Dear Friends,

April marks the climax of the Season of Lent and the celebration of Easter. We hear again the story of our Lord’s betrayal by those closest to him, his subsequent trial before Pilate and his execution. How quickly those who at first greet Jesus as a hero, when he enters Jerusalem on a donkey, become his enemies! How quickly words of welcome become words of abuse and hate!

Before Jesus is betrayed by Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane and arrested by the Religious Authorities, he celebrates the Last Supper with the Disciples in the Upper Room. There, Jesus gives us the gift of the Eucharist, to remember him by, until he comes again, at the end of time, to judge us all. Less than twenty four hours later, he will be dead.

Yet, Jesus’ death on the cross was not the end. Three days later, his disciples are confronted with the reality that the tomb they had put Jesus in, after he had died, was empty. The stone that had been placed across its entrance had been rolled back and he was no longer inside. Just as he said he would, Jesus had risen from the dead and by so doing had restored humanity’s broken relationship with God and enabled our wrongdoing to be forgiven.  So great and immeasurable is his love for us!

As a result, not only can we now live our lives in fellowship with God in this life, we can also spend eternity with him in the next, through having faith in his Son. That is the sure and certain hope that the message of Easter brings us.

A Happy Easter to you all!  

Andrew