When I was a child, having sugar and presents at the same time = complete joy. Do you relate to that? Do you remember how happy you would be when you got something good?

I’ve gotten older since then and the material things of this world, mostly sugar and gifts, have lost that sparkle that made them desirable.

I’ve come to realize that nice things make me happy, but not for very long.

It turns out that there’s really nothing on earth that will make me happy. How do I know?

Let me tell you how I know.

I have an amazing family.

I have everything I could possibly need.

I live in a house with air conditioning.

I get to eat as much as I want each day.

And I’m still not happy because of those things!

What about you?

Perhaps you’ve got the answer. You have something that makes you happy every time you think about it? Something that will never fade?

You’re excited about getting more money, vacation, having a girlfriend, etc. But can you honestly say that those things will last a long time or make you happy?

Rich people aren’t happy just because they have money.

Vacation are only temporary.

Relationships often fail.

There’s no answer! Nothing will make you happy forever!

Well, maybe you’re not made to be happy. But if you weren’t made to be happy, then why would you want to be happy at all?

But then, what if I told you there is something that does make you happy, and can make you happy for the rest of your existence?

There is such a thing. He’s called Jesus.

Jesus lived 2,000 years ago and He lived without sinning and then died and rose from the dead after 3 days of being dead.

The day He came back to life is called Easter. Christians celebrate that day today.

Muslims have a holiday called Eid (أَ عيد). It is a day that they sacrifice a lamb or other animal that’s dear to them to represent how Abraham was willing to kill his son as a sacrifice to God.

Easter is like our Eid.

And I am like Abraham’s son But I deserved to die because my sin—my hatred and my evil were so great.

But Jesus took my place. He became my lamb for Eid.

And he died.

He really did die.

He died a long time ago, but because of that, I am free today. Jesus took my punishment for my sins—he was my sacrificial lamb so that I didn’t have to die, which gives me happiness that never ends.

Every day, I get to see Jesus in my life. He makes me want to read the Bible. He makes me smile while I write this email about Him. He makes me happy because of Easter. He gives me hope for life.

Every single day, I have what I need to be happy.

There are two words in the English language that mean happiness. There are happiness and joy.

Happiness lasts for a short amount of time. It’s like buying a piece of candy that you like.

Joy lasts forever. It’s kind of like owning the candy factory.

Jesus Christ came to Earth 2,000 years ago, died, rose from the dead, and ascended to heaven. But He’s going to come back. When He comes back, He’ll bring judgment with Him.

The Bible says that today is the day to be saved from that judgement and receive joy at the same time.

How?

First, you have to repent. This means you have to tell God that you’re wrong. That you’re a person full of bad actions. That you’ve been bad all of your life. (I’ve been bad all of my life too—I lied to my mother many times as a child and was very selfish). God’s standard of bad is higher than human standards and requires perfection. If you’ve ever told a tiny lie, stolen something tiny, or hated anyone in the smallest way, you’re still a person who does evil and God will punish you for eternity.

You have to tell God that you don’t want to do wrong things anymore. You want to be good and you want to have joy.

Second, you have to believe that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead on the third day. When you believe that He is Lord (Lord means that He is the ruler over your heart and your desires), that is the power that will shake off the old sins that you have. And then you’ll be like a slave who has come from the gates of a city that was evil.

When you’re saved, it’s like you’re realizing for the first time just how dirty your life is. It’s like stepping out of a house to realize that the house was actually burning down.

It is the best thing that can happen.

It happened to me. And it gave me joy. And I’d love to see it happen to you also.