Death has been swallowed up in victory.
1 Cor 15:54
Greetings friends,
The news at the moment is saturated with an event that has rapidly spread across the globe. It has crossed political borders and social boundaries, it has infiltrated governments, education establishments and has been carried by people across the world. It is not held back by legislation or power and cannot be contained by placing a city or nation in lockdown.
In this Easter edition of our magazine I’m not talking about Corona Virus I’m talking about the Christian faith that declares ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory’.
Two thousand years ago we read of Jesus who was crucified, died and then on the third day (Spoiler alert)
rose again.
In the first century the Christian faith spread across the Eastern Mediterranean faster than the authorities could handle. It was passed from person to person and nation to nation. Some people even think it had arrived in Britain by the end of the first century. It wasn’t until Augustine came in 597AD that the Christian faith took hold in our nation. Since then it has continued to spread across the world and there are churches in most countries of the world.
What has inspired this contagious level of faith? I believe it is about Easter and the events in Jerusalem surrounding the person of Jesus. At the time there were plenty of revolutionaries, charismatic teachers and rabbis all vying for a place in history and a gathering that would achieve the goals set by those leaders of movements of hope. Jesus however led a different sort of revolution. When he was crucified he cried out ‘Father forgive them for they know not what they do’. On the face of it his death was just another execution of a challenger to Roman authority ……….. however the evidence suggest it didn’t end there. The apostle Paul writes to the Corinthian church that Christ is alive and that death has been defeated.
The message of the church is one that declares the sacrifice of Jesus means forgiveness and life in abundance is available for all those who will turn to him accepting him as Lord and Saviour. The resurrection is the proof of the message of the forgiveness of sins.
That is the message that has been spread globally across nations, through cities and in great institutions of learning. Much better news than the spread of a virus that destroys and crushes is the message that death is defeated and Jesus lives.
You are welcome to any of our Easter celebrations. We’d love to see you.
Shalom,
Geoff.