Happy Easter! (This is the lecture delivered on Easter Sunday 4/9/2023)
Easter represents the day Jesus Christ was resurrected after he had been crucified three days before.
Why was Jesus, a man of Truth, crucified.? It was because he claimed to be the Messiah. Jesus showed the people various miracles and spoke the truth. For example, he said to a paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (Mark 2:5) He also said to the same paralytic, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” (Mark 5:11)
Many teachers of the law at that time believed that only God had the authority to forgive sins, so they condemned Jesus’ words. In Truth, because God did not create sin in human beings Jesus was able to forgive all sins since sin was not created by God. All people are children of God, not sinners, therefore, from the beginning, there was no sin, therefore, Jesus was able to say, “Your sins are forgiven.” The only way for a human being to be saved is to realize the truth that he is not a child of sin, but a child of God in his heart.
According to the prophecies of the Old Testament, Jesus demonstrated his forgiveness of the sins of all human beings with his physical body by being crucified. Carrying the cross and being crucified were symbols that a human is not matter, not flesh, and not a sinner. It was also a symbol that Jesus accepted the sins of all people. Jesus dared to be hanged on the cross to prove that he accepted the sins of all people in accordance with the prophecies of the Old Testament written in Isaiah.
The Old Testament describes the prophecies of Jesus Christ's death:
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds, we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)
Yet it was the Lord’s will
to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering
for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the
Lord will prosper in his hand. (Isaiah 53:10)
For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 53:12)
When Jesus was resurrected
three days later in accordance with the prophecies of the Old Testament, he
demonstrated that all humans are spirits and eternal life. This is written in
the Acts of the Apostles. The Act quoted Paul who spoke before everyone in the
church:
“From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised.” (Act 13:23)
“We tell you the good news: What God promised our ancestors he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm:
“‘You are my son; today I
have become your father.’” God raised him from the dead so that he will never
be subject to decay. As God he said, “‘I will give you the holy and sure
blessings promised to David.’” (Act 13:32-34)
It is difficult to change people’s beliefs. Successful change does not happen overnight and does not happen unless people change their beliefs. It was important for Jesus to eliminate all humankind’s sense of sin from their minds in accordance with the prophecies of the Old Testament. If sin consciousness had remained in people’s hearts and minds, Christianity, the world’s largest religion, would not have been born through the miracles shown by Jesus.
The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ represent such important teachings of truth. It is like acknowledging dirty spots when you do the laundry or wash the dishes. In the beginning, the clothes and dishes were not dirty, but we can wash away the soiled clothes and dirty dishes, just like we can cleanse ourselves by realizing the truth and changing our minds, beliefs, and attitudes that from the beginning we are all sinless children of God.
Without successfully changing people’s beliefs, companies, societies and nations will not truly change. Terrorists claim that the world needs to change and they justify their terrorist acts, but the world does not change through these methods because many people do not support their methods for changing the world. Even if there were some changes through acts of terrorism, the same negative mindset will reappear in the new society because people’s minds, attitudes, and beliefs remain the same.
In order to change people’s beliefs, we must accept the current world’s cultures and backgrounds, change what is wrong, follow the laws, and move forward in accordance with God’s will.
I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the opportunity to speak with you today.
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