Every week I take Persian lessons over Zoom with my Iranian tutor in Berlin. Among the hundreds of thousands of Iranian migrants to Germany, 36 % are Christian or lean toward Christianity, while only 33% are Muslim. The balance holds no religious beliefs at all. My tutor knows almost nothing about Christianity and, so far, I’ve had very few opportunities to witness because in class we stick to grammar related topics. But, praise God, our most recent lesson provided a unique opportunity to move to “higher ground.”We went over a long list of religious terms and their Persian translations. The Lord used the Persian words kaffare, qorbani, mazbah, and mabad (propitiation, sacrifice, altar, and temple) to provide an opening for us to talk about a key concept of the Christian faith.I explained that throughout part of the Old Testament, in order to appease God’s wrath for the Israelites’ sins, the Levites offered animals on the altar of the tabernacle and the temple. But there were problems with this configuration: the appeasement was only temporary—like a windshield wiper providing a clear view for only a short time in a downpour. In addition, this approach required the sacrifice of millions of animals. Two things were needed to remedy the situation: a different kind of Sacrifice, so all-encompassing that He would obviate the need for all those animals, and so all-powerful that He would atone for the sins of the people—not just for a short period of time but permanently. Then it would still “rain” all around (that is, even though we still sin), the new Sacrifice’s covering would spare the car (that is, us) the “consequence” of the rain. God’s solution? The perfect and permanent propitiation of Jesus Christ, sacrificed on the cross—covering for all time everyone baptized in His Name and believing in Him. As Hebrews 10:12 explains, “Christ….offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins.”“Hmm, that is extraordinary. Jesus Christ is the new Sacrifice,” my tutor replied, and I could see from her expression that wheels were turning in her head. Let’s see what witnessing opportunities our Lord has in store for future Persian lessons!
tiewsfamily.org 