Easter message from the Anglican Church, Barraba

A Politically Incorrect Easter

Death is one of those topics that we’re not meant to talk about, isn’t it? It’s ‘politically incorrect’ because it makes us feel uncomfortable.

Yet in the Bible, it says that death is the destiny of everyone. But not only that, it says that after we die, we then face God’s judgement.

In fact, the cause of Easter is the fact that we need saving from this death and judgement. We need saving from it because death is not how things were meant to be.

God designed us to live forever, and death is actually a sign that things have gone terribly wrong between us and God.

Which is why we have this sense that death is awful. No matter how much we tell ourselves that death is the natural end of life, we just all know deep inside us that death is not right.

No matter their age, whether someone is 8 or 80 when they die, it is a tragedy, because God has designed us to live forever.

The reason we don't live forever, the reason death is our destiny, is something that the bible calls sin. And sin is rebellion against God. Sin is that decision that says I want to live my life my way and I want to be in charge not God.

And we all make that decision. Every single being in human history has turned away from God and we all want to be the boss of our own lives.

But the bible says that decision is fatal. Because God is the one who gave us our lives, and when we use our lives to rebel against him, he takes our lives away.

And so, every single one of us will die, and what's more, the time will come for every single one of us when we will all stand before God to explain our actions. We’ll all have to explain to God why we chose to ignore him. Why it is we’ve taken the life he's given us and shut him out of it. Which is actually quite a scary notion, isn't it?

Easter has a politically incorrect cause, it occurs because of death - that people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgement.

But it gets even worse. Because Easter celebrates an even more politically incorrect event – that the man Jesus was sacrificed, crucified on a cross.

For most of us, crucifixion isn't something we know much about, we tend not to realise how horrific it was. But it was a truly brutal way to die. It was reserved for the lowest of criminals, the scum of society. It was a death that involved being beaten, whipped, humiliated and put on display for all to see. It was a slow death that inflicted the maximum amount of pain possible.

It is one of the most shameful ideas in the world. And yet that's what Easter is all about celebrating. We're celebrating the fact a man named Jesus went through all of that.

Of all the holidays in a year, Easter is far away the most politically incorrect, yet we call the first day of Easter Good Friday.

Why is it called good? Because although the cause and event of Easter are politically incorrect, it is actually the most wonderful holiday, because the outcome of Easter is so good – for it deals with our biggest problem – death and judgement.  

Have a read of why Jesus died – Hebrews 9:27-28: Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Jesus died that horrible death for a reason – to take away the sins of people. When Jesus died on that cross he bore the guilt for our rebellion, he carried our sin on his shoulders, and he took our punishment of death and judgement.

That's what the cross was all about, it was a direct swap. We had rebelled against God, but Jesus took our penalty. Jesus died our death so we will never have to stand guilty before God if we trust in him.

Our future, our destiny doesn't have to be death and judgement, our destiny can actually be salvation with Jesus, salvation from death, salvation from God's judgement, salvation for an eternal life with Jesus.

Isn't that the most incredible news?

The question is do you want to celebrate a politically incorrect Easter? Do you want to accept Jesus' death as your sacrifice? So that when Jesus comes again, he can rescue you and save you and take you to heaven for eternity?

Matthew Hearne, Minister of Barraba Anglican.