Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25 (NIV)

Easter is when we celebrate the most significant event in human history. There is no other event that even comes close. I know that is a bold claim. We celebrate that the Living God, who created everything, sent his only Son, Jesus Christ to live with us on earth as fully human and fully God. We celebrate that Jesus taught us how to be in relationship with God and each other. We celebrate that Jesus willingly gave His life as the perfect sacrifice for all that we do that comes between us and our God. Most of all, we celebrate that death could not hold the Son of God and that Jesus rose from the grave on the third day, defeating sin and death for all time, for all people! This is worth celebrating! This is so powerful that as followers of Jesus Christ we are commanded to go and tell everyone all about it.

But how can we do this? The Apostle Paul has answered this question in the letter he wrote to the church in Galatia almost 2000 years ago. “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” Jesus promised us that we would never be alone and he gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit as our comforter and companion. The Spirit of God is with each of us all day, every day. Paul tells us to live by the Spirit. We do this as we pray and take the time to listen to the small still voice of God each day. Jesus makes it very clear in Revelation 3:20 when he says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” This is the promise that Jesus makes to everyone. We have only to open the door and we will be welcomed into relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We open that door every day when we say, “Jesus I love you and I want to love you more”.

Keeping in step with the Spirit is a conscious choice we make every moment of every day. Making this choice shows in our words, in our actions, in our relationships and in our thoughts. You may know this as listening to your conscience, choosing between right and wrong or good living. The Apostle Paul calls it keeping in step with the Spirit.

As we listen to the Spirit of God we will have confidence to talk to others about what we know, how we live and what we hope for in God’s future. Telling others about the Easter Story of Jesus at this time of the year is a real gift from God. The shops are filled with hot CROSS buns. The sign of the cross of Jesus is there in everyone’s hands
waiting for followers of Jesus to weave into the conversation. There are Eaters eggs by the thousands, opening conversations of new life in Jesus or hollow eggs that are like hollow tombs that couldn’t contain the Son of God. We are delivering Easter postcards this week with a beautiful invitation to share in our celebrations of Easter.

The special gift I receive this Easter is to be able to use my gifts to share the Easter Story of Jesus with students in 6 of our local primary schools again. Almost 3000 children will hear about what Christians believe happened at the first Easter and what it means to us all.

This is worth celebrating.