Wesley Mission Easter message 2024

2024 is a year like no other – a year where half the world elects a new government for their nation.

It’s only March, but already we’ve seen national elections in Taiwan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan ^[1] and Indonesia. Between India and Indonesia alone almost a quarter of the world’s population have cast their votes already!

Russia goes to the polls in March, Britain in October and the United States in November. And there are at least 30 other nations around the world who this year will elect their next national leader.

Even here in Australia we could theoretically go to a federal election as early as August. Some of us shudder at the thought!

In all, a staggering 49 per cent of the world’s population will head to voting booths in 2024 – the biggest year of elections in history.

Around the world eager candidates, the idealistic and the ambitious, will be presenting their credentials, making a case for why they are the best person to be president or prime minister in their respective countries, a senator or local member.

Some candidates may have leadership attributes that we admire, others won’t.

In the 1950s, the future US President John F Kennedy wrote a book entitled ‘Profiles in Courage’ about historical leaders in the United States Senate he admired because they did what was right, even when they knew it would be politically and personally costly.

When asked why he only profiled eight people he replied, “Those were the only ones I could find who fit the bill”.

In 2024, trust in political leaders is at an all-time low. A global survey released earlier this year revealed 63 per cent of government leaders are not trusted to tell the truth and are believed to be intentionally trying to mislead people by saying things they know are false^[2].

We are blessed to live in a nation as politically stable as Australia, but we are living in a world that is increasingly characterised by polarisation, populism, and post-truth^[3] claims, with deliberate misinformation fuelling that growing mistrust in leaders.

In stark contrast, at the heart of the Easter story is the person of Jesus – a leader like no other across history.

When two of his followers were fighting amongst themselves about who would be greater, jockeying for position, here’s what Jesus himself said about the way he would lead:

“…whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”^[4]

How did he serve? What does it mean that he would give his life as a ransom for many?

Here’s the truth that has profoundly shaped the hope that Christians have had for the last 2,000 years:

Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, lived the innocent and blameless life we are incapable of living, every one of us.

In his suffering on the cross on the day we call Good Friday, Jesus took upon himself the punishment we deserve for things we have and will do wrong.

In a beautiful and life-altering exchange, Jesus willingly took with himself to the cross our sin, and indeed the sin of the whole world, freely offering us his righteousness – his perfection.

What does it all mean? It means that as we place our faith and trust in Him, we are adopted into God’s family, lavished with an eternal love. This love, God’s love, can never be earned. It is freely offered and can only be freely received – all because of the sacrificial leadership of Jesus.

But the story doesn’t end there.

On Easter Sunday, Jesus rose from the darkness of a grave that could never hold him – triumphant over sin, the grave and death itself.

All around us are leaders, leaders who will both disappoint and delight us, who are in the end, fallible and frail, leaders who will test, if not breach our trust – because like us they are subject to the frailties common to being human. Jesus, on the other hand, is the leader we can always trust, a leader who has demonstrated his love like no other. Jesus himself said that there is no greater love than this, than to lay down one’s life for a friend. 2,000 years ago, Jesus laid down his life for you, for me, for the whole world – so that we might enjoy his friendship, now and forever.

My prayer is that if you do not enjoy it already, you would come to experience the close, intimate friendship with God made possible by a leader like no other the world has ever seen, or ever will see – because of Jesus and the events of that first Easter 2,000 years ago.