“I AM the light of the world. He that follows me will by no means walk in darkness, but will possess the light of life.” (John 8:12) These words were spoken by Jesus Christ. A learned man of the first century wrote about him: “Carefully concealed in him are all the treasures of wisdom and of knowledge.” (Colossians 2:3) Moreover, the Bible says: “This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.” (John 17:3) Accurate knowledge about Jesus is essential in order to satisfy our spiritual need.

People around the earth have heard of Jesus Christ. His influence on the history of mankind is beyond question. In fact, the calendar used in most parts of the world is based on the year he is thought to have been born. “Many people refer to dates before that year as B.C., or before Christ,” explains The World Book Encyclopedia. “They use A.D., or anno Domini (in the year of our Lord), for dates after that year.”


Yet, there are conflicting ideas about who Jesus was. To some, he was no more than an outstanding man who left his mark on history. Others, though, worship him as God Almighty. Some Hindu thinkers have likened Jesus Christ to the Hindu god Krishna, said by many to be a god incarnate. Was Jesus merely a man, or was he someone to be worshipped? Exactly who was he? Where did he come from? What was he like? And where is he now? As we will see in the following article, the book that has a great deal to say about Jesus gives truthful answers to these questions.

All I Could See Was One Option’
“I had just gone through a scary pregnancy and a hard birth, and there was a mountain of monetary and family stress,” explained a 35-year-old woman. “Then six weeks after the birth, I was pregnant again. We decided for abortion. In my heart I felt it was wrong, but all I could see was this one option.”

Women seek abortions for a variety of reasons, ranging from financial problems to a failed, perhaps abusive, relationship that results in their not wanting any further ties with the man. Or the pregnancy may simply not fit into the plans of the woman or the couple.

At times, abortion is chosen to protect a reputation. Such was true of the case reported on by Dr. Susan Wicklund in her book This Common Secret—My Journey as an Abortion Doctor. A patient of hers who was seeking an abortion confessed: “My parents are very religious. . . . If I have a baby out of wedlock, it would be a mark on them. It would say to all their friends that their daughter has sinned.”

Dr. Wicklund then asked: “Okay, so you’ve sinned in their eyes, but how do they feel about abortion?” The girl confided: “Oh, abortion. That’s totally unforgivable. But it’s the lesser evil because it would be a secret. If I have an abortion, [my parents’] friends in church will never know.”

Regardless of the situation, usually the decision to terminate a pregnancy deliberately is not an easy one. It is often intensely painful. But is abortion a trouble-free solution?

Consider the Consequences
A 2004 research study of 331 Russian and 217 American women who had an induced abortion revealed that about half of both groups felt bad after the abortion. Nearly 50 percent of the Russians and almost 80 percent of the Americans felt “guilt” over the procedure. More than 60 percent of the American women were ‘unable to forgive themselves.’ Since guilt is such a pervasive problem—even among those who do not consider themselves religious—why do so many young women still have abortions?

They often come under intense pressure to have an abortion. Parents, a mate, or well-meaning friends may encourage abortion as a lesser of two evils. This can lead to a hasty, ill-informed decision. “However, after the stressfulness of the decision and the procedure have ended,” explained Dr. Priscilla Coleman, an expert on the mental-health risks of abortion, “women’s cognitive abilities return to normal, often ushering in feelings of pronounced guilt, sadness, and regret.”

This regret often centers on the question: Did the abortion terminate a life that already existed? A report by the South Dakota Task Force to Study Abortion concluded that many pregnant women considering an abortion “were misled into thinking that nothing but ‘tissue’ was being removed, and relate that they would not have had an abortion if they were told the truth.”

After an evaluation of the “stunning and heart-wrenching testimony” of 1,940 women who had abortions, the study concluded: “Many of these women are angered by grief at the loss of a child they were told never existed.” It also stated that “the psychological harm of knowing she killed her child is often devastating.”

But what is the truth? Does an abortion merely remove some tissue from a pregnant woman’s body? Is an unborn child actually a living person while in the womb?

GIVING BIRTH VERSUS HAVING AN ABORTION

A 2006 study reviewed the life history of scores of women who became pregnant as teenagers. Half of them gave birth, and the other half had abortions. The study concluded that “childbirth was associated with a lower likelihood of receiving psychological counseling services, less frequent sleep problems, and a lower probability of smoking marijuana when compared to abortion.”—Journal of Youth and Adolescence.


Another report provided “the results of the four largest record based studies in the world.” What did these studies reveal? “Women with a known history of abortion experience higher rates of mental health problems of various forms when compared to women without a known abortion history.”—Report of the South Dakota Task Force to Study Abortion—2005.

THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT GOD WILL BRING ABOUT THESE CHANGES ON THE EARTH.

“He will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.”—Revelation 21:4



“The lame one will climb up just as a stag does.”—Isaiah 35:6



“The eyes of the blind ones will be opened.”—Isaiah 35:5



“All those in the memorial tombs will . . . come out.”—John 5:28, 29



“No resident will say: ’I am sick.‘”—Isaiah 33:24



“There will come to be plenty of grain on the earth.”—Psalm 72:16


BENEFIT FROM WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES

Do not quickly dismiss what is presented as mere wishful thinking. God has promised to bring these things about, and the Bible explains how he will do so.

But the Bible does more than that. It provides the key to your enjoying a truly satisfying life even now. Think for a moment about your own anxieties and troubles. They may include money matters, family problems, loss of health, or the death of a loved one. The Bible can help you to deal with problems today, and it can provide relief by answering such questions as these:

Why do we suffer?
How can we cope with life‘s anxieties?
How can we make our family life happier?
What happens to us when we die?
Will we ever see our dead loved ones again?
How can we be sure that God will fulfill his promises for the future?
The fact that you are reading this book shows that you would like to find out what the Bible teaches. This book will help you. Notice that the paragraphs have corresponding questions at the bottom of the page. Millions have enjoyed using the question-and-answer method when discussing the Bible with Jehovah‘s Witnesses. We hope you will too. May you have God‘s blessing as you now enjoy the thrilling and satisfying experience of learning what the Bible really teaches!

GET TO KNOW YOUR BIBLE

THERE are 66 books and letters that make up the Bible. These are divided into chapters and verses for easy reference. When scriptures are cited in this publication, the first number after the name indicates the chapter of the Bible book or letter, and the next refers to the verse. For example, the citation “2 Timothy 3:16” means the second letter to Timothy, chapter 3, verse 16.

You will quickly become familiar with the Bible by looking up the scriptures cited in this publication. Also, why not start a program of daily Bible reading? By reading three to five chapters a day, you can read the entire Bible in a year.