PCI Moderator’s Easter 2023 message // Easter: A challenging and comforting truth

In his Easter 2023 Message, the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Rt Rev Dr John Kirkpatrick, says that the Easter story is not just “amazing” but “almost unbelievable” with a man called Jesus rising from the dead and affirming all the things that He said and promised would happen. Many would dispute that it ever took place, yet Dr Kirkpatrick looks to the gospel – and two non-Christian historians writing within a generation or so of the crucifixion and Christ’s resurrection – confirming what many see as a challenging, yet comforting truth.

The Moderator concludes by saying, “Apart from this wonderful truth claim by Jesus, I believe that there is no other genuine reason to have hope. Yet believing and embracing this hope is what makes Easter so amazing, for it declares that Grace Works, even in the extremity of death. It is my prayer that you may believe this wonderful, yet challenging, but comforting truth, and come to share in the hope that Jesus offers us all.”

The full text of the Moderator’s Easter 2023 Message

The Easter story is almost unbelievable – Jesus rising from the dead, affirming all the things that He said and promised. But I want to look briefly at this from outside the Christian world. Consider the Roman historian Tacitus.

In The Annals, finished around the year 117 AD, Tacitus writes, “Nero fastened the guilt on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of … Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome…”

Claiming both the existence of Christ, and the means of his death, calling it the “extreme penalty” referring to the crucifixion, Tacitus further dates Christ’s death to the time of Pontius Pilate – as the gospel records also state.

The First Century Jewish historian, Josephus, in his Antiquities of the Jews, written around 20 years before Tacitus, also writes about Jesus saying that He “…wrought surprising feats…He was the Christ. When Pilate…condemned him to be crucified, those who had…come to love him did not give up their affection for him. On the third day he appeared… restored to life…”

Once again we have events affirmed, as recorded in the gospels, including the claim that Jesus was clearly resurrected. Admittedly these are but two examples from contemporary historians, yet we have no reason to doubt them, as they have no reason to write in support of the Christian faith. What they do is help to confirm the very extensive record we have in the gospels and the gospels give us a picture of the facts.

Let’s consider just four of them (1) That Jesus was truly dead (2) the tomb was truly empty (3) Jesus was truly resurrected and (4) the disciples were truly changed as a result.

From John 19:28-42, we know that the mission of the religious leaders and the professional execution team was to achieve Jesus’ death. The gospel record affirms that He was dead, as they did not break his legs to speed up the process. They also thrust a spear up into his heart causing “blood and water” to come out – a medical sign of death.

We also know that the tomb was empty, a cause of grief for the women, and deep concern for the authorities (Matthew 27:62-66 and 28:11-15.) We can also read the record in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 of the 550 people on 11 different occasions, over 6 weeks, who testify to having seen and encountered the risen Lord Jesus, which can be established to 35 AD.

Finally the 11 disciples, and many others, each were changed people, pointing later to the resurrection as a key cause to this change. This answers their willingness to embrace martyrdom in all but one of them, as John lived to be an old man, still proclaiming this message.

And the point of it all, you say? The point is that there is sufficient reason for us to examine closely for ourselves and enjoy the amazing promises that we can have about our own eternal future.

Apart from this wonderful truth claim by Jesus, I believe that there is no other genuine reason to have hope. Yet believing and embracing this hope is what makes Easter so amazing, for it declares that Grace Works, even in the extremity of death. It is my prayer that you may believe this wonderful, yet challenging, but comforting truth, and come to share in the hope that Jesus offers us all.”