Mearns Kirk

My Dear Friends,

Ever since the first Easter, the followers of Jesus understood themselves to be people who had made a new beginning in life. They are described in the New Testament as the new people of God, the new Israel or the new creation. Trusting in Jesus, they experienced what they could only describe as some kind of rebirth.
They felt born again. Easter certainly made a difference to them and it should do the same for us.

It should make a difference to the way we view the world. Jesus died for this world but he was also raised to life for it. We may at times despair of our world and wonder what the future will be like for our children, but Easter is the ground of our hope. Christ, 'the first born of the new creation', is God's way of telling the world that he has not given up on us. His righteous purpose will prevail and his love will not be defeated.

It should also make a difference to the way we see the Church. Within the Church, there is more than a whiff of defeatism. When Good Friday was over many must have thought that Jesus was defeated and would ultimately be irrelevant. How wrong they were! They were quite unprepared for Easter morning.

It should also make a difference to our own lives. For whenever it feels we are staring at the end of things, the God who 'makes all things new' is at hand.

The rhythm of the Christian's life is marked by new beginnings - new every morning. So this Easter, look for the dawn, the fresh hope and the new beginning.

Your friend and Locum