The Tone of Easter Morning

The tone of each of the four canonized gospels changes dramatically when we move from the crucifixion to the resurrection narratives.  From Jesus' entry into Jerusalem to Jesus' death on the cross, everything is public, noisy, and bombastic.  Things move frenetically, with lots of characters that enter the scene and exit quickly.  We see evidence of the chaos of human political, religious, and social systems as Jesus is arrested, tried, convicted, and all the political posturing of the Roman and Jewish power structures.

The resurrection narratives have an entirely different tone and ambience.  Things are quiet, private, and move slowly.  The characters in these narratives are few.  The tone is entirely unlike Handel's Messiah.  The resurrection narratives in all four gospels have the feel of an epilogue.

The resurrection stories also have the feel of a new beginning rather than an ending.  Sort of like the cliffhanger ending to one season of a series that leaves the viewer's attention not on what has passed, but what is to come.  The reader's attention is turned not to the empty tomb, but towards what comes next: the proclamation of a new age centered in the risen Christ. 

The message is clear: the fun is just getting started.  The new covenant community, the Ekklesia, has been born, with a mission to transform the world and usher in a new age.