Easter Message 2016 - Resurrection and Religious Freedom

Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney

Media Release 2016

Easter Message Archbishop Dr Glenn Davies

For release from Thursday 24th March 2016

Sydney Archbishop on Easter and religious freedom 

The leader of Australia’s largest Anglican Diocese, the Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Glenn Davies, has spoken of the power of the Christian symbol, the cross, and the threat to religious freedom, in his Easter Message.

“The most universal symbol of all is the cross. Even that is being targeted now in China, where authorities are removing crosses from churches. In fact, religious freedom is under threat around the world.” Dr Davies said in his annual Easter message.

“It is strange that the cross should be feared for its power, because in Jesus’ time a cross meant execution – it meant failure and death. But the great power in the symbol of the cross for us is that is is empty. Yes, Jesus died on the cross but he was raised from the dead.” Dr Davies will join the first non-European Dean of Sydney, the very Reverend Kanishka Raffel, at Easter at St Andrew’s Cathedral. Dean Raffel, who is of Sri-Lankan background, converted to Christianity from Buddhism. He became Dean of Sydney earlier this year.

The Cathedral is dedicating the performance of Handel's Messiah on Friday night to the people of Brussels following Tuesday's terrorist attacks.

Archbishop Davies will preach at the Cathedral on Easter Day (Sunday).

In his Easter Message, Archbishop Davies stressed the resurrection of Jesus which he said “was not merely a resuscitation, because he rose not to die again but to inaugurate a new era beyond this age of death, disease and decay.”

“The resurrection of Jesus means a second chance for all of us, if we will accept it — a chance for new life, eternal life, as our sins are nailed to the cross so that we too shall rise with him.”

Dr Davies also commented on plans for a fixed date for Easter. Dr Davies spoke with the Coptic Pope, Tawadros II, about the issue in Cairo last year. Anglican Primates are close to agreeing on a fixed Sunday for Easter. Writing an Easter commentary, Dr Davies said “I believe it will be of significant witness to the world if all Christians could unite together with a common date to celebrate this ‘empty’ cross and the inauguration of the new aeon when Jesus rose from the dead and defeated death once and for all.”

 
The main service at St Andrew’s Anglican Cathedral, Sydney Square (next to the Town Hall) on Good Friday will be at 10am led by the Dean, the Very Revd Kanishka Raffel. Dr Davies will preach on Easter Day (Sunday) at 10am. Filming points and audio will be available. The Easter message is available in text (attached), broadcast video and audio.  To arrange coverage call the Archbishop’s Media Adviser, Russell Powell on 0411 692 499 

2016 Easter Message (full text)

Christians have used many symbols in the past two thousand years. 

Ancient Christians used the sign of a fish (whose letters in Greek provided an acronym for Jesus)  – more recently middle east Christians undergoing persecution used the letter N – for Nazarene, to identify as followers of Jesus of Nazareth. 

But the most universal symbol of all is the cross. Even that is being targeted now in China, where authorities are removing crosses from churches.

In fact, religious freedom is under threat around the world.

It is strange that the cross should be feared for its power, because in Jesus’ time a cross meant execution – it meant failure and death. But the great power in the symbol of the cross for us is that is is empty. Yes, Jesus died on the cross but he was raised from the dead. 

The resurrection of Jesus was not merely a resuscitation, because he rose not to die again but to inaugurate a new era beyond this age of death, disease and decay.

We say that people who have been resuscitated get a second chance at life – maybe you know someone for whom that has happened.

The resurrection of Jesus means a second chance for all of us, if we will accept it — a chance for new life, eternal life, as our sins are nailed to the cross so that we too shall rise with him. 

Dr Glenn N Davies
Archbishop of Sydney
Easter AD 2016