Answers

Q:

I'm a university student here, and I come from a country that doesn't have many Christians. I'm curious to find out about your religious customs. For example, what is this annual festival you call Easter?


A:

I’m thankful you have come to our country to study, and I’m thankful, too, that you are curious about the Christian faith. Christianity has deeply influenced our country, and I hope you’ll have an opportunity to meet some sincere Christians while you’re here.

The Christian faith is centered in Jesus Christ, who lived in a corner of the Roman Empire some 2,000 years ago. We find out about Him in the Bible (especially the first four books of the New Testament). They tell us how Jesus taught people about God, and urged them to repent of their sins. Jesus, however, was more than another great religious teacher; the Bible says He was God in human form.

At Eastertime, Christians commemorate the two most important events in Jesus’ ministry: His death through crucifixion, and His resurrection from the dead a few days later. Why are these important? The Bible says Jesus’ death was important because through it He became the final sacrifice for our sins. And by His resurrection from the dead Jesus conquered the powers of death and gives us hope for life beyond the grave. His resurrection also proves that He was the divine Son of God, who came from Heaven to save us and give us eternal life.

May you discover for yourself who Jesus is and what He can do for you. Get a Bible and read it, asking God to speak to you through it. God’s promise is for you: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find” (Luke 11:9).