EASTER MESSAGE 09 – WE HAVE LASTING HOPE
13 April 2009
He is Risen.
Have you ever stopped to think about why we call it ‘Good’ Friday? Jesus Christ was tortured, battered, bruised and He died on a rugged cross. There was nothing ‘good’ about it! Yet, for those who know the story, the cross is only the very beginning of Easter. Three days later, what seemed so hopeless for the followers of Jesus turned into a glorious picture of a redemptive Saviour. As Christians, we can look beyond the cross and claim His goodness, because He rose again on Sunday!
As tensions currently rise both globally, and right in our own backyard; I believe that God is calling the Church to rise up and bring hope and solutions to a community in desperate need.
We are called to be a church that desires to love others the way we have been shown love, on the rugged cross of Calvary. The kind of love that presses in and won’t pretend that everything is ok, when it isn’t. A people that find common ground with our neighbours and anyone who hurts, has felt pain and is facing loss. A church that comes alongside the needy and oppressed.
This Easter, as we watch countless Australians emerge from horrific, painful, and seemingly hopeless situations, let us remember that Christ’s sacrifice gave us victory over this present darkness, His Word instructs us to reach out to others, and His resurrection brings the hope of new life.
What an incredible exclamation and a lasting promise. That, in the midst of all the devastation around us; economic despair, disease, broken families, and natural disasters, we gather this Easter Sunday to proclaim that He is Risen. We sing that death could not hold Him down, and believe that these very tragedies do not have the last word over us.
May you find this Easter weekend a time to reflect on God’s incredible sacrifice, the empty tomb, and our lasting hope.
Wishing you and your family a truly wonderful Easter weekend.
Brian Houston
Senior Pastor, Hillsong Church
National President, Australian Christian Churches
