8 Gracians Share What Good Friday and Easter Mean to Them

A week ago, we commemorated Good Friday and Easter Sunday, or more importantly, the death and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

As believers, we know that these are more than just “annual occasions”, for the events on these days form the bedrock of our faith and impact the way we live our lives.

Eight Gracians shared what these important events mean to them:

“Good Friday is just overwhelming! The agony and blood of the execution on the cross is very unsettling. Yet it is amidst this horrible violence our Lord Jesus sacrificially suffered that I, a sinner, can have peace with God and be shown God's love, grace and mercy. I am thankful to the Lord for Good Friday.”

– Boon Jin

“Easter is a commemoration of the historical resurrection of Jesus and the truth of this has always been disputed but ever disproved. In fact, the Apostle Paul says that this truth is critical to Christianity in 1 Corinthians 15:17;

So the historicity of His death and resurrection is very precious to me because it assures me that I can trust in Jesus’ promises, and I can ultimately trust what the Bible says!

– Deacon Daniel Tan

"On Good Friday, we commemorate the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I am thankful that Jesus died for our sins so that sinners like us will be saved by God's grace. On Easter Sunday, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the day that signifies eternal salvation and life if we are willing to place our trust in Him."

– Chew Weh

"Without the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, there is no salvation. Therefore, Good Friday and Easter has always been a solemn and yet joyous weekend for me. It is the reminder of what my Christian faith is - believing that Jesus Christ died for my sins and defeated death, which allowed me and others like me, access to the kingdom of God."

– Joseph Han

"受难节提醒我

'因为知道我们的旧人和他同钉十字架，使罪身灭绝，叫我们不再作罪的奴仆； 因为已死的人是脱离了罪。' (罗马书 6:6-7)

而复活节则激励我

'所以，你们若真与基督一同复活，就当求在上面的事；那里有基督坐在上帝的右边。' (歌罗西书 3:1)'"

– 陈燕群 Jenny Chin

The death and resurrection of Jesus can hardly be understood by conventional wisdom, let alone accepted. I thank God for giving me understanding that He has taken away the sting of death, so that the prospect of facing death is much less intimidating, even though there is fear at times when I think about it. With this comforting thought is a refrain I often sing:

All praise to Him, who humbly came, to bear our sorrow, sin and shame, Who lived to die, Who died to rise, The all-sufficient sacrifice.”

– Deacon Oei Kiang

“Having to prepare the sermon for Good Friday and leading worship for Easter Day has allowed me to dive deep into the events surrounding Jesus's execution and resurrection. The account in the Gospel of John was a sobering read.

I could feel His struggles, His humiliation, His suffering. Yet, He was obedient to the Father's will. And since then, His disciples throughout the centuries had obeyed Him to the Cross, many to great costs of losing their lives.

The story of the death and resurrection of Christ should form the paradigm for how we live our lives. We are called to take up our cross and die to ourselves daily. We are called to die to ourselves again and again, in the great and in the mundane, in order to bring about the fruit of the kingdom of God in this world – in our marriages, in our children, in our spiritual lives, in our friendships, in our church, and in our daily living. That path will not be an easy one. We will certainly fail again and again. But thankfully we have a Saviour who can sympathise with our weaknesses. We have a Saviour who forgives our sins. We have a Saviour who leads us on the path He has forged for us.

Let us seek to follow in His footprints one step at a time. Let us seek to follow Him in our lives as we put our trust in His grace. Let us be willing to give up our selfish desires and be the servants whom our Lord can use. Jim Eliot clears the perspective for us when he says:

'He is no fool who gives up that which he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.'”

– Elder Victor

“On Good Friday, I look forward to go to church. I have done so for many years. It is not something I do ritually. This is a service that is different because I can focus on the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross for my sin. I can sing songs that reminds me of what my Saviour, Jesus did for me on Calvary’s Cross. I will also look forward to hearing God’s message for me. And most importantly, I look forward to partaking the Lord’s Supper. When I consider the sacrifice Jesus made on my behalf, I am humbled and deeply grateful. Thank God for Jesus and His work on the Cross.”

– Pastor