Christians asked to let newness of the resurrection reflect in their lives

Christians in the Sekondi Takoradi Metropolis on Sunday thronged their various places of worship to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Many of the churches were well decorated with the congregants dressed in white clothes to signify their Joy and happiness in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

At the Wesley Methodist Cathedral in Sekondi the day was marked with a thanksgiving service showing their gratitude to God for how far He has brought them.

The Presiding Bishop of Methodist Church Ghana Most Reverend, Paul K. Boafo who was elected at the 10 biennial conference last year, in his sermon on the theme, " Christ is risen, bringing newness into our lives", explained that every Christian gathering on Easter Sunday comes the words "Jesus our Lord is risen".

"Jesus was terribly mistreated by the pharisees who thought they were bringing an end to Jesus Christ". He died as the scripture says on the cross and was brought down and buried in a tomb covered with a stone and guarded by soldiers so no one can steal the body, he said.

"So today being Easter Sunday believers who share in this faith celebrate the risen Christ because he triumphed over death", he added.

"The resurrection of Jesus brings life to dead situations in the life of his people, Jesus Christ died to save mankind but because salvation is simple people do not want to believe it".

He admonished the congregation not to let the message of Easter become nonsense in their ears, stressing that "He is faithful and his words are true. The lord who is risen is the way, truth and life so do not walk in any other way than His".

He further said " sin, death and the grave have been conquered and by his resurrection. He has overcome injustice in the society, hence if Christ is risen then we have risen with him and must therefore live for him because He brings newness".

Most Rev. Boafo said God calls for newness in every individual life and that doing away with corruption, immorality, laziness any negativity would result in a new character that would make the resurrection of Christ meaningful.

He explained that the absence of Christ's body in the tomb showed that Jesus could not be contained in the dead and that gives Christians the hope for celebration because the God they worship is a God who lives.

"The difference between Christianity and other religion is that Jesus died but he triumphed over death and therefore he lives and this makes us victorious and conquerors", he said.

At the Our Lady Star of the sea Catholic Cathedral church 34 people including infants who were baptized during the Vigil mass on Saturday were officially welcomed to the church.

The occasion was used for the congregation to renew their baptismal vows.

The Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana, Most Reverend Jean Marie Speich who baptised them said Easter was the greatest feast in the Catholic calendar since it commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

He said it was at Easter that Christians received salvation, noting that " how will the world be without the resurrected Christ ".