Emeka: Hi guys. Hope you had a fantastic week and happy Easter in advance. Your one and only Mummy G. O sends you greetings and my name is Emeka Aaron and I’m excited, really excited to be here today on another episode of The Good Citizen Radio Show, which is brought to you by CSR-in-Action and proudly sponsored by Act Foundation. We’ll go for a short commercial break and we’ll be back shortly. Don’t go nowhere.
Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus from the tomb on the third day after his crucifixion. So today we have in the studio the lead pastor of One Church International here with us to highlight the symbolism of Easter. With us today in the studio we have Pastor Tunde Usidame, lead pastor of One Church International Sangotedo Lagos. Pastor, welcome to the studio today.
Tunde: Thank you. It’s really good to be here. Thank you for inviting me and making me feel comfortable. Thank you so much and happy Easter, by the way.
Emeka: Thank you. So straight to the big question for today, right? What is the true meaning of Easter?
Tunde: Easter is about love. Easter is forgiveness. Easter is sacrifice. Because I think that is the story that the birth, the life, the death, and indeed the resurrection of Jesus Christ tells us. So at times like this, we need to remind ourselves of why he came, remind ourselves to live sacrificial lives, extend love and forgiveness, of course, to people around us. Yes.
Emeka: Wow. Okay, so share love, forgiveness. That’s very good. That’s something I’m going to be taking home with me today. So do you think the symbolism of Easter varies across different cultures and traditions, and what can be learned from these variations that we have depending on the response to the first part
Tunde: Okay, yes, of course. It’s clay. It varies. We’ve seen all sorts across the world. You see eggs, you see bunnies, you see candles, and you see crosses and things like that. For me, as long as those symbols represent the message within that context, if you get what I’m saying, then I think its fine. For me, the lesson is that Jesus died for a diverse world. He died for people of all climbs, of all races, of all faces. Like the Bible says. There’s no Jew. There’s no Greek. And I think at a time like this where we’ve just come out of election season, it’s interesting. Today, there’s no Igbo Easter or Hausa Easter or Yoruba Easter. Everybody’s just having fun and remembering this. And it should just tell us that that’s why he died for unity, for us all to love one another. And that’s the lesson, really. He died for a whole big, wide world with different views and different cultures and stuff.
Emeka: Wow, that’s very deep. Jesus Christ died for a whole of diverse culture. So in other climbs or regions, we have Easter egg hunt. Do you think this affects the meaning or the messaging of Easter and what it represents? But before you take that, do you also think that the use of eggs, which can be depicted as new life, speak to the resurrection too?
Tunde: Well, like I said earlier, eggs are simply symbols. It does represent new life because you think about an egg hatching and a chick coming out of it, which is the same thing, as long as the message is the same, that Jesus not only died, he then rose from the grave for us all. So I do think that is the case. With the use of things like Easter eggs for egg hunts and things across the world, people have chosen different ways to commemorate or celebrate this occasion. I remember growing up, some of the images that I saw about the death and resurrection of Jesus, I’m not sure where the best for kids. That whole bloody images. That whole bloody Jesus image. And with the whip, with dog teeth and tearing through his flesh and all of that stuff. While that is the story, we are here now because the price has been paid and I think we can celebrate. I don’t have any qualms with anybody doing egg hunts and what have you. There will be people celebrating with food and all that kinds of like I said, as long as the message remains front and center. So it’s fine, in my opinion.
Emeka: Okay. Because I spoke to somebody yesterday about this egg hunt, and one of the things he mentioned was that people who really do not have a very good understanding of what Easter is might just misinterpret that action.
Tunde: Well, true. You understand that? I mean, very true. And that is why our own efforts must be to keep pushing the message. If it’s an egg hunt, if it’s a food fair, whatever it is, this is why this is happening. It’s happening because Jesus Christ, he died for us. And before he did, he actually went through a lot. He suffered. I mean, you are having your egg hunt now because Jesus has paid the price. You are having your food fair; you’re having your celebrations because the price has been paid. And I think if that keeps coming up, yes, you will have people misinterpret and pervert the whole thing. But our job is to do our job, really, and to keep pushing the message. He died for the whole world, not just for a race or a climb or any of that. Let people celebrate, let people be happy because it is something to be happy about.
Emeka: Wow. That’s very good. That’s very good. So Easter is a hopeful reminder to all Christians across the world that we two will one day experience resurrection, right?
Tunde: Yes, correct.
Emeka: As God makes all things new. Can you still tell us more about the statement about God making all things new?
Tunde: Okay, so I think that the point of all this sacrifice is that Jesus will one day return to take his own. He didn’t go through all that just so we can now live our lives happily ever after. End of story. There is a hope that believers should look forward to what the Bible says 1 Corinthians 15:19, if I can quote it. It says, if in this life only we have hope, we are, of all men, most miserable. It means that every child of God should look forward to a hope that is beyond the here and now, and that then becomes an anchor for our souls. Through all the troubles and through all the trials and all the shaking going on in the world, we believers have an advantage. There is a hope beyond this place. There is a hope beyond these troubles, beyond the inflation and all of this stuff. So we live here knowing that we’re not going to end here. We are in this world is what the Bible says, but we are actually not of it. And I think, as Christians, our assignment here is to spread that message. Like I said, love, forgiveness, bring as many people as possible to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ so that they can have the same hope that we have and look towards his coming.
Emeka: And I think the COVID pandemic is a huge example of that. At some point, my wife actually was telling me that the world is coming to an end. I think that message.
Tunde: We saw pictures of animals walking the streets, and no one is there. And it was happening in real life. I remember I came out of my house once, and the air was so clean. And who would imagine that the amount of remote work taking place today could have taken in place? Prior of COVID So I think there’s a lot to learn from there.
Emeka: COVID was just God just telling us something.
Tunde: Yeah. A lot of our running around hustle and bustle
Emeka: I can actually stop everything.
Tunde: And life will still go on, and God will still be glorified.
Emeka: Okay, so we would like to have to give our listeners the opportunity to also join in on the conversation today. So do you have any opinions or questions, suggestions about the topic that we’re discussing today about the symbolism of Easter? We would love to hear from you, and you can reach us on our phone 0700923923923, or you can send us a WhatsApp message on our message line 08173136193. So while we wait for your calls, the conversation continues. Okay, so back to the question Pastor. What are some misconceptions about Easter that people have? Are there any?
Tunde: Well, I think maybe the crucifixion itself gets a whole lot of attention, and we forget that there’s a bigger story. Of course he suffered, he died, and he defeated death. And in that, we lost the fear of death, the sting of death, the victory of death, but then the resurrection. And the truth is that the resurrection is really the big deal, because if he did not rise from the grave, he would have died like any other person who dies. And that’s really the difference, that the tomb is empty. Yeah, the tomb is empty. And that resurrection should represent for us new life, should represent for everyone a second chance. You understand that the same way he gave a second chance to mankind. God is giving second chances every day. You can rise again. That business can bounce back, your health can bounce back, and your marriage can be strong again. And there’s so much application from that, which I think we underplay. For many, of course, also, it’s simply a social event, time to go out and be happy and have public everyone’s looking forward towards it and stuff like that. That will always be there. There isn’t so much you can do about that. But hopefully every day, in every way, we as Christians are also we are living the message and helping people see it.
Emeka: That’s very good. Okay, so we’ll take a short break now, and when we return, we’ll continue with the conversation. Don’t go nowhere.
Okay, welcome back. I’m still the good citizen radio show. And if you’re just joining in, we’re having a conversation with Pastor Tunde Usidame, who is the lead pastor of One Church International, and I would still love to hear from every one of you about your opinions, questions, or suggestions about the symbolism of Easter. And you can reach us on our phone lines on 0700923923923 or you can send us a WhatsApp message on 08173136193. So back to the conversation Pastor Tunde, right off the mic we were talking about something, but we had to come back quickly, right? Okay, so I was having conversation with somebody, and he looked at me and quietly asked a very serious question. And he said, how are you sure that Jesus Christ resurrected from dead? The same way you’re just laughing about it is what I did. Because okay, let’s hear your call.
Tunde: Of course, there are many. Some say Jesus was a messenger. Of course we say he’s the Son of God. Other than Jesus, there have been many other messengers, Hindu and all of that stuff. Sorry to mention any names, but I think that from my study, what we have historical proof for, physical proof for the empty tomb is still there. You get what I’m saying? It’s still there. This isn’t some mythical story about some yeah, it’s still there. The culture is still there. The climb is still there. The proof is still there. You understand that? And then the hope that we have is still there. I might as well ask myself, how do I know that I’m born again? How do I know that I have Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior? And if we start to roll that back, then there’s so many questions that we need to ask. You understand that? How do I know that the world isn’t going to end tomorrow, that this isn’t all just going to collapse on us one day? There’s a reason why we do all of this, and that is the hope that we have. And when there is no hope, then there’s nothing to live for, really.
You understand that? I mean, every day, waking up, going to bed, going to work, and all of that is because you have some picture ahead of you. It’s because you have some dreams, some aspiration and things like that. And that’s what gives you the energy; it gives you the drive to keep going on. And every time I go into God’s word, every time I seek his face, that fire is still alive that I received when I accepted him as my Lord and Savior. It hasn’t died. And that is my evidence. He’s alive today. The Bible is not a history book. It’s a living document.
Emeka: The Bible is not a history book.
Tunde: It’s a living document. It’s him living and breathing in us every day. The question you know, the question will always come up, how do we know he’s alive? How did how do we even know this whole thing is just not somebody just didn’t wake up one day? But you go into it and like I say, there’s so much physical proof, there’s so much historical proof.
Emeka: I saw a clip, I think, one of the channels, I can’t remember the name of the program and they actually brought the nail that was used on his feet. It just sent this chilling effect on me. Like, how do you mean when they talk about the six inch nail looking at that thing? No, that’s been driven through someone. If you’re looking at this and you’re wondering like, did this ever happen 2000 years. Over 2000 years. And you still have a sample of it now is still empty. Wow, that’s awesome. That’s awesome. So how can we encourage our kids and also the younger people to engage with the meaning and the significance of Easter? Because right now we have a whole lot of new generation joining. We have a caller on the line. Thank you very much for joining the show. Your name and where you’re calling from.
Caller: Good evening. Happy Good Friday to you and to the pastor in the house. Thank you very much.
Emeka: Thank you. Your name and where you’re calling from?
Caller: My name is okay Ndidi. Some people don’t believe that Jesus Christ resurrected. Our Bible is what we have, and it’s written by inspiration of the Holy Spirit and received by men. So if they believe that Jesus Christ was born, how do they believe? They believe that he was born, but they don’t believe that resurrection, that’s like being selective in what they want to agree with. They believe that he was born and he came to the world and they believed that he actually died. How did they know? The same way that they know that he came and judged the same way to convince them that he actually resurrected. So if they don’t believe it, they should show us collectively. The tomb is empty and todays He is seated by the right hand of God and that is why we are celebrating.
Emeka: Thank you very much Ndidi. Thank you very much. I think she just mentioned case closed. Okay, so, Pastor, we’re talking about how we can encourage our kids and also the younger people to engage with the meaning and significance of each stuff.
Tunde: Okay. A lot of it has to come through teaching. The best way to engage younger ones, kids, of course, is fun. You understand that, which many are times is why you have the whole Easter egg hunt and bunnies and things like that. But it’s important through it all to keep teaching that this is the reason why this exists. You can do your Easter egg hunt today because Jesus Christ suffered and paid the price. You know that word tetelestai? It means the debt has been paid. You don’t owe anything anymore. It means that the battle has been won. The sentence has been served. It truly is finished. Now you can have fun and live your lives to embody what Jesus died for. And that message needs to be passed down from generation to generation. That message needs to be passed down to the younger ones so that throughout the phone, they understand why this is taking place. And it’s different from any Children’s Day. It’s different from any other one. It’s a very special day. It gives us life. It gives us hope.
Emeka: Thank you very much, Pastor Tunde, for joining us on the show today. Thank you. I have really learned some things about the true meaning of Easter today. And we hope that also our listeners have also learned something from this discussion about the symbolism of Easter. Thank you very much Ndidi for calling on the show today and thank you to everyone who listened. And we do hope that you have a lovely weekend ahead and also a lovely Easter celebration. And don’t forget, like Pastor Tunde said, the message for the season. The message for the season. Let’s keep continue to spread that message. Until next time, let’s continue to be a light to one another. The show is brought to you by CSR-in-Action and proudly sponsored by Act Foundation. And I remain your one and only celebrity show host, Emeka Aaron. Until next time. God bless you, and have a beautiful Easter celebration. We’ll see you next week. Bye bye.
