Have you ever wondered what Easter is about? The Christian faith is founded upon the events of Easter. Four days — Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday.
Maundy Thursday is when Jesus sat down with his disciples and shared a final meal before his arrest, trial, and crucifixion. The event is charged with emotion and tension.
But even before they eat Jesus kneels before each of his disciples and takes the role of perhaps the lowest of the female slaves… he washes their dusty, dirty feet. An act of service, love, and humility.
The meal – possibly the traditional Passover festival meal – included Jesus sharing bread and wine. He said that these elements symbolised the body and the blood of Jesus. To be one of the participants in this meal was therefore a reminder that the group’s unity, purpose, and being was founded in the life of Jesus himself, and not any other moral, political, or ethical agenda.
The disciples of Jesus were in some ways a motley crew. Among them there’s Peter, the impulsive, outspoken leader; James and John, the ambitious brothers; Matthew, who had collaborated with the Imperial forces; Simon the Zealot, the revolutionary nationalist; Judas Iscariot, who was to betray Jesus; Thomas, the rational skeptic; and Philip, the pragmatist.
The act of humble service by Jesus, intentionally and graciously inclusive of this diverse company of disciples, and then the sharing of the meal reminds us that any group of Jesus followers will be a flawed group, faced with the challenge to follow the example of Jesus, to consciously welcome, intentionally include, thoughtfully encourage, and work together to live out the values of God that we see in Jesus – love, kindness, mercy, forgiveness, humility, compassion…
Maundy Thursday closes with the betrayal, arrest, and trial of Jesus alongside his agonised prayers in the garden of Gethsemane.
Good Friday is centred on the crucifixion of Jesus. (It is perhaps a curious naming – Good Friday. After all what is so good about a good man being crucified?). There was a hierarchy of modes of execution in the ancient world, and crucifixion was regarded as the most degrading, shameful, and painfully excruciating.
Why was Jesus crucified? It’s a great question.
On the one hand Jesus was charged of various ‘sins’ apparently worthy of execution according to his accusers — blasphemy, claiming to be God; threatening the Temple; breaking Sabbath laws; and inciting rebellion. We might broadly group these as religious crimes.
On the other hand, when the Romans carried out the crucifixion they posted Jesus’ ‘crime’ on a board above his head, which read, ‘The King of the Jews.’ This was a political crime as only the Roman Emperor held the authority to appoint kings in the Empire.
And then the Apostle Paul, writing about twenty years later to the church in Corinth, says, ‘Christ died for (or because of) our sins.’ Having become a disciple of Jesus, in his letters to churches, the Apostle Paul denotes various meanings that he discerns in the death of Jesus:
The death of Jesus was an act of violence against an innocent man caused by human rejection of him, and a rebellion against God’s purposes.
The death of Jesus was divinely purposed.
The death of Jesus was a form of atonement to free sinful people from the ever-tightening, controlling, vortex of sin.
The death of Jesus was an act of victory against earthly and cosmic powers – exposing the ‘myth of redemptive violence’ (as René Girard described it).
The death of Jesus involved a sacred and merciful act of the reconciliation of creation.
The Gospels of Matthew and Mark each record the sober assessment of the death of Jesus by those who witnessed his final breath, ‘Surely this man was the Son of God.’ The Gospel of Luke records how the centurion responsible for the crucifixion says, ‘Surely this man was innocent,’ a sentiment echoed by the Governor Pilate who could find no reason to condemn Jesus.
The crucifixion of Jesus exposes the violence of humanity and – in the confession of the innocence of Jesus – starkly reveals and condemns the inherent violence and sinfulness of humanity’s systems and structures. Good Friday lays bare the fundamental necessity for each of us to humbly accept our need to change – surely something only God can accomplish in us and for us.
Holy Saturday is a day of silence. The Gospels say nothing about this day. It is a day of waiting. Perhaps even a day of hopelessness…hopes that Jesus could save humanity apparently dashed by his execution. Holy Saturday is a day of somber reflection… “Who am I? What have I done? Am I guilty along with those who unjustly condemned Jesus?” Holy Saturday calls each of us to be profoundly and humbly self-aware and to acknowledge our own sinfulness and our need of a Saviour and a radical shift in lifestyle and perspective.
EASTER SUNDAY is the remarkable and astonishing day of resurrection. A woman kneels weeping before an empty tomb and encounters Jesus, raised from the dead. Her testimony and subsequent encounters by others of the resurrected of Jesus creatively inspired a new, life-giving, inclusive community.
Resurrection matters – really matters. Resurrection matters because it marks a form of victory over death. The act of resurrection reminds us that there is a power at work in the universe more powerful that the power of those who through violence, threat, intimidation, and lies – in a malevolent and malignant alliance with death – deceive and corrode humanity’s instinctive and innate desire for community, belonging, relationship, and connection to God, one another, and creation itself.
Resurrection is about life over death – whether we think of death at the end of life, or the shadow of death cast over us even as we live. If death is about separation and disconnection and ending, then resurrection as we celebrate on Easter Sunday is about renewal, hope, creation, beginning, transformation, community, and connection.
We’re now just over 1/12 through the year – time flies when you’re having fun! If you set yourself goals for this year, how are they going? Have you done anything towards them yet?
At Evesham Baptist Church we are still developing lots of plans for the year, but have kicked off a series of reflections on Mark’s Gospel which we are looking at as part of our regular church services up to Easter. Mark is the shortest of the four Gospels in the New Testament of the bible, presenting a fast-paced overview of the life and teachings of Jesus, as well as his death and resurrection. Looking at the Gospel of Mark, we are focusing on Jesus’ power, his compassion and the cross – and what these things mean for us in our day to day lives.
One of the areas we’ve already covered is how Jesus was there for everyone – the rich, the poor, the disadvantaged, the sick, those seeking forgiveness, and the everyday people. The call to follow him was universal. Mark’s Gospel shows how Jesus stood out from the crowd and challenged the thinking of the day. Wherever you are on your journey of faith, we’d love you to join us as we continue to explore the life and teaching of Jesus.
If you would like to catch up with the areas we’ve covered so far, you can find a recording of the messages within the ‘sermons’ section of our website – or for easy reference use the links below. So far we have looked at:
Why not come along on a Sunday and find out more? Wherever you are in your life, you can be assured of a warm welcome. You don’t need to be familiar with church protocols or traditions – we are very informal and a friendly bunch. Our Sunday services are at 10.30am and finish by 12pm with tea, coffee and cakes. Come and see for yourself.
We are looking forward to celebrating the Christmas season and have a number of events planned. These will all be taking place at Evesham Baptist Church Community Centre, Offenham Road and everyone is welcome. A summary of events is outlined below, and please use the contact us form if you would like any further information.
Saturday 7 December 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. — Contemplating Advent This is an opportunity to take a pause in the busyness of this season and set time aside to quietly reflect and meditate on the Scriptures surrounding the birth of Jesus.
Sunday 8 December 10.30 a.m. — Anniversary service It’s now a year since we moved into our fresh new building. At our regular Sunday service we will be celebrating the first anniversary of being in the community centre with special guest Steve Finamore, President of the Baptist Union of Great Britain. Tea, coffee, mince pies and cake will be served after the service.
Sunday 15 December — Christingle service Join us from 10 a.m. for toast and crumpets followed by an interactive service at 10.30 a.m. This event is designed for all ages together and, as part of the service, we will be making Christingles, a traditional symbol of Jesus, the Christmas gift coming as light into the world. Tea, coffee and mince pies will be available after the service.
Sunday 22 December 10.30 a.m. — Christmas celebration As Christmas approaches this will be a lively, modern and relaxed Christmas service with all ages together and the opportunity for everyone to get involved. Tea, coffee and mince pies will be served after the service.
Sunday 22 December 6.00 p.m. — Carols by twinklelight This reflective event will include traditional carols and readings involving members of our town community. No candles, but plenty of Christmas lights! Festive refreshments will be served after the service.
Wednesday 25 December at 10.00 a.m. — Christmas Day The big day has arrived! Together we celebrate the birth of Jesus. This will be a shorter relaxed service suitable for all ages.
Unless specified, our Christmas church services are expected to last 60-90 minutes.
Come and join us, we look forward to welcoming you and celebrating Christmas together.
