Introduction

I would like to take a short time to explain the meaning of Easter, especially to friends and visitors who are celebrating Easter with us for the first time. Let me say what Easter is not. Easter is not about colourful Easter eggs and Easter bunnies or rabbits. Nobody knows for sure how this first originated.

What Easter is not

The practice first originated in Germany long time ago in the 1500. It is to remember a goddess by the name of Easter who changed her pet bird into a rabbit which could lay colourful eggs to be given to children. When Germany became a Christian country, this festival was somehow adopted as a Christian festival since eggs and rabbits symbolizes new life.

What Easter is all about

Yes, Easter is all about new life. It is about Jesus who was dead but become alive. It is about people who believe in Jesus and have a new life. So every time you see Easter eggs and Easter bunnies, just remind yourself that is about about new life the new life of Jesus as he was raised from the dead, and the new life that you and I can have if we come to believe in Jesus.

The Woman with a Burden

How many of us here can identify with the woman in the first sketch. She was carrying a heavy clay pot on her shoulder. Day after day she carries that burden, doing the same thing. The water can quench her thirst temporarily, wash her dirt externally. But she is looking for something more satisfying something or someone to quench for her thirst deep inside her and wash the dirt or guilt she felt deep inside her.

Jesus Confront Us
Why did she feel a deep guilt inside her? Because she had try to satisfy her deep longing in her heart with the wrong things. In her case, it was relationship. She just went from one relationship after another, each leaving her more empty than ever. Not until she met Jesus. Jesus confronted her with her problem. Like everyone of us, we can either face up to our problem and find a solution or refuse to face up to the problem and run away from it.

The Living Water

Well, she faced up to her problem and Jesus immediately offer her the solution a living water that will satisfy her inner thirst forever. Jesus proclaimed that he is that living water if anyone receives Jesus, that person will never thirst again Jesus will completely fill the emptiness inside that persons life. This is like having a new life all over again this is the good news of Easter.

Cause of Emptiness
What causes this emptiness in our life? In the second sketch or mime, the girl represents all of us. The original intention of God is that we have a close, intimate relationship with him. But because of the sinful desires within us the desire for pleasures and the material things of this world, we find ourselves living in sin and in emptiness and away from the fellowship of God.

Is there a Solution?
I want to read to you a few passage of Bible verses that describe the last days of Jesus life on earth. 63 The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him. 64 They blindfolded him and demanded, Prophesy! Who hit you? 65 And they said many other insulting things to him. (Luke 22) 10 The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. 11 Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. (Lk23)

Jesus Suffering

him! 22 For the third time he spoke to them: Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him. 23 But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminalsone on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. (Lk 23)

20 Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21 But they kept shouting, Crucify him! Crucify

Jesus died for our sins

Do you see a whole range of sinful behaviors there?
The religious authorities jealousy of Jesus King Herod fearful that Jesus will take away his throne, Pilate acted like a coward because he wanted to preserve his popularity The people and the soldiers acted in blindness and cruelty.

These are typical human behaviours you see everyday, everywhere. It was as if you and I were there and condemning Jesus to death. Do you think that we all deserve punishment from God for our sinful behaviours? That was exactly what Jesus did for all of us. He went to the cross so that he can bear that punishment of God on our behalf. Instead of God punishing us, he bears those punishment on our behalf.

Gods Love for Us

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom 5:8) How do we know how deep a person love us? In this case, how do we know how deep God loves us? Let me suggest to you 4 ways.

The Depth of Christs Love

1. We know the depth of someones love for us by what it costs him.
Look at the way your parents sacrifice their time and money for you. Thats how much they love you. Jesus gave his life for us. He died on our behalf by taking the punishment of God on himself when he died on the cross. His love for us costs him his life.

2. We know the depth of someones love for us by how little we deserve it.
Right to his crucifixion, Jesus was mocked and beaten. Yet on the cross, he prayed for his tormentor Father forgive them because they do not know what they are doing. We were Gods enemies, yet he was willing to die for us.

The Depth of Christs Love

3. We know the depth of someones love for us by the greatness of benefits we receive in being loved.
If someone help us to pass our exams, we know we feel love in one way. Likewise if we are helped in getting a job. If we are helped to escape from oppressive captivity and given freedom for the rest of our life, we will feel loved in another way. And if we are rescued from eternal suffering and given a place in the presence of God with fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore, we will know a depth of love that surpasses all others.

The Depth of Christs Love

4. We know the depth of someones love for us by the freedom with which they love us.
If a political party come and give you $100 to help you to buy textbooks, do you feel loved? If your car has an accident and the insurance company pays you $1000, do you feel loved? If you are sick and your friends came and help you, bring you food, help you in your homework, you feel loved. Love is deep in proportion to how freely it was given.

He is alive
Listen to what Jesus has to say, 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. (Jn 10) Jesus said that he laid down his life for us on his own accord. No one force him to do it. He do it freely because he loves us deeply. Not only that, he says that he has also the authority to take up life again. Thats why on the third day after his death, he overcame death and rose again. He loves you and me not as a dead Saviour but a living Saviour. This is why we celebrate Easter Sunday.

Conclusion
Let us bow our heads for a moment of silence. Some of us here come with a heavy burden in their heart. Some of you have a emptiness in your life which you do not how to fill. Let us realize that this emptiness is caused by our separation from our fellowship with God. Jesus has gone to the cross to die for our sins so that this separation can be removed. He do this willingly because he loves us that much. He is alive today he rose from the dead on the third day. He wants to love you today as your living Saviour. Would you open your heart to him today. Like the woman at the well, we need to acknowledge our problem and our need. Then come to Jesus to receive the new life which will always satisfy. If you want to do so, say the following prayer quietly in your heart.