“Alleluia, Christ is risen”

“He is risen indeed, Alleluia”

This is a call and response that I will hear and participate in numerous times, and that makes me so happy. Why? Because we are at what is arguably the most important and central point of the Christian calendar. I say arguably because some will say if Jesus hadn’t been born at Christmas then we wouldn’t have the life and teachings of Jesus; similarly if Jesus hadn’t been crucified on Good Friday then He wouldn’t have risen. But for me, it is that empty tomb on Easter Sunday that shows what was accomplished and symbolises what was overcome and the power required to overcome it.

Jesus had told people what was going to happen but they didn’t understand, or did believe – well you wouldn’t would you? He seemed to willingly go through the most horrific death known, but it was because he knew that he couldn’t defeat death if didn’t die in the first place. And why? For us, every single one of us.

This is where Aslan and the Lion, the witch and the wardrobe come in handy. Edmund had betrayed Aslan and his brother and sisters by going to the White Witch. The White witch then said that she would kill Edmund as he had gone willingly to her. But Aslan gave his life in place of Edmund. Aslan was killed on the stone table, but the next morning the table was cracked in two and Aslan was gone. He then arrived to Susan and lucy, shining brighter than ever. They couldn’t understand it, but Aslan explained the White Witch didn’t know the deep magic – when someone innocent dies in the place of another death will be defeated and they will come back to life.

Humanity is Edmund, we all have gone away from God, whether it’s meaningful or not, but Jesus was the perfect human. So when, he was killed, he was killed in our place, he took the sacrifice, he defeated death and came back to life. Meaning that we could have eternal life as well.

So yes… Christmas is good… Good Friday important but…

“Alleluia. Christ is Risen”

“He is Risen indeed. Alleluia”