What is Easter about?

Welcome to Easter at St Philips!If Christmas is about peace on earth and goodwill to all people, what is Easter about?I was reading the account of Jesus’ death in Matthew’s gospel the other day and all manner of things are reported as happening - extra normal things: Earthquake, total solar eclipse, temple curtains collapsing to the ground, ghost- like figures of great sages and saints being seen in and around Jerusalem.  If it were a Star Wars movie it would be described as a disturbance in The Force.If Christmas is about the coming of The Prince of Peace, Easter is about that same Prince bringing his kingdom into being.  How?  Through disturbance!  Jesus is the Great Disturber.  In the gospel reading for Good Friday Jesus’ accusers argue for the death penalty.  On what grounds? That he “stirs up the people”.If you are unwilling to have the living God disturb your status quo you probably won’t like Jesus.  You’ll blame the church but it’s Jesus you’ll really have the problem with.Why does Jesus disturb us?  The bible is unequivocal: He does it because he loves us.  Why do parents stir up their kids to make their beds, get part-time jobs, study hard, contribute around the home, be civil, caring, fair, honourable, truth-telling etc.?  Because we love our kids.  And whether we know it or not, we want them to mirror God-like characteristics.  Our kids need the stress and tension of responsibility; they need to be disturbed - not coddled – just like we do!The fact is, however hard we work at guarding ourselves from divine disturbance, it just does not work.  I have been astounded at the deeply challenging things the good people of Cottesloe have to negotiate and endure.  Being low-profile, under the radar and “good” doesn’t protect us from anything much.  We still find ourselves out of control and often drawing on brute basic instincts to survive.Easter teaches us that Jesus is lovingly available to us in every single out-of-control place.  How do I know that?  Three reasons:Firstly, He’s been there! The bible tells us [Hebrews 5:8,9] that Jesus’ suffering taught him what the world is like; also who loved him and who he could trust, even to death: His heavenly Father.Secondly, the historical claim of the Christian faith is one of divine miracle.  There is no escaping it. If Jesus did not rise from death bodily, three days after being crucified on a Roman cross, we of all people are most to be pitied, says St Paul.  Why? Because we have believed a lie and all our hopes in a death- defeating Saviour are vain.  But he did rise!  It happened. He is in control,  however out of control you feel.Thirdly, my personal experience and that of many, many others: It is in coming to the end of ourselves and, ‘like one crying out in the wilderness’, calling for help, that God in Christ finds us, forgives us, holds us and resurrects us. He promises that.  Check out the website www.stphilips.net.au  for people’s death and resurrection stories.Cheers in your disturbanceMalcolm