EASTER

 If you ask some people about Easter the first thing that comes to their mind is bunnies and chocolate egg!

 But in reality it is all about the resurrection – the coming to life again- of the founder of Christianity Jesus Christ.

 Before we find out why the resurrection is so important we have to look at why Jesus death is important to Christians. The two go hand in hand.

Love Spirit Conviction of Sin Key Christian Beliefs Sacrifice Atonement Relationship Suffering Love/Agape Eternal Life Joy Justice

 Christians believe that God loved the world so much that he gave his own self, incarnate, called Jesus to offer a way back to God even when people had turned away from Him. He wanted them to be – at one with Him ‘at-one-ment’

Atonement Paying the price for someone else

‘ The wages of sin is death’ The payment/result of turning away from God is being separated from God forever

Christians believe that everyone falls short of the goal of heaven. No one can earn their way in by doing good.

So God sent himself to earth in Jesus, who is the only one who can reach the goal.

They must be forgiven and it is Jesus who by dying on the cross pays for their sins and offers them a way back to God.

Lets look at that again and see what this belief means to Christians

BUT OVER TIME MAN FORGOT ABOUT GOD AND COULDN'T CARE LESS AND WITHOUT THINKING THREW SOMETHING INTO THE TUBE.

Many ask Christians is it true?

Is it true? TThat a man called Jesus, a carpenter actually lived 2000 years ago in Israel? YYES – historical fact

TThat Jesus was: BBorn in poverty LLived 33 years HHad a band of followers TTaught people UUpset authorities CCrucified with two thieves YYes, historical fact

That Jesus resurrected (rose from the dead)?

C.S Lewis said: Jesus was either mad, bad or telling the truth. He was either a bad man, a con man or the one and only god man!

 Christians believe it is true and they live their life in the way that they do because of Holy week and Easter.

 This is the last week of Jesus life before his death and resurrection HOLY WEEK

 Palm Sunday – he rode into Jerusalem, for the Jewish Passover festival. He was hailed a king and people shouted. Hosanna – save us. HOLY WEEK

 Monday and Tuesday – he taught as a rabbi. He told his disciples to get things ready for the Passover supper on Thursday. HOLY WEEK

 Wednesday he overturned the tables in the Holy temple. He was annoyed that people were buying and selling in a Holy place which should be used for worship. HOLY WEEK

 Thursday,Jesus ate the Passover meal with his disciples. It is called the last supper. HOLY WEEK

 Jesus said the bread was a symbol of his broken body and the wine was a symbol of the blood he would for the sin of the world. HOLY WEEK

 Friday, early hours of the morning Jesus is arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane.  One of his disciples- Judas betrayed him to the authorities. HOLY WEEK

 He is taken before the Jewish leaders, and he is beaten.  Taken before Pontius Pilate the Roman governor. He washed his hands of the situation HOLY WEEK

 He is put before the crowd and they shout for another prisoner to go free and for Jesus to be crucified. HOLY WEEK

 He is stripped, beaten, made to carry the cross and is nailed to it.  On the cross he asks God to forgive them because they don’t know what they are doing. HOLY WEEK

 Just before he dies Jesus says, ‘it is accomplished’ – meaning he has fulfilled his task  He is taken down from the cross, held by his mother and placed in a borrowed tomb. HOLY WEEK

 On the third day, Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb and finds it empty.  She runs and tells the disciples that He is not there, he has risen. HOLY WEEK

 There are many claims of Jesus appearance to people over the next 40 days.  The disciples claim that he ascends to heaven promising them the coming of the Holy Spirit. HOLY WEEK

 From that first resurrection day, Christians all over the world celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus and the offer of eternal life.

 In this Easter festival many symbols of new life are used  e.g. a butterfly – new life from a chrysalis  An egg – new life breaking out of a shell  An empty cross

 Every Sunday for most Christians celebrate ‘Easter’ by sharing in the Communion.  They hear the story once more and eat bread and wine symbols of Jesus body and blood and the offer of eternal life

 Easter is the most important festival of the year but for most Christians the promises and truth of Easter are part of everyday life.