Have you ever wondered how an instrument of torture became a symbol of Good News?

The cross is the logo of Christianity for a reason. On Good Friday, nearly 2,000 years ago Jesus was killed on one. At the time even his most devoted followers abandoned him and were filled with sorrow. But on Sunday they claimed He rose from the dead and for the next 40 days, Jesus walked and talked among them (and approximately 500 others) before ascending to Heaven. It sounds crazy. It sounds impossible and absurd.

Yet over 2 billion people since — men and women, rich and poor, every ethnicity — testify to a personal experience of salvation by placing their faith in Jesus. That Jesus is alive and He lives in them. It is a personal relationship with God. The skeptic in us chalks this up to hysteria, delusion, or a way to cope for weak-minded people. We get it. We’ve been there.

At the core of Christianity is that outside the natural world, there is an eternal God who has always existed as one in three persons (Father, Son and Spirit). God made us as natural and spiritual beings to rule, relate and rest with Him over the rest of creation. We rebelled (sinned), but God loved us so much, He made a way by paying our debt (via His Son’s death on the cross). It was a debt we could never pay. His payment was acceptable and therefore Jesus received the reward of the resurrection. Just as sin entered humanity through one man (Adam) so too does sin leave humanity through one man (Jesus). Jesus said that anyone who believes in Him will be saved (born again into the family of God). He covers our sins with His blood and He shares the reward of His life, death, resurrection, ascension, and return. It is the promise of forgiveness for our sins and eternal life with God. Hell is eternal life without God.

What you just read is a pretty limited summary of what Christianity is about. There are so many nuances to the above. So much more depth and wisdom. So many stories of lives changed. So much beauty and hope to behold. And what is amazing is that no one is forced to believe. They seek the truth (ask honest questions; open their mind and heart to what is shared in the Bible and the claims made by other worldviews) and God has revealed Himself time and time again. God is so big He can have a personal relationship with billions of people at the same time!

If you’d like to know more, join us on Sundays, attend our next Alpha (an 11-week introduction to Christianity), and start searching for yourself.