His name is Jesus.
You've heard the stories. About how he is God's Son. About how he died on a cross.

But do you know WHY he died?

You see, the human race has sin. Everybody has done something wrong in their lives. Whether it's lying to someone, cheating on a test, dishonoring their parents, taking God's Name and using it as a curse word... We all sin. I sin. You sin. Hard to get around, isn't it?

And God says that the penalty for sin is death. Eternal death- a seperation from God forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and, well, you get the point. So how do we clean ourselves from this sin in our lives? It seems impossible to do on our own, doesn't it? We need someone else's help. Someone Who is perfect.

Back in the times of Ancient Israel, God commanded the Israeli nation to take a day aside every year, and atone for their sins. Atone would mean "get forgiveness". So once a year, on "The Day of Atonement," each family would give an animal sacrifice to the priest (This animal had to be the best from their livestock... they couldn't' just get rid of the poor pathetic crippled one; God wants our best.) and he would go into the temple and offer the sacrifice to God, and God would forgive that family's sins.

But God decided He would send His Son to the world to be the final sacrifice for everyone's sins. This sacrifice had to be perfect. Without blame. He could not have sin in him, for he had to be the sacrifice to take away everyone's sins for all of time. So Jesus, God's only Son, came to earth to live and die. He died on the cross, a perfect Lamb... he was innocent. But he took our punishment (Yes, my punishment, your punishment, and everyone else's who has lived and will live) so we would not die, but have eternal life.

Now, this doesn't mean we'll never die. Everyone dies a physical death. But everyone also dies a spiritual death. And after we die here on earth, we either go to Heaven to be with God, or we are eternally seperated from Him in what we call Hell. And I don't know much about Hell, but I do know that it won't be fun. And that there will be constant suffering there... and I don't want to go.

And God makes an offer to us. All we have to do is believe in His Son, to recieve the FREE gift of eternal life with God. All we have to do is confess that you're a sinner, and that you can't get to Heaven on your own. But you believe that Jesus is the only way to Heaven, and you accept Jesus' sacrifice (a punishment that you were supposed to recieve), and that you want Jesus in your life now.

Because this is the cool part. Jesus didn't stay dead. And that's how we know this thing's legit. Jesus was raised from the dead in his own power, three days after his crucifixion. And he ascended to Heaven and resides there with God. And He gives us his "Holy Spirit" to live with us when we decide to accept the his sacrifice. The Holy Spirit guides us, and acts as our conscience...

Jesus is my friend, and I believe in him. He believes in you. Will his sacrifice be in vain?