Easter : The Last Word
The two-fold message on the first Sunday morning from the tomb was simply this: "He is risen, go tell it out" (Mat. 28:6,7). The first part of this message became the greeting of the first Christians. On Easter day, it is customary for the leader of worship to greet the congregation with the words "He is risen" with the response, "He is risen indeed".

I have often wondered whether we have not fallen into the tradition of saying these words rather glibly without considering the deep message behind them. The simplest message of Easter is that God has the last word. On the night of the first Good Friday, it appeared as if evil had the final word, when the holiest and most loveable person who had ever lived was cruelly crucified by the order of a tyrant! He who had raised the highest hopes for the nations died such a shameful death, nailed to a cross in front of a jeering, debauched mob. The next three days, when His voice was silenced and His life apparently ended, were the blackest days for the human race. For it appeared as if evil had triumphed over good. If Pontius Pilate had succeeded in putting an end to Jesus, hope in a good God would have been rendered a mockery.

But there came Easter morning, with its glorious message "He is risen" to bring an end to the apparent triumph of evil; lifting the doom, the disappointment and the despondence of Good Friday was forgotten. The heavy, ponderous stone that sealed Jesus into the confines of that rock-hewn tomb was but a pebble compared to the Rock of Ages inside.

Jesus defeated death, the number one enemy of all human beings. What a glorious hope, to know that death is not the end! Eternal life is available in Christ. Just as the Spring blossom wipes out the memories of the bleak mid-Winter, so Easter testifies of New life in Jesus Christ. What this means for you and me is that, whatever mess the evil one has caused in our lives, the story of Easter tells us it can be mended, it can be made new again. Easter tells us that God is Greater then Evil. God is able to restore our lives as He meant them to be when he created us. God makes no duplicates, but only originals. God is able to create hope in a hopeless situation.

Supposing this Easter finds you churning inside over a broken relationship, suffering severe grief, having been diagnosed with a serious illness, having just lost your job and perhaps unfairly, take heart, God is still in control, so hand over the situation to Him. Just take it to the cross and leave it there. Allow the open tomb to minister to you the message that God has the last word.

In fact, over 18 times, the New Testament says that God raised Jesus from the dead, 5 times in Acts, 3 times in the letter to the Romans, three times in the letter to the Corinthians and once in Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, Timothy, Thessalonians, Hebrews and Peter. The Emphasis is on what God did, for God has the final word. In I Cor 15 we are told that the raised body is glorious, powerful, spiritual and incorruptible – in a word, better than the destroyed body. When God deals with evil, it is final, for he has the last word. May the message of Easter give us courage over whatever difficulties we are going through, and be able to shout from the depth of our hearts He is risen indeed.

D W Sangster was a deeply spiritual Methodist, who spearheaded a renewal Movement in the British Isles after World War II. His ministry was ended by a disease that impaired his vocal chords. During the last Easter Sunday he spent on earth, he painfully printed a short note to his daughter. He wrote: "How terrible to wake up on Easter and have no voice to shout, "He is risen!" Far worse, to have a voice and not want to shout".

A Happy Easter to you and yours
Daniel 

Were the whole realm of nature mine, it were
an offering far too small – Love so amazing,
so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all

It was Friday, and my Jesus was dead upon a tree. But that was Friday, and Sunday’s coming

It was Friday, and Mary stood weeping at the foot of a cross. But that was Friday, and Sunday’s coming.

It was Friday and the disciples had fled. But that was Friday and Sunday’s coming.

It was Friday and Pilate thought he had got rid of a load of trouble, and the Pharisees thought they had everything under control again. But that was Friday and Sunday’s coming.

It was Friday and many in the world are poor and hungry. It is Friday but Sunday’s coming.

It is Friday and there is trouble and strife in many countries. It is Friday but Sunday’s coming.

It is Friday, and many Christians are persecuted still. It is Friday but Sunday’s coming.

It is Friday and you are unhappy, sick and lonely and depressed. It is Friday but Sunday’s coming.

A meditation inspired by Tony Campolo’s book Let Me Tell you a Story, adapted with his kind permission.
Derek Ackroyd

Have you found the nail?
What a strange question! But it refers to the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, and is a prophecy concerning his birth and death. The prophet Zechariah foretold His coming with this title (Zech 10:4): "Out of him (the tribe of Judah) shall come forth . . . The Nail!" Numerous titles are given to the Son of God in the Bible, but this must surely be one of the strangest. Yet it is filled with great significance.

In Old Testament times, a nail was used as a tent-pin, driven into the ground (Exodus 27:19) and also as a strong pin, built securely into the wall of a building, on which to hang vessels (Ezekiel 15:3). This suggests why Christ is called The Nail:

The Nail is there to bear burdens
We place things upon a nail, transferring them from ourselves, putting them on the burden-bearer provided. The reason why Christ came to be the NAIL is that He is the great burden bearer.

1. As the Nail, He bore the burden of our sin. It was upon the cross that Christ accomplished this great work, ‘who Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree’ (1 Peter 2:24). The burden was incalculably heavy, for ‘the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all’ (Isaiah 53:6). It was the whole world’s guilt that hung on that blessed One: ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world’ (John 1:29). There was no other person who could and did bear this load for us and He did not fail! ‘One died for all’. Have you acknowledged that YOUR sins were laid upon Him there? If so, you will know the joy of these words:

‘All sins were laid upon Him, Jesus bore them on the tree;

God, who knew them, laid them on Him and, believing, you are free’.

If not, find the Nail right now: ‘We have found Him,’ said Philip (John 1:45). ‘Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near’, said Isaiah (Is. 55:6). Now turn to Him while by faith you may see your sins ‘laid on Him’, and you will find the Nail!

2. As the Nail, He bears the burden of our care. Troubles and sorrows fill the earth, and none of us are exempt from them, but if we have the Nail, we shall find Him able to carry all our care. Surely if we believe that He bore all our sins, we can also trust Him to carry all our care. Absolutely! Peter has told us to do this, saying, ‘Cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you’ (1 Peter 5:7). How foolish for us to carry our own burdens, when we have the Nail! ‘Cast your burden on the Lord’ wrote the Psalmist, ‘and He shall sustain thee’ (Psalms 55:22). What are you doing with your burdens? are you carrying them yourself? Find the Nail! Hang them on Him today and do not remove them! He is a ‘sure Nail’ – you can trust Him wholly, for ‘they that trust Him wholly, find Him wholly true’. Have you found the Nail?

3. As the Nail, He will have eternal glory. ‘they shall hang on Him all the glory of His Father’s house’ (Isaiah 22:24). The treasures of the house of David were hung in splendour upon the nails embedded in the walls, emblems of kingly glory. Today, the universe hangs on Him (Hebrews 1:3). Tomorrow the government of the earth will hang on Him (Isaiah 9:6) and in eternity the glory of the universe, the government of heaven and earth, will hang on Him also (Ephesians 1: 10, Philippians 2: 9–11).

Than why can’t we hang the glory of our lives upon the Nail today? He is worthy! Our sins were laid on Him. Our cares can be laid on Him. Our lives and possessions should also be hung on that blessed Nail. Some day, a redeemed universe will ascribe unto the Nail eternal glory, saying, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing!’ (Revelation 5:11). Why wait for that day? Do it now! Have you found the Nail?
Evangelist Morris Dimba, Christian Resource Ministries, Malawi

Minister to parishioner: ‘Did you like my sermon on the milk of human kindness?’
Parishioner: ‘Yes, but I wish it had been condensed’

Seeds
Recently, I received a free packet of seeds with the Sunday Times. It contained ten different kinds of herb, all mixed together. I read the packet, while idly pondering how I might know which was which – and deciding that the only way seemed to be to let them all grow and then pick out the ones I wanted – when the Holy Spirit interrupted my musings and began to show me how much our lives were like the packet of seeds.

Firstly, seeds have to be planted and cared for. They do not plant themselves – they cannot even open the packet! They are trapped and sealed in the dark world inside. It takes a gardener to open the packet and plant the seeds, one willing to take the time and patience to supply their every need.

Jesus said, ‘My Father is the gardener’ (Jn 15:1). Unless our life is placed in God’s hands, for Him to open, we cannot break out of our dark world of sin and be planted in Jesus. No plant on earth can exist without the sun. It is the source of all growing things. In the same way, no spiritual life can exist without Jesus, the Son, who is the source of all things in Heaven and on earth (Col 1:16). For Jesus is the ‘soil’ in which we must put down our roots, and from which we must derive our spiritual nutrients in order to grow in love and trust. Those who do and those who don’t grow side by side until the harvest, when it will be all-too-easy to see which is which.

Secondly, being a Christian involves a growing process – just as a seed grows into a plant. The first thing the seedling does is to aim for the light, and all its life it strives to remain there. If it is deprived of light, it dies. When the seedling becomes a plant, it blooms and bears fruit in season – but not immediately; it must first mature. Only then can it bear fruit, which in turn produces new seeds. Jesus said, ‘. . . a tree is recognised by its fruit’ (Mt 12:33); and the fruit he would produce in us is love . . . agapé, which is:

But what of our growth? Do we bloom and bear fruit in season? Does the Fruit of the Spirit show in our lives? Are we using our spiritual gifts and taking every opportunity to speak to others about Jesus? Are we producing new seeds and allowing them to be scattered in God’s field (1 Cor 3:6–9).

In fact, we must ask ourselves the question: ‘What kind of plant am I?’, ‘Am I weak and straggly?’ – Such a plant bears little or no fruit. Its roots are usually underdeveloped, and are unable to take in sufficient nutrients to sustain strong growth.

‘Am I pot-bound?’ – Such a plant begins well, but reaches a point where growth cannot continue and, if left, will result in death. If you have ever tried to re-pot such a plant, you will know that it clings to its current world like glue, as if it fears change, is unwilling to let go and be transplanted into a new life, with new opportunities for growth.

‘Am I healthy?’ – Such a plant grows in good soil, has a strong root system through which it daily absorbs the nutrients it needs, and continually turns toward the light. It bears rich fruit in season, and produces many seeds. It is resplendent and gives glory to its creator all its life.

Lastly, as Christians, we are God’s crop, and a crop does not stop growing until it is harvested. If it does, then it is not fit to be harvested. It simply withers and dies, and is gathered ready to be burned. We all have a tendency to resist change, to resist new things. It is more comfortable and less frightening to resist. We get set in our ways. The effort required seems just a little too much. But when we think this way, we wither and die spiritually because we stop growing.

In Matthew 24:31, Jesus speaks of a time when angels will gather God’s chosen ones from the farthest corners of the earth, and the harvest will be complete; and in verse 36, he also says that only the Father knows the hour when that will be. Therefore, the most important question of all remains to be asked (and then be answered . . .)

‘Am I confident that I will be a part of the harvest?’ Now is the time for each of us to examine our growth . . . because tomorrow may be too late.
Lynne Priestley

It depends whose hands it’s in
A basketball in my hands is worth about £15
A basketball in Michael Jordan’s hands is
worth about £33 million
It depends whose hands it’s in

A tennis racket is useless in my hands
A tennis racket in Pete Sampras’ hands
is a Wimbledon Championship
It depends whose hands it's in

A rod in my hands will keep away a wild animal
A rod in Moses’ hands will part the mighty sea
It depends whose hands it’s in

A sling shot in my hands is a kid’s toy
A sling shot in David's hand is a mighty weapon.
It depends whose hands it’s in

Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in my hands
is a couple of fish sandwiches.
Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in God’s
hands will feed thousands
It depends whose hands it’s in

Nails in my hands might produce a birdhouse.
Nails in Jesus Christ's hands will produce
salvation for the entire world.
It depends whose hands it’s in

As you see now it depends whose hands it’s in.
So put your concerns, your worries, your fears,
your hopes, your dreams, your families and
your relationships in God’s hands because . . .

It depends whose hands it’s in.

Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday is the day before Good Friday. It gains its name from the first words in the old liturgical service for the day – Mandatum novum do vobis (‘A new commandment I give to you’, John 13:34), reminding us that the new commandment was given at the Last Supper, a few hours before the crucifixion. Traditionally, a Maundy Thursday service started with these Latin words, followed by a ceremony whereby the priest washed the feet of his parishioners.

Good Friday
The ‘Good’ of Good Friday comes from the Old English goude, which means ‘holy’. In fact our modern every-day word ‘good’ derives from the same source, and should remind us that all good things come from our Lord and Father in Heaven (James 1:17); and He is Holy (Leviticus. 19:2).

Easter Day
The name ‘Easter’ was adopted by the early British Church from the name of an old heathen festival
ostre which was held at the vernal equinox (21 March) in honour of Eastre, a Germanic goddess of the dawn. By scheduling a Christian festival for the same day, the early Church was able to win over the people of Britain since they did not lose their festival yet won Christianity!

The name of the goddess Eastre also persists in our everyday words ‘east’ (where the dawn originates) and ‘oestrogen’ the female hormone.

Why is Easter on 15 April? Easter Day is always scheduled to occur on the first Sunday after the Paschal full moon (i.e. the first full moon to occur on or after the day of the vernal equinox).

The goose story (or ‘a parable for Church and Circuit life’)
A familiar sight and sound in autumn are the geese as they fly over us, heading for their wintering grounds in the coastal regions, flying in a ‘V’ formation. It is interesting to know what science has discovered about why they fly that way.

It has been learned that as each bird flaps its wings it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in a ‘V’ formation, the whole flock adds at least 71% to its flying range than if each bird flew on its own. People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going more quickly and easily because they are all travelling on the thrust of one another.

Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to do it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird community in front. If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed the same way as we are.

When the lead goose gets tired, he or she rotates back into the wing and another bird flies at the point of the ‘V’. It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing the leadership. As with geese, people are interdependent. We rely on each other’s skills, capabilities and unique combinations of gifts, talents and resources.

Geese flying south in formation honk to encourage those in front to keep up their speed. We must make sure that our ‘honking’ is encouraging. Production is much greater in groups where encouragement exists. The power of encouragement, standing by one’s heart or core values and encouraging the heart or core values of others, is the quality of honking we appreciate!

Finally, when a goose gets ill, is wounded or shot down, two geese drop from formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. Then they launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock. If we have as much sense as geese, we will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong.

Life under the cross involves living Good Friday in the light of Easter Day; knowing that God is neither absent nor uninvolved in the former, but is working in a strange and hidden way – a way which will only be fully disclosed when time gives ways to eternity, but which is illuminated by the resurrection.

Did You Know?
It’s very common to see the letters INRI painted or embroidered on the front of an altar. They derive from the account of the crucifixion in John 19:19. Pilate wrote out the charge against Jesus, which was then nailed to the cross. It said, ‘Jesus of Narazeth, King of the Jews’. In Latin (which has no letter ‘J’), the charge would have been written as Iehsu Nazarenus Rex Iudæorum, the first letters of which spell out INRI.

Similarly, it’s common to see the letter IHS on an altar frontal or at the front of a Church. These represent the Latin spelling of Jesus’ name (as above) but without the vowels – a kind of classical shorthand, and an ever-present reminder of his presence.

April Book Review
The Crown and the Fire: Meditations on the Cross and the Life of the Spirit, Tom Wright, SPCK, 1992

Many books of meditations have been written on Jesus’ last seven utterances from the cross (‘My God, my God, why have You forsaken me’, ‘I thirst’, etc.,) but here Tom Wright invites us to consider the words that people spoke to the cross: people like Mary, the centurion who witness the crucifixion, and Pilate who helped instigate it. The result is a powerful sequence of reflections which move us to re-assess our own response to Jesus’ death, his resurrection and the continuing influence of his Spirit on those who follow him today.

Tom Wright is one of the most exciting New Testament writers alive today. He is always eloquent, always informed and nourishing to those who care about their faith, and always a satisfying read. He is no mere academic though, but a committed Christian whose deep prayer life informs all that he writes: these penetrating meditations are no exception.

To quote from the introduction, ‘I refused to accept the easy answers offered on all sides, since time and again they appear to be sub-Biblical and unhelpful. Instead, I went back to the central events of the Bible and have tried to think them through for myself . . . many people have urged me to make these reflections more widely available, if only these markers on my own journey can be signposts for others’.

He continues: ‘One of the things the evangelists manage to do in telling the story of Jesus’ death is to show some of the connections between the cross and what had gone one before, during Jesus’ life.’ This book is a compendium of such connections, lovingly teased out and explained with precision and a faith that radiates from the written page.

Read this book and prepare to grow!

Where in the Bible will you find these Easter-related readings?

1. I told them, "If you think it best, give me pay, but keep it if not". So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.
2. "Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem. See, your King, coming to you: righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey."
3. They divide my garments among them, and cast lots for my clothing.
4. They put gall in my food, and give me vinegar for my thirst.
5. Do not turn over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence.

At a crowded Church meeting, the minister started by asking, ‘Can you all hear me at the back?’
A voice from the back said, ‘Yes, I can hear you perfectly well,
but I wouldn’t mind changing with someone who can’t!’  

Answers to Quiz
1. I told them, "If you think it best, give me pay, but keep it if not". So they paid me thirty pieces of silver?

2. "Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion . . . riding on a donkey."

3. They divide my garments among them, and cast lots for my clothing.

4. They put gall in my food, and give me vinegar for my thirst.

5. Do not turn over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence.

Gethsemane and the cross were not a backwater diversion which could have been bypassed on the way from Palm Sunday to the joy of Easter: they were a crucial bridge linking the two. And we misunderstand if we think we can take a different route from Jesus’ – all Christians are called to put self to death. There is no other way to participate and understand Easter.

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