A special series of Easter worship songs and Bible readings, filmed on location in Jordan, is part of a slate of Arabic content on SAT-7 across the Western and Eastern Easter festival period.
A SAT-7 Egypt production team visited the Jordanian capital, Amman, and nearby Fuhais to film Hymns We Cherish in churches, on a hillside and in the pretty heritage area of Rowaq al Balqa. The programmes feature a dozen musicians singing songs and hymns in a range of genres, including Jordanian folk arrangements, that speak to viewers’ hearts.
For young viewers, a special Easter episode of Bedtime Stories on the SAT-7 KIDS channel airs on Friday 15 April. Children watching will hear the Gospel message shared by their peers, as young presenter Jamie reads the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection to her friend Sako.
“Easter teaches us how big Christ’s love for us is. Every day before you sleep, remember that Jesus loves you. He really loves you,” Jamie will tell viewers.
The episode will help children understand both the sorrow of Good Friday and the glory of Resurrection Sunday through an accessible narrative. Sako ends with a prayer: “O Lord, I thank You for Your love for us and all You endured for our sake. Amen.”
Hope in hard times
Throughout Lent, SAT-7 ARABIC viewers have also been learning from a series called Hope in Times of Hardship. This series features a range of Christian leaders from various denominations teaching viewers a biblical view of suffering and hope, and interpreting examples from both the Old and New Testaments in light of the hope we have in the resurrection.
Several Arabic church services will be broadcast live to enable isolated believers to join their brothers and sisters in worship, including Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter services from Resurrection Church Beirut.
For Persian-speaking viewers, SAT-7 PARS will air a one-hour Easter special, He is Risen, on the Western and Eastern Easter Days (17 and 24 April). Three leading pastors among the Iranian Evangelical churches, Bishop Edward Hovsepian-mehr, Revd Robert Aserian and Revd Dr Merhdad Fatehi, will teach on the events leading up to Jesus’ death and resurrection. A Persian worship band will join the programme to celebrate Jesus’ victory over death in song.
SAT-7 TÜRK is also providing special Easter content for its viewers, including a Turkish version of the film The Gospel of Matthew.
Spiritual growth in the darkest situations
On behalf of SAT-7, we would like to wish all our supporters and donors a very Happy Easter. Rita El-Mounayer, SAT-7 CEO, shared a special message:
“In this Holy Week, it may feel easy to identify with the sorrow of Good Friday. In the face of great human suffering, in Ukraine and elsewhere, in many ways it feels an appropriate time to weep, to grieve injustice and violence.
“But I can tell you from experience that there is no situation so dark that God cannot bring new life – that Sunday cannot come. SAT-7’s viewers in the Middle East frequently tell us of finding comfort, even spiritual growth, in the darkest of situations – from kidnapping in Syria to an endangered life under the Taliban. Please pray this Easter for all those who are suffering: for protection, for provision, and for the hope that only God can give.
“And may you too be filled anew this Easter with the glory of the hope we have in Jesus Christ – with the sheer wonder of the greatest love of all. May His love fill us; may it comfort us; may it bless us, this Easter and always.”