I want to tell you a story from a book called the Bible. People didn't make up the Bible; it's the word of the Most High God. The Most High God is the only God, and He is more powerful than any ancestor, person, spirit, government, or false god that people worship. Because God Gave us this story we can trust that it is true.

The Most High God existed before there was anything else and He created everything on earth and in heaven. He has power over everything and when He began to create He just used His words. He spoke and everything came into being. He created angels to serve Him and everything we can see-the sky, land, water, sun, moon, stars, and all plants and animals. Finally, He made people in His own image to enjoy everything He had created. God created everything and it was good.

God placed the first man and woman in a beautiful garden to live. They had a wonderful relationship with Him and with each other. He told them to take care of the garden and to enjoy everything. He also gave them a special command: they could eat from every tree in the garden except one, if they ate from that one tree they would be punished and die. At first, the man and woman listened to God and had a wonderful relationship with Him in the garden. It was perfect.

One of the angels God had made was very beautiful and he became very proud. He wanted to become like God and have the other angels worship him instead of God. Only God deserves all worship and service, so God cast this disobedient angel, now called Satan, out of heaven. God also cast out of heaven all the other angels who followed him. They are demons or evil spirits. 

One day, Satan tempted the woman to eat the fruit from the tree that was forbidden. The woman listened to him and ate the fruit and gave it to her husband to eat. They disobeyed God’s command and sinned- sin is anything less than God’s best for us. God is righteous and holy so He must punish sin. He cast the man and woman out of the garden and their relationship with God was broken forever. Humans and God were now separated.

Like the first man and woman all people have sinned by not obeying God’s commands and are separated from God. The end result of sin is eternal separation from God in hell. We were created to live with God forever, but sin prevents that from happening.

Over time the people on earth multiplied. God loved them very much and wanted to have a relationship with them. He gave them ten commandments to follow. Since God is perfect and holy we must be perfect and holy to live with Him. The ten commandments taught people how to live at peace with God and with other people. Some of the commands were: do not worship other gods or make idols; honor your parents; do not lie, steal, or commit adultery; however, no one was able to obey all of these commands.

People deserve punishment when they sin, but God allowed them to offer a blood sacrifice to take the place of their punishment. This sacrifice was shedding the blood of a perfect animal, like a lamb. If people repented and offered a blood sacrifice God would forgive them and let the animal die in their place. Without the shedding of blood a person’s sins cannot be forgiven.

But people kept on sinning and the sacrifices became a ritual rather than something done from the heart. God became tired of insincere rituals and people were still separated from God. No matter what we do we cannot come back to God on our own.

God loves people and wants a relationship of love and trust with them, so when the time came He sent people a perfect way to reconnect with Him. God sent Jesus to show us a way back to Himself. Who is Jesus? Jesus is God’s son, His one and only son. He became human like us: God in the flesh.

Even though Jesus lived as a man He resisted temptation- He never sinned and remained obedient to God. Jesus had great compassion for all people. He was a friend to the poor, the outcast, and the hopeless. He was a wise teacher and He performed many miracles proving that He was God’s Son. Jesus had power over nature, disease, evil spirits, and even over death.

Many people loved Jesus, they believed and followed Him; however, some leaders hated Jesus and were jealous of Him. They made plans to kill Jesus. Jesus willingly allowed himself to be arrested, tried, and condemned to death. Soldiers placed Him on a cross; a cross is made of two large pieces of wood formed together. They took his hands and feet and nailed them to the cross. Jesus suffered and died a painful death.

Because Jesus never sinned, Jesus is the perfect blood sacrifice. He did not deserve to die, but God sent Him to die on the cross and take the punishment for the sins of man, all people. He died on the cross in our place. Only through the shedding of His blood is God willing to forgive our sin.

Jesus’ death demonstrated God’s love for us, but this story doesn’t end here. After Jesus died he was placed in a secure tomb. Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead and showed Himself to His followers proving His power over sin and death! Then He returned to His Father in heaven. Jesus took our punishment and now provides a way for us to come back to God!

God wants you and your whole family to turn to Him and follow Him. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice and He is the only way to restore our relationship with God. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” You must go through Jesus to return to God.

How can you go through Jesus? You must admit to God that you have sinned against Him and believe that Jesus died in your place. Put your trust in Jesus to forgive you and give you eternal life as God’s child. From that point on, follow Jesus as your Master and obey His word.

Do you want to let Jesus forgive you so that you can follow Him? Then pray a prayer like this, 

God, I know you love me. I have sinned against you, and am sorry. I believe and trust in Jesus as the perfect sacrifice to take my punishment. God please forgive me. I agree to joyfully obey Jesus as my Master from this moment on. Thank you for my new and eternal life as your child.