In just a few weeks Christians will be observing Christmas, which celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ over 2,000 years ago. He is the center of our faith, and as Christmas approaches I hope you’ll take time to explore who Jesus was and why He is important.

Who was Jesus? The Bible (the ancient book which tells us about Jesus) tells us that He wasn’t only a man, but He was also God. In other words, on that first Christmas God came down from Heaven and took upon Himself our human nature. Think of it: God became a man! The Bible says, “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him” (Colossians 1:19).

But why did Jesus come into the world? He came for one reason: to bring us back to God. You see, God is absolutely holy and pure. But we have committed many wrongs, and as a result we are separated from God. We can’t erase our sins, no matter how good we are; only God can forgive us and cleanse us—and He made this possible by sending Jesus into the world. He was without sin—but all our sins were transferred to Him, and now He offers us forgiveness and eternal life as a free gift.

I hope you’ll find a Bible and read about Jesus. (His life is told in the first four books of what is called the New Testament.) When you do, you’ll not only discover who Jesus was, but you’ll discover an even greater truth: God loves you, and you can become part of His family forever.

Find out how much God loves you.

Learn more about Christianity.