First of all, I want to wish you all a very Happy Easter during what is a particularly precious time of year in the Christian faith.

As I touched on in my last blog, I have been meditating lately on The Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Exploring the dynamic relationship between them, I have been pondering their eternal connection – which predates the universe’s creation. It’s truly awe-inspiring how Christians are beckoned into profound unity and intimate communion with the Holy Trinity.

I have also been considering how the sin of mankind causes it to fall short of its glorious destiny of walking together with God and beholding his glory, (Romans 3:23 all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God) and the profound repercussions this has had on our world, society, and planet. Indeed as I survey humanity in general, the state of the world, division in society, wars, hatred, poverty, mental illness and health services unable to meet needs etc, I notice a widespread absence of hope, even a sense of hopelessness, and once this takes root, we have a big problem.

And then comes Easter. Jesus Christ giving up his life in such a horrific fashion, carrying the weight of the world’s sin, shame, hatred, and division, all to bring about the promised future reality of the restoration of all things as promised in the Bible. Easter demonstrates the love of God for his world in a way beyond measure, and it also causes the reality of hope to shine in our lives.

I enjoy the story of the journey on the Emmaus Road related in Luke 24. On the day Jesus rose from the dead, the two people in the story discussed recent events, their spirits heavy and hope seemingly lost. Jesus came alongside them but they were kept from recognising him. They expressed their dashed hopes, saying to Jesus, “We had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And now, it’s been three days since these things happened.” Their hope was firmly in the past, yet Jesus had promised a far greater transformation of the world. When they finally recognised Jesus and discovered he was alive, their whole demeanour changed. Hope had arrived, and Easter was complete.

I have been thinking about Easter from the perspective and experience of the Trinity; reflecting on what sadness the Father and Holy Spirit would have felt as Jesus suffered on that cross, knowing that he had obediently chosen that path in submission to the Father. As Jesus carried the sin of the world, what degree of separation did he experience from the Father and Holy Spirit? I am not entirely sure theologically, but I am clear that the Bible states that Father God and Holy Spirit were involved in raising Jesus from the dead, so separation is indicated.

On Good Friday it appeared as though evil had overcome God and his goodness, leaving the impression that was powerless to intervene. A hopeless world loomed ahead seemingly subject to the kingdom of darkness. Yet, Sunday was coming! I wonder at the excitement of the Father and Holy Spirit as the time approached to raise Jesus from the dead. I imagine this greatest of all reunions and the unparalleled joy and celebration of the Trinity – reunited and knowing that evil had been overcome. A cause for hope, eternal hope had been given to the world. The God of hope was releasing joy and peace upon those who placed their trust in Him.

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Easter has given us the potential to overflow with hope, and to be filled with abundant joy and peace. It is such good news for the world around us: the hope of salvation, redemption and life in all its fullness.

The recent ‘Harvest 24’ conference at Eastgate was an extraordinary gathering, where the power and glory were manifest, miracles happened and many people were reignited by the fire of God with a passion to bring the good news of salvation to the world around them. A spiritual harvest is happening, offering a compelling reason to hope for positive societal change, as demonstrated by previous Christian revivals. It feels like a very significant advance in spiritual momentum. If you want to experience some of this, video recordings of the sessions are available to purchase here

In addition, we are looking forward to our next Heaven in Healthcare conference on 8 & 9 November 2024 at Eastgate. Please save the date, and watch out for more details, which will be available soon. We think coming together for this conference will also help us to generate spiritual momentum, especially in releasing a river of hope into the realm of Healthcare. If you’d like a reminder of last year’s conference, you can access the full content here.