Take time to celebrate Easter in a church near you

It was the year 30AD, and early spring in Jerusalem.

From early on that Friday morning, the streets were busy with people on their way to visit friends and family, and headed to the various markets to obtain provisions.

Visitors were streaming into the city from neighbouring communities and cities, and further afield.

Saturday, the next day, was Passover.

For the Jews who called Judea home, Jerusalem was the centre of attention.

The population would have swelled considerably as the day grew longer, and the number of men crossing the streets was noticeable as Jewish customs expected all men to attend the Passover in Jerusalem.

Many men brought their families along.

Business was booming as every nook and cranny in

Jerusalem was rented out, and those who did not bring their own food and other ingredients for Passover quickly emptied the shelves at the markets.

Trading was hectic and it was especially the areas surrounding the Temple that were a hive of activity.

Through the dust and the noise, the bleating of sheep was clear as families brought their sacrificial lambs to be slaughtered by the priests at the Temple.

It was messy and noisy, and the queues were long.

Everyone was looking forward to the Sabbath, when they could rest and start preparing for a week of festivities.

In the shadow of the Temple, a drama of a different kind was unfolding.

Emotions were running high as the elite of the Jewish community, represented by the elders and the chief priests, were on their way to the governor of Judea.

They were pushing and shoving a bound man to be brought before the governor who, by law, was the only person who could condemn someone to death. The priests and elders had already made up their minds that the man should die.

The previous day was a long day as they had to scour their law books to find a reason to condemn him.

After all, they were consumed by hatred as this man had been utterly disrespectful to their God who was so sacred to them.

To make matters worse, his following was threatening their authority.

In the end, just a few words from this man were enough for them.

If they could, they would have executed him immediately and not wasted another day.

It was a day that the governor would have avoided if he could.

The crowd of spectators was growing by the minute and was becoming more vocal in condemning the man who stood bound before him.

The governor was not all convinced that what the crowd wanted was the right thing to do.

And he was astounded by the silence of the man.

If there was not enough doubt in his mind already, his wife made it even worse.

In among the noise and uproar, he received a message from her that the innocence of the man had been confirmed to her in a dream.

With pressure building, he put his hope on a custom of the day.

As a sign of mercy and goodwill, he could release a prisoner.

But the crowd chose another prisoner, and demanded that the man before him be put to death, along with two other prisoners.

To clear his own conscience, the governor ceremoniously washed his hands in a bowl of water.

The elders and priests had their way. Their peace would be restored again.

The Messiah was to be crucified.

Turning the clock forward 2,000 years, we are nearing the time of Easter again, which is celebrated by Christians all over the globe in large numbers, while the Jews celebrate Passover at around the same time.

It is the time of the year that many daily activities cease, and for a while we can take a breath and think about what happened on that fateful day.

Let us just reflect on some of its significance:

For many Jews in Jerusalem on that day, Passover was business as usual, apart from sudden darkness, an earthquake and some uninvited visitors.

But for the followers of Jesus, it had a whole new meaning as the yearly rituals of sacrificing animals to atone for their sins had come to a sudden end.

It took a bit of time for His followers to fully comprehend its meaning, as it required more than a mind shift.

Many of the New Testament writers spend chapters explaining in detail that Jesus the Messiah became the sacrifice for the sin of humankind that day. It was the big exchange!

Our metro is blessed with more than 600 Christian churches representing the full denominational spectrum.

All will celebrate Easter this coming weekend.

History has shaped the way different denominations observe Easter.

Some go out of their way to gather for the duration of the weekend in a congregation where the seven words that Jesus

spoke while hanging on the cross have huge significance.

Others observe in silence the three hours that Jesus hung on the cross before He drew his last breath.

Many will celebrate communion at various stages during the weekend.

Others commemorate His death on Friday and His resurrection on Sunday by attending church services.

We invite and encourage readers not to pass over the opportunity to be part of the Easter celebrations.

You won’t have to travel very far to find a congregation who will gladly share with you the meaning of Easter and let you join in celebrating it.

The church might just be around the corner.

Be blessed this Easter.