Sydney Anglican Archbishop Kanishka Raffel
Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ After he said this he showed them
his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. (NIV)
John 20:19b-20
One of the most surprising things I have heard recently is the news that some people are using artificial
intelligence to talk to God.
At least, they think they are talking to God.
This isn’t just searching an online Bible for answers — people are asking AI to generate spiritual
guidance for their lives.
But at Easter, we celebrate something infinitely greater: God speaking to us in person.
When Jesus appeared to his disciples on the first Easter day, they were ‘locked away’ fearing those who
put Jesus to death. But Jesus appears in the midst of them, speaking ‘Peace’.
It was an everyday greeting, but this was not everyday peace. It was the peace that had been bought by
his pierced hands and side.
They were overjoyed to see him, not only because he had conquered death, but because his death
purchased peace with God, and drove away all their fear.
AI can certainly be useful, though not without risks. But when it comes to the most important things in
life, God has come to us and brought us peace through his Son.
This Easter, remember that for two thousand years we have had God’s Authentic Intelligence.
Communication from God – in Jesus! You can ‘chat’ with God and hear his voice through the words of
Jesus in whom, the Bible says, are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
So, why not use this season to go offline and pick up a Bible. Some questions only God can answer.
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Dr Mark Short, Primate, Anglican Church of Australia
From the first Easter until now the message of the cross has spoken powerfully across languages and cultures.
The Bible tells us that the Roman Governor Pilate ordered Jesus to be executed with a sign that read “This is the King of the Jews.” The message was written in Hebrew, the language of the locals, Latin, the language of their conquerors and in Greek, the language of global commerce and culture. Pilate meant it as a mockery directed both at Jesus and his fellow Jews. But it disclosed a profound truth. Jesus died both in solidarity with His own people and for the sake of all the peoples of the world.
Last year I visited the suburban church where I first came to trust in Christ as a teenager. A lot has changed in those forty or so years. Red tiled houses on quarter acre blocks have been replaced by townhouses and multi-storey developments. What was once a working-class Anglo and southern European community is now home to many people from the Asian sub-continent. The Chinese and Australian meals of memory have given way to desi food and culture.
My childhood church is still part of that rich local life. A little smaller but much more culturally diverse than I remember it and more representative of its community. Some individuals and couples who mentored me in my younger years continue to live and worship there, because they love their neighbours and their neighbourhood and are convinced that the Risen Lord Jesus does as well. I continue to thank God for their witness. Grounded in the knowledge that through Jesus, God has forgiven them and gifted them new life, they are free to engage the changing world around them with hope and with hospitality.
At a time when change can feel rapid and unsettling and social cohesion is under pressure there is no word more worthy of our attention and trust than the message of the cross.
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Bishop Daniel, Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church – Diocese of Sydney & Affiliated Regions
Christ is Risen, Truly He is Risen!!
Beloved in Christ, in the holy joy of the Resurrection, the Church proclaims the victory of life over death, light over darkness, and hope over despair. The Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is not simply an event in history; it is the eternal dawn that shines into every moment of human struggle and suffering.
The world often appears overshadowed by war, conflicts, darkness, fear, uncertainty, sorrow, and injustice. However, the Risen Christ as the Church’s everlasting proclamation that darkness never has the final word. From the depth of the tomb burst forth the radiant light of life, illuminating the whole creation. As St. Athanasius the Apostolic reminds us: “By His death our Savior destroyed death, and by His Resurrection He renewed life.”
Through the Resurrection, Christ transforms the darkest moments into the beginning of new life. What seemed to be defeat on Good Friday became the triumph of divine love on the morning of Resurrection Sunday.
The light of the Resurrection is not merely symbolic; it is a living reality within the Church and within every believer. Each heart united with Christ becomes a lamp that reflects His eternal light to the world. Christ said: “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life (John 8:12). His light dispels the darkness of sin, sorrow, grief and pain from our hearts and lives.
In times when the night seems long, we remember the words of St. Cyril of Alexandria: “Through the Resurrection of Christ, the darkness of death has been scattered, and the light of life has shone upon the world.”
Therefore, as children of the Resurrection, we are called to live as bearers of this light. Where there is despair, we bring hope. Where there is division, we bring reconciliation. Where there is darkness, we shine the light of Christ.
The Resurrection assures us that no suffering, no cross, and no tomb can extinguish the divine life given to us in Christ. Just as the stone was rolled away from the tomb, so too the Lord removes the stones that weigh upon our hearts.
Let us rejoice with the Church and proclaim with faith and courage:
Christ is Risen; Truly He is Risen!
May the light of our Risen Christ fill your hearts with peace, strengthen you in hope, and guide you to live as witnesses of Christ’s victory over darkness.
We pray that the light of Christ’s Resurrection may shine in our hearts lives, homes, churches and our Australian society, bringing hope.
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Commissioner Miriam Gluyas, Territorial Commander,The Salvation Army Australia Territory
When I turn on the news over recent days and months, l keep on hearing in my mind that little phrase that l once heard around ANZAC Day……” Freedom isn’t free, it costs”
The ANZACS fought so that we might be free today. Wars are so costly, in terms of innocent lives, but those fighting often believe that it is for the sake of freedom. Freedom for women who have suffered so much and been held back, freedom for every child to have hope and a future, freedom to have food on the table or a job to go to, freedom to live without fear and violence.
It’s costly!
And at this Easter time, we remember again that Jesus lived and died and was resurrected so that our freedom might be secured. So costly. Life freely given. No longer bound by sin and fear and shame. No longer under condemnation. Access into the throne room, into the very presence of God. God with us, in us, for us……free!
May we live that way and may we share this wonderful news with others.
Freedom isn’t free……it costs.
Thank You Jesus, for the blood applied
Thank You Jesus, it has washed me white
Thank You Jesus, You have saved my life
Brought me from the darkness into glorious light
[Songwriters: Bryan McCleery / Charity Gayle / David Gentiles / Ryan Kennedy / Steven Musso]
What a Saviour. May the whole world, very soon, know this freedom.
Image: Kanishka Raffel. Image Credit: Sydney Anglicans