Reflection for April 2024
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EASTER
As this Reflection will be going out over the Easter weekend it seemed appropriate to focus our thoughts on two major aspects of our faith - the death and resurrection of Jesus. THE CROSS What does the Cross mean to you?
THE RESURRECTION
Happy Easter! Paul
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To Jesus it meant pain,
suffering and death. To us it represents Jesus dying in the most horrendous
fashion so our sins might be forgiven. Jesus died in the most humiliating and
public demonstration of his humanity. Jesus was born a human, but was also
fully God. He had lived a perfect life and was without sin, yet He was found
guilty of what to the Jewish authorities was a capital offence - claiming to be
the Son of God. They persuaded the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate, to put Jesus
to death by crucifixion. So when I see a Christian Cross I remember what Jesus
went through for me, and for you. He died that my sins might be forgiven, the
one true sacrifice. And I say, ‘Thank you Jesus’. We remember that without Good
Friday there would be no Easter Sunday, but death could not hold our Lord and
Saviour. He was removed from the Cross and placed in a tomb which had a heavy
stone rolled over its entrance. Soldiers were even sent to guard it because the
Jews remembered Jesus had said he would rise again; and they wanted to prevent
that happening at all costs. This deception would be worse than the first,
claiming that He was the Son of God. 
On the third day Mary
Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome went to the tomb. (The list of
which women went to the tomb varies slightly in the four Gospel accounts). They
found the stone had been rolled away. They discovered that the tomb was empty.
Angels appeared to them and reminded them that Jesus had said He would be
crucified and would rise again, and would go before them to Galilee. The women obeyed
and told the disciples, who also found this difficult to believe. Peter and
John ran to the tomb and found it empty. Jesus had risen from the dead -
hallelujah! Uniquely among faiths, Christians worship a Living God. Because of
Jesus’ death and resurrection He sent the third person of the Trinity, the Holy
Spirit, to be with us and live in us. If you believe in Jesus, love Him and
obey what He commands, Jesus sends the Holy Spirit, another counsellor to be
with us forever, the ‘Spirit of Truth’. God does not leave those who believe in
and follow His Son on their own. He provides us with the Holy Spirit to be with
us and live in us, to walk with us and to teach us the truth - John 14:15-31.
Now don’t you think that is something to celebrate?