Hello and happy Easter. Christ is Risen, He is Risen indeed!

On Thursday afternoon, as I was setting up our Maundy meditation at St Matthew’s I was speaking with one of the men helping me, and we began discussing which is the most important day of Christianity: is it Christmas Day, or is it Easter Day? Which carries more meaning for Christians: the birth of Jesus or the resurrection of Jesus? I think it’s an interesting question; it doesn’t have a simple answer, but it does have an answer. Perhaps, better said, it has answers, plural.

One of the answers to this question I remember reading is “great question, and here’s another: which is the more important activity; to inhale or to exhale? Or consider this, which is the most important part of a bird in flight; the left wing, or the right?” I can imagine Jesus himself asking that sort of question, although he’d have probably led into a parable. The answer is in the question, both are important, and you cannot have one without the other. A bird with only one wing would fly in circles, (if it could fly at all), the only difference would be of clockwise or anticlockwise circles. For a migratory bird, both are useless activities. Or think of someone who can only inhale freely but can only exhale with tremendous effort: we have a name for such people, Asthmatic. To fly you need both wings, to breathe you need both breaths. To live in Christ you need both the Incarnation and the Resurrection.

I do not believe that Jesus was “born to die”; such a belief makes me more “big-O Orthodox” than “big-E Evangelical”, but as a Christian I resolutely believe Jesus really did both of those things. You cannot crucify a man who was never born; without Christmas there is no Easter. So, which is the most important day? My answer today, as it was last Thursday afternoon, is that both days are vital, but the most important day is the one celebrated today, whatever day “today” is. Is it December? Think of the manger and “the Word became flesh and tabernacled amongst us”. Is it April? Think of the cross and the empty tomb and “Jesus came and stood amongst them and said ‘Sha’olom’.”

This leads to a second question, with the same answer, but I’m going to ask it anyway. Which is the more important day: God’s Friday or The Resurrection Sunday? Which is more profound, more meaningful, more significant; the death of Christ, or his being raised again by The Father? Same answer, a man who is not dead cannot be raised from the dead, and a man who is not raised from the dead cannot conquer death. To live you need both breaths, in and out. Friday was and remains significant, but today is Sunday. We did not rush Friday, but that was now two days ago, and today is Sunday and Jesus is Risen and Christ is LORD, and we are saved. I have just asked you, is it December or is it April, is it Advent or Lent, Christmas or easter. But, what if it is February, or August? My question then would be who it is you need today, a companion or a saviour. “Jesus said to her ‘Mary’…and she cried out ‘Teacher’.” Today, Resurrection Day, means that all of our longing for God is answered with God’s presence. Let us continue in celebration and worship. Amen.