It’s Easter time again and as people wander down the High Street they could be forgiven for thinking that this is a festival celebrating all things chocolate! Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against chocolate or holidays, I love them both as much as the next guy, but oh dear, there is so much more to Easter, people are missing out on so much! How do we seize the great opportunity of this national focus on Easter and clearly demonstrate the real meaning of it?

As a follower of Jesus, Easter clearly reminds me of His life, death, resurrection, and sacrifice, but to the rest of the world, it can so easily pass them by.

In the First Century Church, as seen in Acts 1-2, how did they impact their community? The transformation that took place in Jesus’ followers after his resurrection was highlighted with their encounter with the Holy Spirit and I don’t believe anything has changed.

I remember when I first encountered the Holy Spirit, and I am still amazed at the transformation that I have been through since then. My journey may be unique to me but the process is not. You see, as I matured into a born again, Spirit-filled, Word believing follower of Christ, I still struggled in one particular area, that being my identity. Life was difficult as I faced what seemed to be daily contradictions about the life I read about in the Bible and the life I lived.

Time and time again this ‘false identity’ would raise its head and block my progress forward. I would spend hours in prayer begging the Lord to take this away from me. It wasn’t until after a particularly unique encounter with the Holy Spirit that I realized that it wasn’t so much as what Jesus had taken from me that counted, but what he had placed in me that made all the difference – the Holy Spirit.

So, the answer to the question of what is the greatest witness or demonstration to the World of the resurrection power of Jesus Christ at Easter is…well, it’s you! You don’t have to have struggled with the same issues that I had, but as you live your lives in the same transformational power of the Holy Spirit, it will speak volumes to your friends, families, and communities.