Easter 2014The Easter story can be puzzling.

Why do we need to know all these things about Jesus?

His Suffering

Jesus was deserted by his friends, misrepresented by his enemies and humiliated by the authorities. Why do we need to know all this? His suffering identifies Jesus as God’s true Messiah.

We are all, by nature, hostile to a holy God and the opposition that Jesus faced proved that he was God’s man seeking to bring truth into a dark world. One of the Prophets had predicted that the Messiah would be ‘…despised and rejected by men… familiar with suffering.’ This led to …

His death

Crucifixion was a punishment in which the executioner was given full rein. It makes for uncomfortable reading. And at the cross Jesus also experienced spiritual abandonment. He cried, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ Why did Jesus give himself up to all this?

Our hostility towards God deserves punishment. Jesus took that punishment in place of others. He said that he gave his life as ‘a ransom for many’.

His death identifies Jesus as the true sacrifice for sin.  This was followed by…

His Resurrection

If Jesus had not risen from the dead and ascended into heaven we would not be thinking about him today.

His resurrection identifies Jesus as the living LORD.

These are the things we need to know about Jesus, which is one of the reasons why Grove Hill Evangelical Church exists.

Please join us this Easter as we seek to grow in our appreciation of this great Jesus – The Messiah, the Sacrifice for Sin and the Living Lord.

Martin Hull (Pastor)