Easter; the foundation of Christianity
Though most Christians tend to give prominence to Christmas, the foundation of Christianity is Easter Sunday which is celebrated tomorrow. As the Bible tells us, “If there is no resurrection of the dead then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not being raised, our preaching is in vain and our faith is in vain” (St. Pauls first letter to the Corinthians chapter 15 verses 13 and 14).
In these profound words St. Paul emphasizes the fact that Easter—the Resurrection of Jesus Christ—is the cornerstone of Christianity and the Christian journey with the Lord Jesus. It means 
that if Christ had not been raised from the dead church ceremonies and services, feasts and festivals, rites, rituals and prayers are all in vain.
that if Christ had not been raised from the dead church ceremonies and services, feasts and festivals, rites, rituals and prayers are all in vain.In other words the New Testament says that Christianity is not merely a religion, philosophy or way of life but essentially a Person—the Risen Lord. If Christianity is essentially a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ, then who is a Christian?
St. Paul himself gives us the answer in the book of Acts chapter 9. He tells us how and when he became a Christian. He tells us that he became a Christian when he met the Risen Lord in that famous episode on the road to Damascus. After he met the Risen Lord the greatest persecutor of the church became the greatest propagator of the Christian faith being inspired to write as many as 13 of the 27 books in the New Testament of the Holy Bible. Today hundreds of millions of people are inspired by the letters of St. Paul.
What happened to Paul on the road to Damascus must happen to any and every Christian. If Christianity is essentially Christ alive then a Christian is a person who meets the Lord and has a personal, deep and growing relationship with Him.
How does one meet the Lord? In the gospel of St. Mathew chapter 18 verses 19 and 20 the Lord Jesus says—“where two or three are gathered together in my name and in unity I will manifest myself among them”. Three important truths emerged from this great promise-- The Lord is present in unity, every Christian has the power to make the Lord present by positing and act of unity, the deeper the unity, the more powerful the manifestation of the Lord.
In the gospel of St John chapter 15 the Lord Jesus says that just as he lives and abides in us we also must live and abide in Him by connecting ourselves to Him like branches to the vine. He tells us that we connect ourselves to Him when we obey the one commandment he has left for us—love one another as I love you. When we do that we will keep on being filled and refilled with the power of the Holy Spirit. Everyday, every hour, every moment we need to keep on being filled and refilled with the healing power of the Holy Spirit, the living waters and the fire of the Holy Spirit. When this keeps on happening the main manifestation will be the fruit of the Holy Spirit—love, peace and joy in our lives. As we freely receive the unending, unfailing and ever-merciful love of God through the Risen Lord who lives in us and by the power of the Holy Spirit we will keep on freely giving this love and forgiveness to others.
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