The Right Rev Julian Henderson, the Bishop of Blackburn, gives his Easter message

A week before Easter Sunday, on Palm Sunday, some Coptic Christians in Egypt were murdered and many were injured at their place of worship, for no other reason it seems than being followers of Jesus Christ.

We know little of such persecution in this country with our greater tolerance; the right of the individual to believe what they choose and of freedom of expression.

But such generosity has lulled us into a false sense of security, some would say complacency, thinking there is no need to argue for the faith, to stand up for truth or to fight for moral standards.

Increasingly, it seems we can no longer make assumptions.

There are drives to reverse the decline in attendance, to see the Renewal and Reform programme make a difference at grassroots level and to increase vocations; the drive to plant new congregations.

This is also a drive to allow Vision 2026 to help us be more effective in making Jesus Christ more widely known, believed and loved.

Our confidence to do all this work lies in the extraordinary events we rightly recall during Holy Week.

The willing journey of Jesus, God on earth in human form, to a place of suffering and death, where He gave His life to remove the barrier of sin between us and God; where He made an acceptable sacrifice and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world.

And the Easter event, in which He was raised from the dead, the tomb was found to be empty and He appeared to His disciples, is the certainty that He is alive and the assurance of the forgiveness of sins for all who turn to Him.

In our insecure and troubled world, those who identify as followers of Jesus Christ have a peace and a hope that is not determined by what goes on around us, but in the sure knowledge that God remains on the throne, is working His purposes out and that one day every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

“Holy Week and Easter assure the world of God’s power and victory over evil and suffering and it is in knowing that, whatever your circumstances may be, that I wish you all a very joyful Easter.