Why do churches make a fuss about Easter?

Easter is the anniversary of the most important event in history. We believe the events of the Easter are the only hope for the world and that what Jesus Christ did then has an eternal effect.

But isn't Christmas the main Christian festival?

No it isn't! Christmas may be more important for Tesco's but not for Christian believers! We enjoy celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ but we have no idea when he was born. It is just pleasant to have a happy festival in the middle of winter.

But we do know that one spring Friday in Palestine the son of God was crucified by Jews and Romans and the following Sunday morning he was powerfully resurrected by the spirit of God. We are convinced that Christ deliberately gave himself up to suffering in death so that he could save both Jew and Gentile by his death and resurrection. This event was the reason for Jesus being born so Easter is more important than Christmas.

How can Jesus save anybody by dying and being resurrected?

The great enemy of mankind is death (and the disease and decay that come with death) which leads on to the judgment of God which lies the other side of death. God gave the death sentence and it is only God who can save us from the same death sentence. Jesus proved by the quality of his life and the miracles which he did that he is really the only man who has come directly from God. He was and is the eternal Son of the Father. He took on human flesh and became like us in every way except he was free from the evil which lurks in every heart. After preaching the perfect will of God and gathering the apostles to be his witnesses and founders of the Church he allowed his enemies to arrest him, torture him and slowly kill him.

By giving himself up to suffer Jesus was deliberately enduring what the very worst of wicked men deserve. He was simultaneously suffering the rejection of the Father. So he suffered both wickedness and the consequence of wickedness. He endured the hatred of men and the hatred of God to do away with hatred. Now he is free to forgive Sin because he has taken the responsibility for Sin and paid the price that sinners must pay.

After the dead body was laid to rest God powerfully resurrected the broken body of Jesus to everlasting life. And God demands that all men and women serve and follow Jesus. The resurrection tells us that God honours Jesus above everything and that the death of Jesus is fully effective in taking away the Sin of the world.

If Jesus has defeated death why do people still die?

The final answer to death is resurrection! We believe this body with all its weakness and faults is still under a death sentence. But we are also convinced that those who give their love and faith to Christ already share in the benefits of his death. By that I mean God forgives us for everything wrong about us and gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit. We taste God's love and he answers our prayers now. Now we live with Christ and we die with Christ and we are sure that we will share in his resurrection.

Are there any special Church ceremonies to mark Easter?

Different Church traditions will mark Easter in their own way. Nearly every Church will celebrate "Communion" (sometimes called a "mass" or "Lord's supper") on Easter Sunday and quite possibly on Good Friday too. The sharing of bread and wine is a celebration of the sacrifice of the body and blood of Jesus on the cross. It is a sign that God feeds his people with the power of the Holy Spirit through the death of Jesus so it is hugely appropriate for the Easter holiday.