Easter is celebrated in various ways: indulging in chocolate, enjoying the company of family and friends, taking time to relax on the public holiday, and (or) the remembrance of the most brutal death in history.

Whether one believes Jesus to be the Son of God or simply a man, it is undeniable that his death, the crucifixion, was like no other.

“And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,  and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’” Matthew 8:28-29.

The crucifixion was the most shameful way to die, reserved for the worst non-Roman criminals. To hang naked on a cross exposed to onlookers and the stigma in being a criminal.

Despite the horror of Jesus’s death, there is a message of hope and joy. Through the torture, Jesus sacrificed himself for humanity. A sacrifice that spans through eternity. The gift of repentance, forgiveness, and therefore, salvation. Easter’s everlasting gift.

So, this Easter, I hope you feel God’s presence and experience his love. That you may come to realise, like the Roman centurion did, that:

“Truly this man was the Son of God.” Mark 15:39, Matthew 27:54.

Article supplied with thanks to Life FM in Adelaide.

Feature image: Golden sunlight casts a warm glow on the rippled dunes of White Sands National Park, New Mexico, USA. Photo by Joseph Corl on Unsplash

As Easter approaches, many of us are looking forward to a break from work, chocolate eggs, and hot cross buns.

But for Christians, Easter is much more than a public holiday, it’s the most important celebration of the year. For others, though, Easter might feel confusing or even irrelevant. So we had a chat to Pastor Adam Meredith, from Red Door Community Church, to unpack what Easter is really about and why it still matters today.

What is Easter All About?

Easter is at the heart of the Christian faith, says Adam. It tells the story of Jesus Christ’s journey to the cross, his crucifixion, his burial, and his resurrection on the third day.

“This story has stood the test of time. It’s not just an ancient tradition, it’s the foundation of Christian belief,” said Pastor Adam.

The Easter story is told over a series of key events that Christians call Holy Week:

• Holy Thursday: This commemorates the Last Supper Jesus shared with his disciples.
• Good Friday: This is the day Jesus was crucified and died on the cross.
• Easter Saturday: A day of quiet reflection as Jesus lay in the tomb.
• Easter Sunday: The day Jesus rose from the dead, a celebration of new life and victory over death.

“These traditional days help people connect with the deeper meaning of Easter,” said Adam. “They’re not just about remembering history, they invite us to reflect on what Jesus’ journey means for us today.”

Why Did Jesus Die?

For many people, especially those unfamiliar with Christian beliefs, the Easter story can raise big questions. One of the most common is: Why did Jesus have to die? And why in such a brutal way?

“It’s a great question,” Adam said. “The Christian faith teaches that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine. That combination made him the only one capable of being the perfect sacrifice for humanity’s sin.”

He explains that sin is not just about individual wrongdoing. In the Bible, sin refers to a deeper problem, a separation between humans and God caused by our brokenness.

“All of us fall short of God’s perfection,” Adam said. “Jesus stepped in to bridge that gap. He took on the penalty of sin so we wouldn’t have to. That’s what happened on the cross.”

Because Jesus was sinless and innocent, his death carried the weight of justice and forgiveness. And his resurrection proved his victory over sin and death.

Is Easter Still Relevant Today?

For Christians, Easter is more than a historical event. It’s a present-day reality.

“The Easter story isn’t just something to understand in your head,” said Adam. “It’s something to receive in your heart. It’s personal.”

He explains that Jesus’ death and resurrection offer a pathway to a restored relationship with God, not just for people in the past, but for anyone today.

“If you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus died for your sins and rose again… that’s the Christian message,” he said. “It’s about transformation. Something that happens in the human heart when we say yes to that truth.”

What About People Who Are Still Exploring?

Not everyone listening to the Easter story will immediately connect with it, and Pastor Adam acknowledges that faith is a journey.

“I can’t force someone to believe,” he said. “It has to be a free choice. All I can do is share the truth and invite people to respond.”

He encourages people who are curious to start by asking questions, even the ones that seem hard or uncomfortable.

“Faith begins with curiosity,” Adam said. “If you’re wondering if God is real, ask him. Pray a simple prayer like: God, if you’re real, show me. If this story about Jesus matters, help me understand why.”

Where Can You Learn More?

Pastor Adam understands that walking into a church can feel intimidating, especially for someone new to Christianity. That’s why he recommends the Alpha Course, a free, informal series designed to explore life, faith, and meaning in a safe and welcoming environment.

“Alpha is one of the best resources out there,” he said. “It’s designed for people who are exploring and want to ask honest questions. And no question is too simple or too tough.”

He also encourages people to talk to someone they know who’s a Christian: “Ask them, ‘Why do you believe?’ That conversation can be so powerful.”

Final Thoughts

Easter is more than a long weekend or a tradition. It’s a story of hope, sacrifice, and new life. And according to Pastor Adam, it’s a story that invites every one of us to respond.

“Jesus died for you. He rose again. And he wants a relationship with you,” he said. “That’s what makes Easter so powerful.”

If you’re curious about faith, have questions, or want to know more, consider checking out alpha.org.au, or simply reach out to someone you trust.

As Pastor Adam puts it, “You don’t need all the answers. Just start the journey.”

Article supplied with thanks to Sonshine.

Feature image: Photo by Bill Gullo on Unsplash

“For me, growing up on Boigu Island was like living in heaven on earth”, says indigenous evangelist, Laurel Pabai.

Located in the northernmost tip of Queensland’s Torres Strait Islands and just six kilometres from Papua New Guinea, Boigu Island is where Laurel was born and raised, among idyllic natural beauty, within the love and strength of her indigenous culture and community.

This week on our Helping Hands Easter special, we join Laurel as she returns home for the first time in 20 years.  We journey with her through emotional reunions with family, see her reconnect to indigenous tradition and culture, and see how she shares the Easter story with family and friends.

As the tiny single turboprop Cessna aircraft starts its descent towards Boigu Island’s airstrip, Laurel’s excited anticipation at being so close to home is evident in the upturned corners of her wide smile and the joy in her eyes. They reflect happy memories of home bubbling ever closer to the surface of her mind.

Once on the ground, Laurel immediately sees changes and improvements in her community. It now has many “Queenslander” style homes (raised off the ground so the flow of cool air can bring relief from the intense tropical heat), plantations of fruits and vegetables to sustain daily life, and greater employment, evidenced by buildings for a supermarket, ranger headquarters and a police station.

“The yarning circle of the First Nations Peoples of Australia is (for) storytelling and the passing of culture to the younger generations.”

“Time flies! You know, I get busy with my evangelism work. You’re not realising that there are family that are getting old because in your head you are thinking they are still young! It’s exciting. It’s a great time to come back and really get reconnected back into the culture … To us, culture is a way of life.”

While reliving childhood memories and reflecting on culture, Laurel invites us into a yarning circle.

“The yarning circle of the First Nations Peoples of Australia is (for) storytelling and the passing of culture to the younger generations,” says island elder, Uncle Fred Pabai, “making sure that our culture is alive … It’s the survival kit to the community to maintain and to be able to come together as one and unite.”

Storytelling is an importance part of all indigenous cultures across Australia, Uncle Fred says it is how indigenous people share and learn important cultural knowledge and history.

Uncle Fred acknowledges the role the Christian faith plays in the Boigu Island indigenous community, and invites Laurel to share the Easter story.

“With the Christian faith coming in, it’s good for the community,” says Laurel, referencing the Easter story as a light in the darkness that brings joy.

Laurel shares the Easter story in plain English, using an Easter story booklet produced by Bible League. The Plain English Version (PEV) of the Bible is an English translation designed for Indigenous Australian’s whose mother tongue is an Aboriginal language.

“It’s written in English,” says Laurel, “and it is easy to understand because it’s written in the English that we speak,” continues Laurel.

Laurel and Uncle Fred read the Easter story in English and talk about the Easter story in their native language.

“Because of the way it’s written, they now understand what the true meaning of Easter is.”

See the BIBLE LEAGUE – EASTER AT BOIGU ISLAND story and the full catalogue of Helping Hands documentaries at helpinghands.tv. Catch up on full episodes of Helping Hands on 9NOW.

Article supplied with thanks to Helping Hands TV.

Feature image: Supplied

About the Author: Helping Hands is an Australian produced TV program that airs on 9GEM, Channel 9 and 9NOW, and showcases people and organisations who make the world a better place.

If you’ve been around Christian music for a while, you’ll no doubt remember the era of Easterfest.

Originally named the Australian Gospel Music Festival for its first nine years, Easterfest was a Christian music festival that ran in Toowoomba, from 1999 until 2015.

This year marks a decade since the last ever Easterfest event, and a series of interviews in the brand-new podcast, The Rise and Fall of Easterfest, explores the incredible Easterfest story.

Over the course of 17 years, thousands of artists graced the stages of the Australian Gospel Music Festival and Easterfest.

Some were just finding their feet and trying to establish a following, while some of the international artists were huge, both in the Christian and mainstream music scenes. Bands like Switchfoot and Naturally 7 had huge crossover appeal.

In the early days, the Australian Gospel Music Festival reflected very much what the name said, with the overwhelming number of acts being Australian.

In the late 90s and early 2000s, Australia’s independent Christian artists were thriving, with healthy scenes active along the eastern seaboard as well as Adelaide and Perth. Melbourne, Brisbane and northern New South Wales in particular were producing artists of an extremely high calibre.

In Victoria, acts like the Paul Colman Trio, Antiskeptic, Claire Hazzard, Sons of Korah and Compliments of Gus were leading the charge.

New South Wales ska band The Frugals had amassed a solid following in Brisbane and Sydney following epic performances at Brisbane’s Groundswell festival, and Sydney’s Black Stump.

Meanwhile in Brisbane, groups such as Beanbag, Battered Fish (later Leo Nine), Rhubarb, Dumpster, Tonjip and Elementary Penguin had banded together under the banner of Toupee Records, which had been started by the three members of Battered Fish – Jeremy Bennett, Caleb James and Matthew Gray.

Other Queensland-based groups were prolific in that time as well, including Alabaster Box, Soulframe and Rookie.

“Not only did you have Easterfest and Sonfest, you also had festivals like Groundswell that were another opportunity for bands like us to play at,” said Nathaniel McManus (aka Macca) from the band Rookie.

“People went to shows, people loved going to see live music, and I think the bands in Brisbane connected in a way that people wanted to come and see them. It was an amazing, healthy music scene with some incredible bands.”

As the festival grew through the early 2000s, organizers were now able to book higher-profile acts including Guy Sebastian, Rebecca St James, Pillar, Superchick and Newsboys.

Booking the international contingent of Easterfest and AGMF was always the most challenging component for festival organisers, with some acts taking many years to get across the line.

“At times that was an eighteen month to two-year process in terms of booking artists, not for the next festival, but for the one after,” former event director Dave Schenk said on the podcast.

“In some cases, it was more like a seven-year process.   The year we finally got Michael W. Smith, it was like, ‘I’ve only been trying to do this for seven years!’  He was very involved in his local church, so trying to get him to come to Australia on the Easter weekend was difficult.  We had this challenge with a few artists who were very committed to their churches that and would say, sorry, it’s Easter, I’m at home.”

The AGMF and Easterfest festivals weren’t just a haven for the typical pop/rock fare; over the years genres like jazz, metal and worship were important elements of the event’s programming, too.

Brisbane jazz four-piece Scat were festival mainstays for well over a decade, when in 2014 and 2015 they set up their own jazz club – The Up Beat – which ran for the entirety of the Easter weekend.

Over the years, worship artists as diverse as Robin Mark (Northern Ireland), Ascend the Hill (Florida, USA), Rueben Morgan and Darlene Zschech (both of Australia) were featured, while in 2013 and 2014, there was 72 hours of non-stop worship music.

You can hear some of the stories of Easterfest’s music in the 2^nd episode of The Rise & Fall of Easterfest, available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, Omny, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Article supplied with thanks to 96five.

Feature image: Easterfest, by Trent Rouillon