BLAIRGOWRIE

I wish you all a very Happy Easter, however you celebrate it. And I know almost everyone does in some way; be they committed Christians or those who waver about what they believe or sceptics. The message of Easter is for all.

So, let’s think what is Easter is all about. Is it bunnies and lambs; decorated eggs; Easter baskets filled with sweet treats; a family get-together? No, even though we all enjoy these.

Easter is about the good news of what Jesus Christ has accomplished for all of humankind. And our world certainly needs some good news. Maybe you’re not even sure what’s wrong, but we know this world is broken. Suffering and death fill the news. Sadly, the television doesn’t keep suffering and death at bay.

In addition to all our weekly worries, bigger and more personal problems gnaw at our existence. I know I’m a sinner. I know I’m going to die. And I know I’m powerless to solve my problems of guilt, suffering, and death. I need rescue. If you’re drowning in the middle of a storm-tossed ocean, do you need a champion swimmer coaching you on your butterfly stroke, or a Coast Guard helicopter to rescue you? 

When it comes to humanity’s greatest problems, do you need a religious guide or coach telling you what to do and how to behave, or a Saviour who’ll rescue you from sin, guilt, and death? What you and I need isn’t some new spiritual fad, or a self-help program. We need a Saviour. Jesus – and no one else – promises to take your sins and nail them to His cross.
In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 these dramatic words of St. Paul remind us of the central truth of our Christian faith.

“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”
Christ did for us what we could never do for ourselves. He lived the perfect life in our stead, offered that life for the sins of humanity on the first Good Friday, and rose victoriously on Easter morning, defeating the power of sin, death, and the devil over us, and destroying death in the process. It may sound too good to be true. But Christianity’s claim isn’t just another myth like the Easter bunny. Jesus’ death and resurrection is your rescue. That’s what Easter is all about. 
So again, I wish you a joyful Easter.
Blessings,

Brian