Q: The other day, I bought one of those sensational newspapers you get at the supermarket. It had a story about someone who claimed they died and then came back to life, and they said this finally proves there really is life after death. Is this right? — Mrs. V. McF.

A: Such stories surface from time to time, but they can’t be confirmed, and even if they could be, they wouldn’t prove there is life after death. Nor would they give us any reliable data about what life is like after we die.

Only one event confirms beyond all doubt that there is life after death — the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Death is our final enemy, and it came into the world because of sin. Sin is rebellion against God, and when that rebellion first took place, death followed in its wake. Since then, all creation has been enslaved by death. As the Bible says, “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

But by His death and resurrection Jesus Christ conquered sin and death and hell and Satan! And because He rose from the dead, we know there is life beyond the grave, either with God in heaven when we know Christ, or in that place of absolute despair the Bible calls hell if we’ve rejected Him.

Today, millions of Christians are celebrating the great event of Easter. Are you among them? Have you put your faith and trust in Christ for your salvation? Make this Easter the greatest day of your life, by turning to Christ and giving your life to Him. The Bible says, “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once… to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:27-28).

Q: I’ve never understood why people call the day that Jesus died “Good Friday.” What was good about it? It looks like a tragedy to me. — Mrs. A.T.

A: You’re right, up to a point: If all we had to celebrate was that final Friday when Jesus was put to death, there certainly wouldn’t be anything good about it. In that case, the term “Good Friday” would be a mockery.

Instead, that final Friday would be a tragedy — the greatest tragedy, in fact, in the history of the human race. Satan would have won, and any hope the human race might have had for the future would be ended. The tomb where Jesus’ body was placed would be merely a forgotten monument, and His words would be lost. The Apostle Paul put it this way: “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17).

But listen: that Friday was not the end! Two days later, the tomb was empty, and Jesus was alive! And that’s why we can call it “Good Friday” — because on a day that first seemed tragic, something incredibly good happened: Jesus Christ gave His life for our salvation. We deserved to die on that cross, but Christ died in our place. And because of that, we can have hope — hope for our lives today, and hope of eternal life in heaven.

Has what happened on Good Friday become a part of your life? It can, and I pray it will, as you turn to Jesus Christ and ask Him to come into your life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Happy Easter!

Send your queries to “My Answer,” c/o Billy Graham, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, N.C., 28201; call 1-(877) 2-GRAHAM, or visit http://billygraham.org/