Hot Cross buns, Easter eggs in the shops, and the schools closed for the holidays, are all clues this is one of the most special seasons of the year for Christians, both in Australia and across the world.
As one church message board put it: "From the people who brought you Christmas, we now present Easter!" This week, in particular, is 'Holy Week' when Christians remember Jesus arriving in Jerusalem on 'Palm' Sunday, riding on a donkey, and being greeted by the crowd.
'Maundy' Thursday, just days later, Jesus held his 'last supper' with his disciples, was betrayed, arrested, falsely tried before the authorities and, on 'Good Friday', put to an agonising death on a cross.
What makes this story remarkable, why 'Good' Friday is 'Good', and why Easter is so special, is because Christians believe Jesus Christ was not only human but also divine.
That somehow God was voluntarily suffering and dying for all of us as human beings.
On Easter Sunday morning, and much to the amazement of his followers, they discovered Jesus had literally risen from the dead.
The Bible says Jesus Christ died to show the sheer extent of God's love for all people and for all time.
His coming back to life demonstrated that what he claimed about himself, and about God's love, was, and is, entirely true.
I wish you a very Happy Easter.
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