My sin put Jesus on the cross. When we realize and acknowledge that truth, the cross of Jesus becomes relevant and meaningful in each of our lives. It wasn’t someone else’s sin that put Jesus on the cross. It was my sin. If you think the cross was for someone else, you won’t experience His love, but if you know that Jesus went to the cross for your sin, you will be able to have an intimate relationship with Him and a personal experience with Him.

1 John 1:1
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—

If you want to be a disciple of Jesus Christ:
#1 You must believe that Jesus died on the cross for YOU
#2 Be a witness of Jesus’ resurrection (Acts 1:8)
#3 Live a life of resurrection

Those who meet Jesus change. When Peter met the resurrected Jesus, he preached boldly and powerfully, a message that saved 3,000 people. Before he knew the resurrected Jesus, he was fearful. He betrayed Jesus. But after he met the resurrected Jesus, he was bold and powerful.

When Peter thought of Jesus on the cross, he felt guilty for his betrayal and fearful for his life. But when he thought of Jesus’ empty tomb, he felt bold and courageous and confident of God’s power and love.

Jesus’ resurrection is a gift from God to this world.

On Friday, the world lost hope when Jesus died on the cross. The disciples buried their dreams and hopes in the tomb with Jesus. They only knew Jesus as crucified. They had lost everything.

Many people are still on Friday. They are stuck in the tomb with the crucified Christ. They cry when they think about Jesus. They weep for Him. They feel like they have to walk in suffering with Jesus. They are still on the cross with Him.

Martin Luther was the same way. He believed that he had to go through suffering every day. That was until he read the verse in Romans that says, “The just shall live by faith.” This verse touched his heart and he finally moved past Friday.

We need to live in the day of resurrection, not the day of death.

We’ve all experienced Friday. We’ve all experienced the suffering of Christ, but we must move forward to the resurrection.

If there were no cross, there would be no salvation. Without the death of Jesus, there would have been no resurrection. We need the cross. Jesus’ cross needs to become your cross. When you humbly accept the cross, you will also be able to accept the resurrection.

Romans 7:24
24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

Jesus is the only One who can save us. There is no one else. Jesus’ death and resurrection has saved us.

We need to stop living in Friday. We need to live in Sunday morning.

But even on Sunday morning, they remembered how they put Jesus on the cross. They were concerned and worried about the tomb. They wanted to take care of the body of Jesus by anointing Him with spices. But there was a large stone in front of the tomb. They were concerned about how they would move the stone.

Sometimes we are really worried about one thing. We focus on that problem, that stone. We think about the impossibility of the situation. But what we don’t realize is that Jesus has already taken care of that problem, that stone.

The three women wanted to anoint the body of Jesus with spices but they were worried and concerned about how they would take care of the stone that covered the tomb. They didn’t realize that Jesus had already taken care of it. (Luke 23:55-24:6, Mark 16:1-13).

The stone wasn’t even there. A lot of times we’re concerned about things that aren’t even there. We assume that things are there that aren’t. We assume that we’re going to struggle financially or have bad health or difficulty in our lives. We assume that something bad will happen but it’s not even there. We assume that if we give to God that we won’t have enough for ourselves. We create problems that aren’t even there.

Why did this happen? Why did they think the stone was there? They were living in the past. They were going by their own experiences and past history. But the stone wasn’t even there. They were living in Friday, not Sunday morning.

When they got to the tomb, they found out that the stone wasn’t there. Jesus wasn’t there either. When they came to the tomb, an angel was there. He told them to go and tell other people that He was alive.

What do we do on Sunday morning? When we finally come out of Friday, what do we need to do? Tell others that Jesus is alive. Speak the truth to others. Tell others to live on Sunday morning, on the day of resurrection.

The resurrected Jesus wants to meet you, wants to meet everyone.

Before the disciples met the resurrected Jesus, they were fearful and cowardly. But after they met the resurrected Jesus, they became bold and powerful.

John Wesley wanted to preach the gospel. He ministered to the Indians in Georgia but no one received his message. He went back to England after about a year, depressed and discouraged. When he came back to England, he continued to struggle until one day when he went to a little church. He met the resurrected Jesus on that day. Afterward, he started preaching powerfully. His life was never the same after that day. He realized that Jesus died on the cross for his sin, not for the Indians’ sin alone, but for his sin. When he acknowledged that truth, his attitude and beliefs changed. He realized that Jesus was no longer dead, but alive.

When he tried to preach to others about the cross without believing in the power of the resurrection, his preaching was dead and lifeless. Who wants to follow and worship a dead Jesus? He finally realized that Jesus was alive. He finally came out of Friday. He started preaching about the power and resurrection of Jesus. He preached until 5 days before his death at 88 years of age.

If you still live in Friday, you will live in fear and depression and hopelessness. You will hide your faith from others. You will be scared to tell others that you follow Jesus. You will continue to deny and betray Jesus.

We need to come out of the Friday mindset. As long as you believe that Jesus is still on the cross you will struggle. You will be miserable and sad and depressed and fearful. You will continually focus on your sin.

The reason that you don’t want to tell people that you believe in Jesus is that you think He is powerless. You think that He is on the cross or in the grave. You are ashamed of a powerless Jesus. But if you truly believe in the resurrected Jesus, you will walk in power and confidence. You will be proud to confess Jesus. You will be proud to tell others about Him.

The resurrection is a fact. It happened. Jesus revealed Himself to 500 people after His resurrection. (1 Corinthians 15:1-8)

Jesus’ resurrection is in us. His power is in us. His power in us can change the whole world. The resurrected Jesus changed the whole world. What changes us? The resurrected Jesus.

God bless you,
Pastor Sun Hui East