Easter Message 2016

You know what it’s like, a bank holiday weekend’s coming up, so how are you going to amuse yourself?

Are you into conspiracy theories?

Maybe you like a thriller, action, international intrigue, even a little of the supernatural.

Easter has it all!

The account of Easter is not told by one individual, but by a number of people each including testimony from different eye witnesses; even the enemy give their account.

For conspiracy look at the attempted cover up and bribes of the Jewish authorities.

For thriller, see the betrayer, his remorse and his ultimate death.

For intrigue, see the governor’s wife, call her husband out, mid-trial to warn him of a dream she has had. How he himself tries to publicly wash his hands of any responsibility.

For supernatural, how about the multi-layered tapestry hanging in the temple doorway, that was mysteriously torn from top to bottom. Or why was it dark in the middle of the day, what about dead bodies coming to life, and just who did move the stone etc. etc.

In His last meal with his disciples, Jesus inaugurated the bread and wine (Communion or Eucharist). Jesus is asking his disciples to celebrate a memorial of his death! But he hasn’t died yet!

Did you spot the young man streaking naked across the courtyard?

What of Joseph, he’s supposed to be a member of the Jewish ruling counsel, yet he helps take the body down from the cross and donates his own tomb for the burial of Jesus?

In the 1920s a writer called Frank Morrison was very skeptical regarding the resurrection of Jesus, and set out to analyse the sources and to write a short paper entitled ‘Jesus – the Last Phase’ to demonstrate the apparent myth. In compiling his notes, he came to be convinced of the truth of the resurrection, and set out his reasoning in the book “Who moved the stone?”

‘WHY?’

The biggest question of all – ‘WHY?’

Is there some hidden agenda here? Something that the people don’t understand?

Between Thursday evening and Sunday morning, so much has taken place.

On the Sunday the risen Jesus meets with his disciples in the upper room, and asks them why they are skeptical; he had told them this was exactly what was planned to happen.

‘WHY?’

To answer many of the questions above you will need to read the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John. Or visit Got Questions Ministries, and Thoughts About God.

Below I will attempt to answer the big ‘WHY?’.

What was the hidden agenda? Why was this planned all along?

God created Mankind, we are told he made us in his own image. Which bit of us humans is in the image of God we don’t know. But whatever it is, God loves us and wants his best for us.

There is a big snag, God is perfect. You and I are far from perfect. Which means we can never join God in Heaven. Nothing we can ever do could make us ‘Right’. We are told that the punishment for falling short of God’s standard is death; after all if we can’t live with him in heaven, then death is all that is left.

But, God had a plan right from the beginning of time, a plan that would pay the punishment for all of mankind.

A thousand years before Jesus Christ was born, Prophets told of one who would come to pay the price. When the Angel Gabriel came to Joseph the Carpenter he said “you are to call the baby, Jesus, because he will save his people from all their sins.”

At age 30 Jesus starts his ministry on earth, telling people about God’s Kingdom, healing the sick, working great miracles. After 3 years the Jewish leaders are sick of him telling everyone about God’s new kingdom. So they plan, conspire and bribe, in order to kill him.

Meanwhile Jesus has been telling his disciples that he will be arrested, beaten and put to death but that he will come back to life on the third day. To the disciples this seems like madness, why, he is invincible. If he can turn water into wine, make the blind to see and raise the dead, surely he must be invincible.

Now at Easter, he is arrested, beaten and put to death. The bottom has fallen out of the disciple’s world.

Why should such a good man, an innocent man, a perfect man, have to die, such an awful death?

Here is the hidden agenda, the plan hatched thousands of years before. God, sent his son, Jesus, to live a perfect life, but to die in our place. Then to rise again, giving victory over death. To take the punishment we deserved in order that we could go to heaven.

Easter really is an amazing event.

Any questions please don’t hesitate to email me: info@velmore.org.

Note: Bob Dibb is Pastor of Velmore Church.

The refurbished Velmore Church and Community Centre features a stunning sculpture by cammdesign.

The sculpture takes the form of flocks of doves representing peace and harmony and the gathering of the community.

Velmore Church

Website: Velmore Church
Falkland Road
Chandler’s Ford SO53 3GY
Church Office: 023 8057 1414

Easter details for Velmore are:
Maundy Thursday service with communion 8 pm
Good Friday service 10:30 am with Jonathan
Easter Day Service with communion 10:30 am with Bob

Other churches in Chandler’s Ford can be found on Churches Together: Chandler’s Ford

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