‘He is Risen’

Easter marks the foundation of Christianity.

This year, the Western Churches will celebrate Easter on Sunday 31 March and the Orthodox and Oriental Churches will celebrate Easter on Sunday 5 May.  

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Friday, 22 March 2024

from the National Council of Churches in Australia            

Easter 2024 Messages 

from Australian Church Leaders

‘He is Risen’

Stories of hope do not seem to get the same level of attention as those that focus on what is terrible in the world. Easter is a powerful story of hope. 

There is much cause for despair at the moment.  There seems no end to the conflict in Gaza and peace with justice seems remote. The war in the Ukraine continues and other conflicts are ongoing, and the language used by some world leaders gives little encouragement and hope. 

We see similar patterns of discouragement for Australia’s First Peoples in the face of their continuing journey for justice and for an end to the marginalisation of people and communities. Rates of Indigenous incarceration continue to be disproportionately high. 

Across Australia the level of domestic violence unacceptable. People on limited income continue to struggle. There is more that can be listed! There is no magic wand available to fix all of this and progress may continue to be slow. Yet there is something more that offers hope.

The darkness and suffering of Good Friday and the lack of compassion and justice in the death of Jesus is addressed in the resurrection. This action of God in raising Jesus to life is a powerful statement. God’s final word is life! Death and suffering do not have the final say, and Jesus’ continuing living presence is the foundation of our hope.

Maybe we can decide to turn our attention away from the analysis of all that is not right and attend to, and nurture, the signs of new life and hope in our darkness. When we do so we live as people of the Resurrection and be part of a continuing story of hope.   

Rev John Gilmore, President

National Council of Churches in Australia

 

Download:  pdf Easter Messages from Australian Church Leaders 2024 final (1.15 MB)   - which follow in full below.

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Anglican Church of Australia

An essential part of Easter is Jesus’ resurrection. We know from the scriptures that early in the morning on the third day after his crucifixion Jesus’ tomb was discovered to be empty, and his appearances to the disciples, both to the eleven, and according to St Paul, more than 500 at one time, plus his changed appearance and actions were convincing proof that Jesus was not only not dead, nor resuscitated but resurrected. He had come through death into a new life.

While the message of the resurrection is well known, its implications are very important for the whole world. The fact that Jesus beat death, that the power of death has been defeated is a matter of great significance. We still see and experience the forces of death, but the decisive victory has been won and the result is seen and will be seen completely in the fullness of time.

The impacts of Jesus resurrection are individual and personal in that those of us who are joined to Christ through baptism share his death and resurrection. As Jesus has been raised through death so will we. Death has no more hold over us.

But the resurrection has global and cosmic consequences. Right now, the whole creation is waiting for its redemption.

The remnants of the power of death are still being seen and experienced. There continues to be war and violence and injustice. Dictators unleash shocking suffering. There is poverty and Famine. Abuse, cruelty and care-lessness. An uneven distribution of the resources of the world means a few have too much and many have too little. Disease is experienced by young and old, and of course people still die.

The forces of death are still evident, and this can lead to a heaviness, a hopelessness, a weariness as we navigate and experience this reality.

But the resurrection means that these manifestations of death will one day know their defeat. The future is not one of death but life and new life.

The impact of resurrection gives us hope in the midst of the death-ness we experience, and the motivation to spread resurrection life as much as we can. The resurrection is seriously cosmos changing and its gospel (gospel means surprisingly wonderful news) is worth embracing and sharing.

What we see now in the world is not what it will be. What we do now to spread resurrection life and push back the many manifestations of death as ambassadors of the risen one will make a difference for many people and in fact the whole creation.

I wish you a happy Easter, and I hope that the more we reflect on its implications the more glad [gladder] we will be in our own hearts, and the more motivated we will be to help the implications of the resurrection to be experienced wherever we can. 

The Most Reverend Geoffrey Smith, Archbishop of Adelaide

Catholic Church in Australia

Easter is a time when we are called to recognise once again the seeds of hope which lie in the words we find on the lips of Jesus in John’s gospel, as Jesus addresses his disciples on the eve of his passion and death: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No-one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15:12,13. NRSV). 

It is true that we can easily be overwhelmed when we see the horrors which continue to unfold in Ukraine, in the Holy Land and in the wider Middle East, in Sudan, in Myanmar and in so many other places around the world. We can shake our heads in desperation as we encounter more and more homeless people living on the streets with no apparent solution in sight. We can fear for the future when we read stories of increasing violence and disruption in our schools, both secondary and primary. In the face of all these tragedies and problems we can feel helpless. The challenges are so many, and solutions seem so hard to find. 

Easter reminds us that the triumph of Jesus over the powers of hatred and evil does, in fact, offer a powerful antidote to all this. It is the gift and the promise of a new and better way to live. It is a source of hope and equally a call to action. If we, as members of the Christian community in our society, commit ourselves to taking the gospel of Jesus seriously and set ourselves to walk in his Way, to embrace his Truth, and live his Life, we will be a powerful force, not only for good, but for transformation and renewal in our wider community. 

Of course, we cannot do this on our own. We need to be a people of hope, not just individuals with hope; we need to be a community of service, generosity and practical assistance to those in need, not just individuals who do their best to help where they can; we need to be a communion of forgiveness and healing, welcome and hospitality, and not just individuals who try their best without the support of others. While we as Christians may disagree on many things, we can all agree on this: that we are called to love as Jesus did: faithfully, patiently, steadfastly and concretely. 

Saint Paul once wrote that “there are three things that endure: “faith, hope and love; and the greatest of these is love” (1Cor 13:13). If we can, with God’s grace, create true communities of love - that generous, outward-reaching, self-sacrificing love which marked the life of Jesus - then the hope of Easter, the hope of love’s triumph over hate and life’s triumph over death, can begin to be realized. 

May we all experience the joy and hope of the resurrection as we celebrate Easter this year.  

Archbishop Tim Costelloe SDB, Archbishop of Perth,

Chinese Methodist Church in Australia

Eternal Hope

For 2,000 years, the reality of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ has been questioned. One of the purposes of the apostle Paul's letter to the Corinthian church around 51 A.D. was to affirm the fact of the resurrection of Christ Jesus. 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, … that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve. After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.”

First, there is true faith because of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. 1 Corinthians 15:13-14, “But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen. And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.” The resurrection of Jesus has enabled us to preach the gospel without being "in vain," and at the same time believing the gospel without being "in vain." "Not in vain" means that it is not empty talk, and that the content of the gospel is trustworthy. This means that Jesus' resurrection is true and credible. Therefore, the apostles were not "false witnesses," but rather, a group of reliable witnesses of Jesus' resurrection.

Second, the resurrection of the Lord Jesus is the Saviour of the world. 1 Corinthians 15:17-22, “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”  Jesus was resurrected to be the Saviour of the world, redeeming us for eternal life, from weakness to perfection, and with eternal hope and destiny.

The resurrection of the Lord Jesus compelled the disciples to share what they had seen, touched, and experienced.

The resurrection of the Lord Jesus answered the question of where people come from and where they are going.

The Lord Jesus rose from the dead, conquered death, and proved that He is the Son of God, the living God.

The resurrection of the Lord Jesus shows that He is the only Saviour of the world.

The resurrection of the Lord Jesus proves that trusting Him is one of the best decisions we can make in life. 

Bishop Milton Nee

Churches of Christ in Australia

Why the Resurrection Matters

Easter remains the Christian Church’s most important celebration, but why is Christ’s resurrection necessary for human redemption, and why does he assert that he is the only path to God? 

Our greatest pitfall is that every one of us is born into sin, a state of separation from God (and not the accumulation of wrongdoing). This inevitably imperils our future beyond death. Our greatest opportunity is to be rescued from this sin for the greatest possible joy in this life and the next. 

The Bible speaks of two possible destinations which are both eternal. Entry into either depends on what we do with the gift of Jesus.

This is a challenge in an age of scepticism, yet the harmony of the biblical text, its archaeological support, and its transformation of countless lives still attest to the Bible’s truth claims. 

A perfectly just God must judge any sin perfectly, so its presence precludes any capacity to earn Heaven. A perfectly loving God has provided the solution to our escape. 

By sending his Son who was fully divine, he sent us a Saviour who was free from sin. Therefore, Jesus qualified to bear ours. He was also fully human and capable of taking our place. 

Faith in this reality is inclusive of Jesus’ resurrection conquering death’s power over him and us. This must be believed and confessed individually. Through it, we access God’s salvation gift, being deemed a righteous new creation capable of living free from guilt, shame, addiction, worry, or oppression.

Jesus has therefore become the mediator who draws believers back to their maker. He is the source of a life of freedom and breakthrough that we can never have without him.

This makes every day an Easter celebration of life with Christ who, in being our Saviour who frees us from eternal death, therefore also becomes our Lord. That this applies only to those who receive and walk with him reminds us that we are afforded a choice as to how we will live and where we will ultimately reside.

And eternity is such a long time!  

Dr. Rob Nyhuis – National Chair,

Coptic Orthodox Church

Diocese of Sydney and Affiliated Regions

Christ is Risen, Truly He is Risen!!

It is my pleasure to wish all of you a joyful Feast of the Holy Resurrection, hoping that you experience the victorious power of the Glorious Resurrection. 

The Feast of the Resurrection is also called 'Pascha', which literally means 'to pass over'. Through the Resurrection, Christ passed over from death to life, and in turn allowed us to pass over from death to life, as St. Paul wrote, "God raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:1-6), because "even when we were dead in trespasses, He made us alive together with Christ" (Ephesians 2:5). 

In the Passover, the victory over death was achieved through death. Therefore, in the Hymn of the Resurrection, we glorify the Risen Christ, saying "By death He trampled death and to those in the tombs bestowing eternal life". 

Let us rejoice as we pass over with our Risen Christ. Let us pray for all suffering and weary souls, so our Lord may shine upon them with the life-giving light of His Glorious Resurrection and fill their hearts with joy. 

May the light of the risen Christ bless you and your families; bless our beloved country Australia and bestow prosperity upon all persons.

With the Grace of God 

Bishop Daniel

 Diocese of the Armenian Church 

of Australia & New Zealand

CHRIST IS RISEN

“I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die” (John11:25-26).

On behalf of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, our clergy, Diocesan Council and our faithful we wish the Christian community in Australia a Happy Easter; may the risen Lord guide your footsteps as you render your services to Him through His Church.  

Every year we pray for a peaceful world where people can live and create in harmony, however wars, (in the Middle East, Ukraine, the Caucasus, just to mention few) strife, famine, pandemics, bring havoc and endanger the very existence of humanity. The world has become a barrel of gunpowder which can explode any time, for any reason engulfing our universe.  Most countries do not uphold the Christian values anymore, in ethics and in family issues.   Gone the days when western countries like USA, Ireland and Greece were regarded as bastions of Christian belief.   In the name of freedom and egocentric teachings, money and wealth are regarded as the sole purpose of happiness. Greed and exploitation of men by men knows no boundaries. 

Death is the greatest evil in this world, but our Lord trampled death by his death․ Even before his death Jesus said, “In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). As Christians we are few but as a little salt gives taste to the whole food, so we can transform the world.  It is our mission to preserve this world and make it a peaceful habitat for all, so “Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace”. (Ephesians 6:14)

CHRIST IS RISEN  

Archbishop Haigazoun Najarian, Primate

 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia

"In this world you will have tribulation. But take heart!

I have overcome the world"

(John 16:33)

   

Christ is Risen; Truly He is Risen 

^{Protocol No.: 1070}

"No heaven, or earth, or the great oceans, or all creatures living in the waters and on dry land, or plants, stars, air, and seasons, or the vast expanse of the universe, can illustrate the surpassing greatness of God's might so well as He has Himself. The infinite God, remaining changeless, assumed flesh and fought with death, freeing us from suffering by His own suffering!" (On the Holy Spirit 18). With these deep and profound words, St Basil the Great expresses the great mystery of salvation accomplished by Christ.

Out of His absolute love for us, Christ the Son and Word of God, appropriated to Himself the fullness of human nature, assuming the "likeness of sinful flesh" (Rom. 8:3), who suffered for the sake of our sins, and rose from the dead, so that we may truly participate in the first fruits of salvation, which are experienced here and now, and perfected in the heavenly Kingdom.

It is precisely by the resurrection of Christ that new life emerges, for as Christ says: "I make all things new" (Rev. 21:5). This new life which Christ gives us, refashions us "to the measure of the stature of His fullness" (Eph. 4:13), bestowing upon us greater faith, hope, repentance, peace, and above all, greater love, to fulfil His holy commandments, which lead us to true and everlasting life.

Christ says to us "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love them, and We will come to them and make Our home with them" (John 14:23). This is the power and grace of the resurrection, that by "remaining in the love" of Christ (John 15:9), His "joy will be in us, making our joy complete" (John 15:11). Let us therefore open our heart to the overflowing love and compassion of Christ. Let us allow ourselves to be embraced by His love, to be transformed by His love, and to share His love with one another, for then "everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love another" (John 13:35).

Wishing all a blessed and joyous Easter 

His Eminence, Archbishop Makarios, Primate,

Lutheran Church of Australia

We need Easter - hope in uncertain times.

Being in a stadium at major sports events is an awesome experience. If you have ever been to a grand final or to the opening or closing ceremony of the Olympic games, and you've seen your team win, you would know this experience. You are caught up in the overwhelming cheering of the crowd when your team scores a win.

This is the experience of Easter joy. Jesus had died on the cross and his disciples were scattered and were in despair. Life seemed to have lost its direction.

But the Bible tells us that when they saw Jesus, risen from the dead, they were overjoyed. Where there was death, there was now life and hope. What they thought was an ending was now a new beginning. This joy has carried Christians to the ends of the earth, sharing this good news.

It is because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, all of life has new meaning. We do not need to despair in the face of uncertain times. The Risen Lord promised to be with us always that we might always live as people of hope.

On behalf of the Christian people of the Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand, I wish you and your loved ones, a wonderful, safe and blessed Easter weekend.

“He is risen, he is risen!

Tell it with a joyful voice:

he has burst his three days' prison,

let the whole wide earth rejoice.

Death is conquered, we are free,

Christ has won the victory.” 

(Cecil Frances Alexander, 1818-95 Together in Song 379)

Bishop Paul Smith, 

Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand

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Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)

On Wednesday 14th Feb, I walked a little of the "Gaza Pilgrimage" in Melbourne. This was an opportunity for people of faith to come together by walking a distance roughly equivalent to the distance from Gaza City to Rafah. The idea was to pray for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and to raise awareness about the plight of Palestinians facing relentless attacks from the Israeli Defence Forces. We prayed and sang in a variety of places of worship and shared stories of Palestine.

For me it was refreshing and uplifting to meet people from other denominations, united by concern for the innocent victims of war. We were a diverse group but had a commitment to non-violence and a sense of hope that a just peace might still be possible, in spite of all the evidence to the contrary.

The Easter story asks us to hold onto that same hope for a better world, even when there’s no certainty that change is possible. It asserts that life goes on even after the worst possible things have happened and that love can overcome hatred or fear.

Small miracles of kindness, forgiveness, and reconciliation happen every day. The life of Jesus invites us to notice and support these small miracles. We are called to help build peace in whatever ways we can.  

Bruce Henry, Presiding Clerk

 The Salvation Army, Australia

HOPE RISING

The disciples had followed Jesus, learning from Him, experiencing the miracles that He did, listened to Him teach, sometimes let Him down, other times didn’t really understand what was happening.

He had tried to reveal to them what was about to happen. But when they saw Him hanging on the cross, they wondered what was going to happen to them, to others.

Hope was low. Faith was low.

Until they realised that He wasn’t dead. On the 3rd day, He rose again! He was alive. He appeared to them. Hope was back. And then He ascends to heaven, but with a promise. The Holy Spirit would be given to them, to live in them, and through them. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would be comforter, friend, always with them, always for them.

Hope revealed! Hope rising.

It seems that people lack hope right now. Wars, natural disasters, moral dilemmas, grief, pain. Many people wonder what is coming next, how they will get through. Hope lost.

And yet, Jesus, with us, for us. Hope giver. Hope bringer.

May the Hope of the world be just that for each of us at this Easter time.

Bless you friends.

Commissioner Miriam Gluyas, Territorial Leader

Uniting Church in Australia

The focus in many Christian churches this year is the Gospel of Mark. Of all the Gospel accounts of the resurrection, Mark’s is the briefest. There are no walks along roads, breakfasts by the beach, conversations with Jesus, or wounds to plunge our fingers into.

Mark’s Easter Day story begins in the early morning. The women disciples who had stayed with Jesus throughout his crucifixion come to the tomb to anoint the dead body of their friend and teacher. They come in love, without hope, not even sure how they will move the stone to get to Jesus’ body.

The story is drenched with grief, death and betrayal. It does not turn away from the trauma that follows Jesus’ death. It immerses us in the sorrow, despair and speechlessness of the women. In their heartache, they respond in terror and fear.

Nor does Mark avoid the failings of those around Jesus as he dies. Not Peter who denied knowing Jesus almost as soon as he finished boasting he never would, not Judas who betrays Jesus for money, not the empire of Rome who use violence to enforce their rule, nor the religious authorities who deny the new thing God is doing.

This story is for all of us and for our broken world today. It’s for those who are grieving, for the boastful, those who enact violence and those who suffer violence. For the broken humanity in each of us, the good news of resurrection life is proclaimed.

Mark’s Gospel ends abruptly with the announcement of resurrection and with fear and silence. And yet the story continued to be told and continues with us.

In a world of violence, empire and groaning creation, God raises Jesus from the dead, with the hope of new life, a gift of grace, love and mercy to each of us. A grace that cannot be defeated by empire or violence, not by grief or sorrow, not by our unfaithfulness. God’s resurrection grace keeps being offered, over and over again, drawing us into awe-filled silence for all we are given. In a world so desperate for hope, we are offered the same grace, good news and new life as the first disciples.

This resurrection life invites us to respond to God’s gift of grace, filled with such joy at what God has done, that it overflows into our worship, witness and service. We live the Easter message each time we answer the call to follow the way of Jesus, when we act with compassion towards each other and creation, when we seek justice for the world and live lives of love.  

Dwelling in the heart of love that is God, may we live as Easter people who are being made whole because God raised Jesus from the dead. 

Happy Easter. 

Rev Sharon Hollis, Assembly President

Australian Baptist Ministries

“It is finished,” were the last words from the lips of Jesus as He hung on the Cross. On the surface it sounds like, “At last, it’s over.” But, the true sense of the cry declares, “My purpose is accomplished!”

The two criminals also being crucified at the same time, the bored soldiers loitering around the execution site, and the crowds who swung by to see the spectacle, had no idea that anything of importance had been accomplished.

It looked very much like another dead Jew on a Roman cross. Nothing to write home about. But God was at work preparing for a new era, unlike anything the world had seen before. The resurrection of Jesus Christ began a new era when all people can meet God, one-on-one!

It doesn’t matter if this Easter feels spectacular or fairly uninspiring, be assured that every moment you give thought to Jesus Christ, every time you honour Him and seek Him, every day you turn your heart again towards Him, He is accomplishing His purpose in you. 

You are the reason He became a man, suffered and died on a cross. He loves you that much, even if it doesn’t feel that way to you.

Perhaps the greatest words in history, “It is finished,” were spoken by Jesus Christ as He was dying on the cross. What He finished enables you to have the opportunity to know God and His mercy, forgiveness and love. Forever.

This Easter, I invite you to explore what Jesus finished and how it can be the start of something that will change your life forever. 

Rev Mark Wilson, National Ministries Director

Australian Christian Churches

THREE POWERFUL WORDS

Three powerful days in the history of humankind. Three powerful words spoken that impacts every individual. That is what defines the significance of Easter for us all.

Consider the innocent Son of God, hanging on a cruel Roman Cross, who uttered these three words as He took His final breath:

’It is finished’ (John 19:30)

Thankfully, He did not say, as some supposed, ‘I am finished’, but ‘it is finished’.

What did Jesus mean by those words? Quite simply, He terminated the requirement that human endeavours enable us to enter into a relationship with God. That was over. All our efforts to be acceptable to God are in vain. The act of Divine love that put Jesus Christ on that cross is enough. All we need to do is accept that, by faith, that Jesus paid the price for our eternal life, once and for all.

Three words on Good Friday gave us eternal life; and on the third day, three more words gave us the reason for our hope in Him. They are, ‘He is risen’ (Matthew 28:6).

Through His death, He gave us life, and through His resurrection, He gave us hope. At a time when life seems filled with stress, uncertainty and anxiety, we have peace that comes from a confidence that we are accepted, forgiven and loved by God. This brings a rich hope for each and every day – for one reason alone: Jesus.

May these three words bring you closer to our living and loving God this Easter. 

Pastor Wayne Alcorn, National President

For further information contact: Liz Stone NCCA General Secretary, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.