As we all know Easter Sunday celebrates the resurrection of Christ and His triumphant victory over sin and death. The week preceding Easter is known as the Holy Week, which is used to commemorate the Passion of Christ.

 Easter signifies what God has promised to His people from the beginning. God promised Eternal life to all those who believe and trust in the Him. Sin came to the world through one man and his sin brought death with it. To reconcile man with God a Messiah was sent – to be born as an ordinary human, suffer and die for our salvation. He was to rise from the dead to fulfill God’s promise of eternal life for His people. In 1John 4:9-10 says, ”God showed His love for us by sending His only son into the world, so that we might have life through him. This is what love is; it is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and send his son to be that means by which our sins are forgiven.”

 Further, in Romans 5:6-10 St Paul says, “For when we were still helpless, Christ died for the wicked at the time God chose. It is a difficult thing for someone to die for a righteous person. It may be even that someone might die for a good person. But God has shown us how much He loves us - it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us. By His sacrificial death we are put right with God. We were His enemies, but He made us His friends through the death of His Son”.  

This bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ is the essence of Christianity. Death is our greatest enemy. But it was conquered by Christ. In the first letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 15:20 - St. Paul states “The truth is that Christ has been raised from death as the guarantee that those who sleep in death will also be raised. For just as death came by means of a man, in the same way rising from death came by means of a man.”

Further more he tells us in verses 45 onwards “ “The first man Adam, was created a living being”, but the last Adam is the life-giving spirit. The first Adam, made of earth, came from the earth; the second Adam came from heaven. Those who belong to the earth are like the one who was made of earth; those who are of heaven are like the one who came from heaven. “

His death gave atonement to our sins thus we were put right with God and through the resurrection of Christ the doors of heaven were opened out to everyone. Our God so loved the world that He sacrificed His only son, totally faultless for our salvation, who from the very beginning were sinners. 

Though there is much sadness involved in the death of Jesus – his death was for a bigger purpose – for the salvation of all our sins. After a Good Friday comes an Easter Sunday - which means the sadness is overcome by the joy of the resurrection of Christ & the message of hope of our eternal life.  In the Old Testament we see that a lamb was sacrificed before each worship for the purification of the sins of the people, so that their worship may be acceptable to God. But Jesus was ‘The Lamb of God’ who was sacrificed for the atonement of our sins, permanently.

Jesus predicts His death & resurrection a few times. In John 16: 5 - 7 “But now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asked me where I am going. And now that I have told you, your hearts are full of sadness. But I am telling you the truth; it is better for you that I go away, because if I do not go, the Helper will not come to you. But if I do go away, then I will send him to you”. He further reinstated this on the evening of Easter Sunday after appearing to Mary Magdalene, first, and later appearing before the Disciples. In John 20:21 onwards it is best described as  “Jesus said to them again, ”Peace be with, as the Father sent me, so I send you”. Then He breathed on them and said, ”Receive the Holy Spirit” “.

On Easter this is His message to us. Spread the Word of God as best as you can. It could be through your day-to-day life or may be He asks something more from you. Secondly He asks us to receive the Holy Spirit. Many a people say that they want practical Christianity. But, we struggle through the trials and tribulations of life in vain. All we have to do is to recognize this helper God has given us as a free gift to all those who ask Him. We often fail to acknowledge this great gift of God. Surely, The Holy Spirit, who charged the disciples who lived in utter fear & sadness upon the death of Christ, worked miracles & wonders, is still alive and working. He is only patiently waiting for us to invite Him into our lives.  So let us embrace the Holy Spirit & ask for His help and guidance.