explained that seeing only burial linens left behind may have convinced them that Jesus had not been taken by grave robbers, but rather fulfilled his promise to rise again.
Hahn pointed out the repeated mention of the word “tomb” in the passage, suggesting its importance as a sign of faith. He said, “They saw the empty tomb and they believed what he had promised: that God would raise him on the third day.” The apostles were chosen as witnesses to these events, tasked with preaching about everything they had seen—from Jesus’ baptism to his resurrection.
According to Hahn’s reflection, understanding Scripture allowed the apostles to teach others about Christ’s role as “the Stone which the builders rejected,” referencing prophecies from Psalms and other biblical texts. He wrote that Christians today are children of these apostolic witnesses, gathering each week “to celebrate this feast of the empty tomb” and give thanks for Christ’s resurrection.
Hahn concluded by emphasizing how believers share in this witness through their own faith: “We live in memory of the apostles’ witness… And we wait in hope for what the apostles told us would come, the day when we, too, ‘will appear with Him in glory.'”
The broader message encourages Christians to find hope in traditions passed down from early followers of Jesus while looking forward with faith.
