An Easter message from the Moderator and Archbishop Nolan

Rt Rev Dr Shaw Paterson has created this inspiring Easter message for us.

Every Easter we get up early and head to a hill or water’s edge or a gathering place in the centre of town, or even if it’s simply attending our local church, as we welcome the Risen Christ.

On that first Easter, no one did that. Yes, the women went to the tomb to complete the burial rituals. Peter and a companion went to the burial place of their Lord and Master to grieve. However, there was no sense of celebration or joy. Their grief was compounded when they discovered an empty tomb – they thought someone had taken the body of Jesus. / How wrong they were. // They didn’t go to greet the risen Christ, but what they found was the Risen Christ waiting to greet them.

Those who know me, know that I love Easter. As a minister there is no better time of year. Yes its busy, yes there are not enough hours in the day, but this is the time of year we celebrate the empty tomb – Jesus is alive. There is more to life than living and dying, and that’s it. My job (indeed the job of all Christians) is to tell people about God’s love, and about Jesus – about his life, death and resurrection.
The Christian faith centres round Easter… and if you believe there’s a heaven, you believe in Easter.

I love Easter. I love the religious side of this festival, and I love that we can eat chocolate eggs (though for me it has to be dairy free)… although the other week I was a wee bit alarmed to see an advert indicating when chocolate eggs will be taken off the shelves. It’s the same with Hot Cross buns – I love them, but you can only buy them for a short time and then, as far as the shops are concerned, as soon as Easter day is here, that’s it, it’s over? Clear the shelves, Easter is over. I beg to disagree, Easter is not over… its only just beginning. Easter is about more than just a time of year – yes we celebrate the rising of Jesus on Easter Sunday, but we are an Easter people. Easter happened 2000 years ago and we have been living in Easter times ever since.

The tomb was empty when Mary got there and everything turned out to be fine – in fact, more than fine. But Easter is about more than just the empty tomb – that was simply the first sign of the resurrection. Jesus appeared to greet his followers. Jesus had defeated death and gave us the possibility of new life in heaven, that’s what makes this day really special.

On Easter Sunday (indeed throughout the year) we celebrate that Jesus Christ has risen. We go out to services, we come together for services… and when we do, know this, he is there before us to greet us… and that is true throughout life… be assured our risen Jesus is always there before us ready and willing to greet us… thanks be to God.

Happy Easter everyone.

The darkness of winter is now giving way to the brightness of spring. The plants in our gardens are now bursting into life.

It is as if nature is reinforcing the gospel message that death is not the end and that the darkness of sin is overcome by the goodness of God.

We celebrate Jesus risen from the dead. He is proclaimed in the scriptures as the first fruits. We rejoice in the gospel message that just as Christ died and rose to new life so we who die with Christ will also rise with him.

May that truth console us as we think of our deceased relatives and friends.

May that truth inspire us to persevere through the dark moments of life, sure of the light at the end of the tunnel, sure of the life to come.

That is why this Easter we joyfully proclaim: Christ has risen from the dead, Alleluia, Alleluia.