I have been thinking about what it means to live in the light of Easter……..
At Eastertime we remember Jesus?s death on the cross and how he overcame death, and we celebrate his rising to life again. We will have eaten numerous hot cross buns and Easter eggs, created to help us recollect this life-changing event, and will have enjoyed two bank holidays, originally given for the purpose of holy reflection and celebration.
What an amazing gift of love! In the Bible we read that God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life . What happened on that first Good Friday on a hill just outside the city wall of Jerusalem is, in some ways, difficult to grasp. Jesus, God’s Son, went willingly to his death on a cross so that humanity may have the opportunity of a restored relationship with God himself. Looking back to that event we can see its significance. Through the eyes of faith it becomes a staggering, yet marvellously wonderful act of generous, self-giving love that opens the door to an amazing life journey with Jesus.
At the cross, the disciples were devastated; their dreams of Jesus being the Messiah were in tatters; they had not fully understood what Jesus had been teaching them over the previous three years. On Easter Day, at first, they still struggled in their grief until they met Jesus, the risen Son of God. After that, his presence with them transformed them totally. They enjoyed a few weeks when Jesus spent time with them – teaching them, eating with them, enjoying one another’s company, before he returned to God, promising to send the Holy Spirit as a helper and comforter, to be with them (and us) always.
From being fearful disciples, hiding away, the men and women who followed Jesus faced life with a new purpose. The Bible records that life was not always easy for any of them, but they had a new hope, and a resolve to live their lives following the example set by Jesus.
I recently had the pleasure of spending time climbing snow covered slopes in the Cairngorms. Some folk were climbing up with skis and boards on their shoulders too! I enjoyed watching people skiing and snowboarding with such ease, comparing their downhill passage with mine as I slipped and stumbled both up hill and downhill through well-trodden and deep snow. My destination – either to get to the top or to return back down kept me going and I reflected how similar it is in the walk of faith; sometimes it is easy, but at other times it is really very difficult. It is the anticipation of my destination – the place that Jesus has already prepared for me, achieved through the crucifixion and Easter day events – that keeps me going, slipping and stumbling through life with my companion, Jesus ….
that’s living in the light of Easter.
