Pastor’s Pen: How excited did you get about Easter?

To help you answer that question, consider how excited you were at the coming of Christmas, and the joy of the ‘big day’. Consider the busyness of getting all the food in and ask yourself the question, did any of the gifts you gave and received, the cards you sent and received deepen your understanding about what Christmas was all about?

Sadly, what so many people fail to realise is that Christmas was but the first chapter of the final story in the book written by God concerning Man’s redemption from sin - a condition that without His intervention would lead us to eternal destruction, eternal death.

From the moment the Son of God, Jesus, came to earth - Christmas - God’s plans through the earthly ministry of Jesus would unfold year upon year until Good Friday when He died on the cross at Calvary.

What most folk cannot comprehend is that Jesus willingly came to earth for one reason and one reason only - that through His death mankind would have the means of being restored into a right relationship with God. Good Friday, the day He died on the cross, and Easter, the day he rose from the dead, were God’s plan for our redemption. His death and resurrection were the purpose of Christmas, His birth.

How sad it is that when most people put away their Christmas decorations they also put away all notion of Jesus as Saviour of the world - to them He remains a baby in a crib.

In truth, Jesus is the Son of God, Lord of lords and King of kings! Dr D. Lockridge puts it so well in his piece, That’s My King: “The Pharisees couldn’t stand Him, but they found out they couldn’t stop Him. Pilot couldn’t find any fault in Him. The witnesses couldn’t get their testimonies to agree. Herod couldn’t kill Him. Death couldn’t handle Him and the grave couldn’t hold Him. That’s my King!”

Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. On that first Easter morning all heaven erupted with songs of praise, Jesus lives! If Jesus had not risen from the dead Christmas has no meaning. Belief in the resurrection of Jesus and you will be saved. But praise be to God, Jesus lives!