Indonesian Christians observe Easter in peace

In peace, Christian worshipers in Indonesia on Sunday packed churches across the country to observe Easter, marking the resurrection of Jesus Christ that took place three days after crucifixion.

In North Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, Maluku, East Nusa Tenggara and elsewhere, thousands of Christians flocked to churches to celebrate Easter Sunday in praying, singing and rejoicing.

Minahasa district head Jantje Wowiling Sajow in North Sulawesi said Easter was a momentum for the people of Minahasa to make a fundamental change.

"The spirit of Easter and the resurrection of Christ serve an inspiration, motivation, and a new enlightenment for the district of Minahasa to make a change," Jantje Wowiling noted.

He said that through this momentum of Easter, the churches should have the power to proclaim the truth and to live in truth according to the word of God.

According to him, the central theme of the early Christian witness to the world was the fact that Jesus Christ, who was crucified, had been raised from the dead.

"The meaning of Easter is Jesus` victory over death, and His resurrection symbolizes the eternal life that is granted to all who believe in Him," noted the Minahasa district head.

He said the people of Minahasa should have the obligation to perform commendable acts.

Therefore he called on all public elements in the district to support the local government policy and program to make Minahasa a better district in North Sulawesi.

Meanwhile, Pastor Richard Jantje Lolowang of Nehemiah Bethel Church in Bekasi, West Java, said in his Easter sermon that the most important events in human history were the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Quoting the Apostle Paul`s statement in the first book of Corinthians 15:14, 17, Richard said, "If Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. If Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins."

He pointed out that in the preaching of the apostles, the cross and the resurrection were constant themes and linked together.

"Our world today is filled with danger, hate and war but the message of Easter will strengthen our hearts and lives to face the turmoil, strife and tension with courage," he said. 

In Bengkulu, Pastor Japeldin Sipayung of Simalungun Protestant Church said the commemoration of Easter this year would be moment for Christians to rise up and be a blessing to all people. 

He said the resurrection of Christ to overcome death was a turning point for Christians.

Easter celebration in Bengkulu ran peacefully, solemnly and full of simplicity in almost all churches with Easter-egg decorating contest for children.

Easter eggs symbolize the empty tomb of Jesus Christ, and a reminder that Jesus rose from the grave, and that those who believe will also have eternal life.

In Central Sulawesi city of Palu, thousands of Christians also celebrated Easter in peace by attending churches across the city on Sunday.

Besides attending Easter services, they also carried colorfully decorated eggs which were emblazoned with verses from the Bible, and then distributed to the churchgoers.

Pastor Rafles Loke in his sermon to hundreds of worshipers attending Easter Mass at his church on Jl.Tanjung Manimbaya, said that Christ`s death and resurrection were the fulfillment of God`s promise.

Meanwhile, religious figures in Ambon, Maluku, called on Christians to take the example of Jesus who willingly sacrificed his life for the salvation of mankind.

"Christians in Maluku must apply the example and attitude of Christ in their daily lives, because it is the significance of Easter," Amboina Diocese Bishop Mgr, Peter Canisius Mandagie said during Easter mass at Santo Fransiscus Xaverius cathedral in Ambon on Sunday.

He noted that the resurrection of Christ was the central theme of the churches to rise up and show that love and charity were everything in building the life of religious communities. 

"Love and peace mean the absence of hatred, hypocrisy, lies, and violence that frequently flare up in Maluku," the bishop said.

Besides, many other Christians in Ambon also spent their weekend celebrating Easter at a number of beaches including Natsepa, Namalatu, Liang. 

Those beaches have been the sites for religious services and competitions in which young children and teenagers decorated Easter eggs and participated in egg hunts, seeking a variety of colorful Easter eggs buried in the sand, and hidden high up in trees and between rocks on the beach. 

Easter is typically the most well-attended Sunday service of the year for Christian churches in Indonesia and around the world.

As part of the Easter season, the death of Christ by crucifixion is commemorated on Good Friday, always the Friday just before Easter

Source: ANTARA