“In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!” Luke 24:5
In the world in which we live in 2024, what beautiful words to rejoice in this Spring!
On Good Friday, we remember how Jesus bore all the consequences of our sin and darkness of this world, and was able to identify deeply with our pain through his deep suffering (Isaiah 53:3-4).
This applies to what we see happening in the world around us as we see catastrophic news reports day by day from the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and further afield, as well as the darkness, evil and suffering that we see in our communities and lives.
The wonderful news is this: that at Easter, God who made us and this world, took the weight of our sin, darkness and pain on the cross, and bought our healing, and the healing of this world through Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary. Christians are familiar with this message, but familiarity does not take away from its power or sense of wonder as we meditate on the Cross afresh this year.
On Easter Sunday, we remember how Jesus did not remain in the grave, but as the beautiful words above tell us – he passed through death, into the darkness of hell itself, and was resurrected on the third day. He was encountered firstly by the women who followed him, and later by others who recorded the eyewitness accounts of their encounters with him in the gospels.
Jesus was filled with the power of God – with the Holy Spirit – and defeated the power of sin, evil and darkness as he passed through death into life.
The amazing news is that this Jesus, who is the Lord of this world, has offered his sacrifice to all, so that no one has to bear the weight of darkness for eternity, but can receive new life and resurrection in Him. (John 3:13-18)
His sacrifice, as the ‘perfect lamb’ is offered to each of us, imperfect and guilty as we are, and to this world.
Praise God that He loves us this much, that death is ‘temporary’, and that God’s life is eternal – and much more powerful than we can ever imagine!
Happy Easter to you all!
Sioned Graves
Missions and Digital Communications Officer