Christianity Awareness Week 7 th to 11 th April 2014 Welcome to Ealing Staff Christian Fellowship
Resources Leaflets Books Gospels Bibles Contact cards
Easter: Seeing the Bigger Picture
Readers Digest survey, 2005 Researchers concluded the meaning of Easter was lost on Britons Click Liverpool survey, 2009 4 out 5 people regard Easter as nothing more than a chance to guzzle chocolate and enjoy a long bank-holiday weekend.
So What is Easter all about and why is it so important to Christians? Sorry, but Easter s not in the Bible!
Names derived from the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eastre or from Eostremonat which means "Easter-Month" English - Easter German - Ostern Names derived from the Hebrew Pesach (Passover) Latin - Pascha or Festa Paschalia Greek Paskha Bulgarian Paskha Danish Paaske Dutch Pasen Finnish Pääsiäinen French Pâques Indonesian Paskah Irish Cáisc Italian - Pasqua Lower Rhine German Paisken Norwegian Påske Portuguese Páscoa Romanian Pasti Russian Paskha Scottish Gaelic Càisg Spanish Pascua Swedish Påsk Welsh Pasg
Names derived from the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eastre or from Eostremonat which means "Easter-Month" English - Easter German - Ostern Names derived from the Hebrew Pesach (Passover): Latin - Pascha or Festa Paschalia Greek Paskha Bulgarian Paskha Danish Paaske Dutch Pasen Finnish Pääsiäinen French Pâques Indonesian Paskah Irish Cáisc Italian - Pasqua Lower Rhine German Paisken Norwegian Påske Portuguese Páscoa Romanian Pasti Russian Paskha Scottish Gaelic Càisg Spanish Pascua Swedish Påsk Welsh Pasg
When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, As you know, the Passover is two days away and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified. Matthew 26:1-2 (NIV)
And so it happened He was betrayed He was arrested He was abandoned by his friends He was falsely tried and sentenced to death He was flogged and spat upon He was taken away and crucified He died and was buried
Rembrandt s The Three Crosses Trustees of the British Museum Can be viewed at the link below http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highli ghts/highlight_objects/pd/r/rembrandt,_the_th ree_crosses.aspx
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?... All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. He trusts in the Lord, they say, let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him. Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment. from Psalm 22 (NIV), written about 1000 BC
Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:4-6 (NIV), written about 700 BC
He died and was buried
But then On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them... the men said to them, Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again. Then they remembered his words. from Luke 24:1-8 (NIV)
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. I Corinthians 15:3-7 (NIV)
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. I Corinthians 15:3-7 (NIV)
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. I Corinthians 15:3-7 (NIV)
Let s pause a minute Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures he was buried he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures Is there a the bigger picture
Easter (and Christianity) are historical
Christianity is historical Rooted in history Centred around real events Supported by all kinds of evidence For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 2 Peter 1:16 (NIV)
Christianity is supernatural Miracles are possible (because of who God is) Bible prophecy works what God says will happen, will happen Many things were written about Jesus centuries before He was born and they came true
Christianity is about the God s love and kindness to the undeserving But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. Titus 3:4-5 (NIV)
So then Easter and Christianity are about the life, the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ and what this all means Christians believe He is alive But is it true? And does it matter if it s true or not?
if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. I Corinthians 15:12-18 (NIV)
if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. I Corinthians 15:12-18 (NIV)
One more thing
Christianity is personal It s about accepting our need It s about believing a message, about who Jesus is and what he has done It s about receiving the undeserved love and kindness of God It s about God forgiving me! It s about knowing and belonging to Jesus
Thou hast made us for thyself and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in Thee. Augustine of Hippo (354-430) There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ. Blaise Pascal (1623 1662)
if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 (ESV)
A former religious militant called Paul wrote the life I now live I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 (ESV)
Thank-you for coming today