Christian message of Easter continues over entire year

The importance of Easter Sunday has been relegated in the public mind to the back benches to remain there until it comes round again on April 9, 2023.

But – and it is a very big ‘but’ – the importance of Easter is never to be relegated in any church, any congregation or the life of any believer. Easter is massively important for all 12 months of the year, all 52 weeks, all 365 days. This came home to me very clearly last week when I was reading again what the Apostle Paul wrote in his first letter to the church at Corinth.

“If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied”.

Paul is clear that if there was no resurrection, there is no Christianity. Faith is futile. End of story. So, in that same chapter he emphasises the fact of Christ rising from the dead. Indeed, he describes it as a matter “of first importance”.

It is no accident that the writer of the book of Acts also emphasises the importance of the facts. We read these words in the opening chapter: “After his suffering, Jesus presented Himself to the apostles and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive”.

Our faith is not wishful thinking. We don’t just believe. We believe because faith and fact go together. They are not opposites. Faith and the fact of the resurrection stand together and are inextricably linked.

Sadly, it also seems clear from an opinion poll for the BBC a few years ago, that a majority of people simply do not accept the Bible’s account of Jesus rising from the dead. And if a conversation a few days ago is anything to go by, that might well be because fewer and fewer people have any real grasp of why we celebrate Easter.

A friend told me of two colleagues at work who had no idea whatsoever of what Easter was actually about, other than the opportunity to eat chocolate eggs.

The implications of this are huge and can only be addressed if those of us who are followers of Christ actually start talking a lot more about the real facts of Jesus’ life, His birth, death and resurrection – and a lot less about the church, its buildings and its activities.

We would do (very) well to ensure that Easter is not relegated to the back benches of our conversation over the coming weeks and months. For there is nothing to hide. Christ actually is risen.