The message of Easter is very clear for all Christians, even to non-Christians. It talks about rebirth, newness, self-examination, forgiveness, repentance, restitution, alms giving and above all, making supplication and thanksgiving to our Lord Jesus Christ who is the reason the whole world celebrates in joy. Christian faith is deeply rooted in the celebration of Easter. No more, no less! That Christ died and rose from the dead on the third day as we celebrate this Sunday, having watched and prayed for forty days, is a mark of our victory and the crux of our faith. The importance of the whole celebration is that Christ did not only die for Christians, but for the entire human race.
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends, you are my friends if you do what I command you” (John 15:13). Celebrating the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus is the greatest gift ever, that can be shared among His creatures. It is not just a celebration of Christ coming back to life, but our own lives. John 11 vs 25 states, “I am the resurrection and the life, He who believes in me shall live, even though he dies.” Jesus will not die again, forever and ever. Jesus’ coming back to life after death is a proclamation of freedom from the shackles of sin that bounds us in chains. By His rising, we no longer have to be imprisoned by sin.
We have freedom to live eternally as Christ paved the way with His own life and Holy Blood shed for us on the Cross of Calvary. Having commanded us to always commemorate this in His remembrance, Easter therefore is a day set aside by the Mother Church to acknowledge and herald this great freedom readily available through Christ. He deserves all our praise, when we believe in what He has done for us, as death no longer has a hold on us, if only we believe and truly trust in Him alone. The only way to appreciate what our Lord Jesus Christ has done, whether as a Church, individuals, families or as a nation, is to allow the message of love which Christ brought and preached, even on the Cross to permeate into our lives. As a nation, we can start anew having wandered and committed unspeakable things as a people and country.
God hates sin and not sinners. God also detests and hates pride, but loves humble people. Righteousness, He declared, exalts a nation whereas sin is a reproach to a nation. Nigeria and her people are called at this auspicious and solemn moment in history, to do away with those vices that seek to hold her down; ethnic rivalry, tribal sentiment, religious bigotry, greed, corruption, stealing, hatred, nepotism, injustice at every level; killing, lying, false witnesses etc, that are currently threatening the fabric of our collective wellbeing. We should live a life of truth, love and peace. That is the only way we can resurrect with Christ, even though we die. Easter is the celebration of this new life that we received when Christ rose on the third day after His death on the Cross. We have all sinned, but are reborn each day we surrender our lives to Him.
That is the only way, the message of Easter and the work of redemption which Christ brought to the world can make meaningful impact, either in the life of an individual or nations of the world, which today are in turmoil, occasioned by the absence of the real truth, which can only be found in Christ, who died for us all on the Cross of Calvary. We therefore call on our leaders, both secular and religious to bring the message of hope which the people need, especially in this trying period of their lives. We pray that this season, and Christ Himself who is Love and the centre of it all, takes hold of them in all they do in our society. This message of hope should be allowed to trickle down, with the understanding that it’s only righteousness that exalts a nation. That is the least anyone can do for our Lord Jesus Christ this solemn moment the mother Church was born. Wishing all, Happy Easter celebration!
