Calvary Greetings and a warm welcome! This month, I would like to share some thoughts about Easter.
Easter, like Christmas is very important. Yet, they are drastically different. 1 Corinthians 15 talks about how pivotal the resurrection is to the Christian faith.
Christ’s death and resurrection should not be an abstract thought. It should be a vital truth within our hearts. Jesus being born by a virgin is quite the miracle, but it did not erase our sins. His incarnation does not make us holy before God, but His death and resurrection certainly does.
Romans 8:11 says just that: “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodied through His spirit who dwells in you.”
We should speak of Easter more often. This definitely plays into my point, which is worth noting. The resurrection should not just be celebrated and remembered once a year. It must be forever upon our hearts. Jesus knew that with time and familiarity we can lose sight of the significance and full meaning of what He did for us on the cross. That’s one reason He asked us to regularly refocus by sharing in the Lord’s Supper together. The Lord’s Supper (also know as Communion) reminds us of all that Jesus did for us. Taking time to thank Him and taking some time to examine the current state of our relationship can have a powerful impact upon our walk with God. This also merges with Lent.
Lent is the Christian season preceding Easter. The love of Easter is the time to celebrate the ultimate triumph of life over death. The purpose of lent is the preparation of the believer through prayers, penance, repentance of sins and atonement, moderation and spiritual discipline.
Penance (fasting) is a doctrine of Christian spirituality which has a constituent of repentance, of turning away from sin and going back to God. Without which, we are unlikely to remain on the narrow path and be saved.
As Christians and true Celestians, we should imbibe this way of Life, all year round. We should also show love to others through alms giving. The kindness of the church can be a huge comfort to us.
Essentially, the heart of the Christian message is a bedrock to a good society. It’s the principle around which the Easter celebration is built. Easter is all about remembering the importance of change, responsibility, and doing the right thing for the good of our children and community. A sense of compassion is the centre piece of a good community; and today, that message matters more than ever. The the key point to note here, is this: the values of Easter and the Christian religion – compassion, forgiveness, kindness, hard work and responsibility – are values that we can all celebrate and share. Happy Easter!
Prophet John Martins