Unfortunately last night I had to do a last minute race into the supermarket and discovered it to be Christmas all over again with crowds of people at the checkout and in the aisles stocking up for the holiday. It made me wonder as part of the crowd, what does Easter really mean to us?

For many of us it means family time, holidays, the beginnings of Spring, a celebration meal. All these are good gifts for us and to be enjoyed, but I hope on Good Friday you have even just a few moments to think about the events of over 2000 years ago.
 Jesus who had taught and loved and healed us through his three short years in ministry was crucified. God sent his son to us and allowed him to  die the most horrible death not because he had done anything wrong, but because he wanted us, you and I, here today in 2009 and down through the ages, to turn back to him. This God, who since the world was created watched all our atrocities towards each other and sent leader and prophet to urge us to come back to him. We ignored them all ,until finally he sent his son who, by taking on all our sins , and  dying on our behalf, showed us the full extent of his love.

So how will we treat this love today? All those years ago  the crowd demanded his death, as I looked around at the crowd tonight, I felt so saddened by the reality that today we may not even pay him the slightest attention. This is Good Friday, and I hope you will take time today, remember Jesus and be moved again by the unfathomable depths of his love for us.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son.God gave his Son that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life." John 3 vs 16