What Is The Easter Story?

Every year we celebrate Easter with eggs, bunnies and lots of chocolate, but what is the Easter story? How often have you been asked this question by inquiring children and wondered how to explain it? Sometimes the Easter story can be lost amidst all the celebrations and many people nowadays don't go to church to hear it. In fact it can be a bit confusing with all the different religions we try to embrace in our multi-cultural society. Yet it isn't complicated, which is why children and adults alike love to hear it!

I grew up hearing the story of Easter on a regular basis, so I hope that I can share this amazing story with you, that I know so well and that hasn't changed since the day it happened two thousand years ago. In fact, told the right way, this story is so special that I don't wait to think about it only once a year when the holiday is here, but all year around I marvel at the way it continues to move me and remain as the core reason for my journey.

Decide for yourself whether the Easter story is the greatest story ever told!

And The 10 Commandments

Many years before Jesus, God had given the people of Israel a king, followed later by the law and the The 10 Commandments. They needed something to measure when they had done wrong so that they could implement consquences to prevent it happening again. The law was strict, harsh and caused guilt and punishment. It was also hard to adhere to and so was it any wonder that people would feel continually bad about themselves? However, it was needed to bring a sense of order into society and most of all because God couldn't look at them with their sin. Only after a sacrifice had been made as payment could they have a relationship with God.

This was how it happened:-

By entering a human body, Jesus Christ was able to pay the ultimate price for all of our sins.

Having spent 32 years on the earth healing and telling people about God's kingdom, Jesus was ready for the ultimate part of his ministry.

Whilst praying in the Garden of Gethsemanea with his disciples, the temple guards came and arrested him.

He was brought before Herod, the Jewish leader and then the Roman Governor Pilate, accused of trying to take the place of the King and create an uprising. He was also accused of trying to destroy the Jewish law and customs. Little did they know that he came to fulfill it by his own death.

After questioning him, Pilate couldn't find any reason to condemn him so he had him flogged and brought him out before the Jews to ask them who they wanted him to set free according to the Passover custom. They chose a criminal named Barabbas and demanded that Jesus be crucified.

Hot cross buns remind us of his death on this day

So Jesus began the walk to the outside of the city of Jerusalem, carrying his own cross. Along the way, Simon Of Cyrene was made to carry it for him. When they got to the hill of Golgotha Jesus was nailed to the cross along with two criminals on either side of him. Many of his friends and relatives were there, crying and the soldiers cast lots for his clothes. Some were mocking him, including one of the two criminals, who asked why, if he was the Son Of God, didn't he help himself, as he had for so many others. However Jesus had to die as it was part of God's plan to save us all from our sin that cut us off from God. All of a sudden, even though it was bright daytime, it became completely dark and Jesus cried out "It is finished- father forgive them for they don't know what they are doing." Then Jesus died.

Easter eggs and bunnies remind us of new life!

Joseph from Arimathea took the body down from the cross, prepared it for burial and placed it in a tomb with a heavy boulder over the entrance. Meanwhile the disciples were hiding in an upstairs room, afraid to draw attention to themselves after all that had happened. After three days Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and found the stone rolled away from the entrance and was so shocked that she ran straight to Peter and John and told them what she had seen. Upon hearing this they ran to the tomb and when they entered discovered the body missing, although the strips of linen cloth that the body had been wrapped in were still lying there. They all thought that someone must have stolen the body. The men went back home, but Mary stayed outside the tomb crying. When she peered in she saw two angels dressed in white, sitting where Jesus body had been. They asked her why she was crying and she told them that someone had taken away her Lord. All of a sudden she turned around and heard someone else asking her why she was crying, whom she thought was the gardener, so she asked if he knew what had happened. When he spoke her name, she knew it was Jesus. She was amazed and in awe and wanted to hold on to him, but he told her to go and tell the others what she had seen and heard. When they heard Mary's account they remembered that Jesus had already told them that this would happen.

Afterwards, Jesus appeared to several others of his followers before he ascended into heaven. The resurrection story became a day in history of great celebration.