Dodger: Happy Easter!
Lilly: Happy Easter indeed! He is risen!
Dodger: He is risen indeed! Okay, that was not meant to sound like we're trying to rhyme with each other. It's something we say because of Jesus' resurrection, because this is the day we celebrate it.
Lilly: Of course, it didn't necessarily happen today. In fact, unlike Christmas, we actually celebrate Easter at a different day each year. Sometimes it's in March, other times it's in April.
Dodger: Either way it usually includes a lot of candy, egg-hunting, and Church-going. Speaking of Christmas, though, I can't help but think about how they're related. You can't really celebrate one without the other. If it wasn't for Christmas, Jesus wouldn't have been able to die for us and be resurrected, but if it hadn't been for Easter He wouldn't have paid for our sins and given us life with Him, making Christmas rather unimportant. The two of them are tightly connected.
Lilly: Say, can we read one of the Gospel narratives about the Resurrection?
Dodger: Sure. Let me provide a quick background to make sure everyone's on the same page. Jesus, God's Son Who came to earth as a man without losing his deity, is dead and in a tomb. He was crucified by the Romans, and although He did nothing to deserve this crucifixion and could have stopped it at any time, He still went through with it.
Lilly: Hold on for just a second. Could you quickly explain crucifixion to us?
Dodger: Well, okay, but not in great detail. Crucifixion was a very painful method of execution that the Ancient Romans used on certain criminals. It involved making the person to be killed carry a heavy wooden cross to the place where he would die, then once he arrived, they would nail the person to the cross, only these nails where the size of railroad spikes and they went through the hands and feet. The person would then hang there, usually until he suffocated. It was embarrassing because everyone could see you, and it lasted for hours. Jesus Himself died after He gave up His spirit (John 19:30).
Lilly: Okay. Thank you for explaining, but that sounds terrible! Why would Jesus do it if He could have just stopped it?
Dodger: Well, Jesus originally came to earth to bring us redemption from our sins and life with Him forever. We separated ourselves from God by sinning, doing things wrong that hurt ourselves or others, but always Him. The penalty everyone deserves for this would is death and separation from God. God didn't want that to happen because He loves us, so He sent Jesus. Even though Jesus is God's Son, and so fully God, He still experienced separation from God when He took the guilt for every sin that any of us have ever done. It was basically the equivalent of one day closely knowing the most wonderful Person in the universe, and the next day having that Person reject you. It was even worse than the physical pain.
Lilly: This story is making me sad.
Dodger: Well, it can be hard to read. It was a terrible experience, but don't get too down. Now that we've finished the background story, we can move on to Easter!
Lilly: Sounds good.
Dodger: It's been three days since Jesus died. The tomb He was buried in is in a cave, where a large rock has been rolled to keep the tomb covered. A woman named Mary Magdalene, a follower of Jesus when He was alive, is coming to the tomb to visit. I'll have the Bible take it from here:
"Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again to their own homes." (John 20:1-10 NKJV)
Lilly: That sounds scary. I can't imagine what it would be like if a friend I knew was buried one day and missing the next. I think I would cry.
Dodger: You aren't the only one. "But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
Lilly: ...I think I would have been stunned out of my senses.
Dodger: Well, it was certainly a surprise for everyone involved. Other Gospel accounts tell us that the disciples didn't believe Mary or others who said they'd seen Jesus resurrected. Jesus eventually revealed Himself to all of them. "Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (John 20:19-23 NKJV)
Lilly: What a neat story!
Dodger: It is neat. It's more than a story, though. It redefined the relationship between God and man. It brought reconciliation, and gave everyone, everywhere, the opportunity to be children of God, adopted in grace, saved from sin, and given life forever. Jesus destroyed the barrier between us and God, and defeated death in one weekend. Talk about impressive. I can barely finish my homework over one weekend.
Lilly: Perhaps this is the first time you've really heard what Easter's about. Maybe you already knew, but haven't ever thought about doing anything about it. Or you might already know and have done something about it. Whatever camp you may be in, Easter is truly something to celebrate. If you've heard about Jesus, but never actually met Him, now's your chance. He's right in the room with you, waiting to introduce Himself. If you'd like to accept the gift He gave you through His death and resurrection, you could pray something like this.
Dear God, I've made mistakes and sinned against You. I don't deserve to be with you of my own accord, but because Jesus came down and died on a cross, I know I can be reconciled with You and have a relationship with You, forgiveness for my sins, and life with You forever. Because You raised Him from the dead after three days, I also know I can have eternal life. I believe this with all my heart, God, and I'm saying it out loud. Please come into my heart and take away my sin. Thank You for the gift of Easter. I love You Lord. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Dodger: In a sense, Easter is about new beginnings. If you just said this prayer or something like it and really meant it, congratulations! The Bible says you are a new person! You may not feel new, but God listened, and believe me, He's already doing amazing things in You. He loves you very much, you know. Easter's one of our biggest reminders of that.
Lilly: It is indeed. Thank God for Easter.
Dodger: Amen to that.
Lilly: Have you heard about today's egg hunt?
Dodger: Sure! Does it start soon?
Lilly: Yep. I think we'd better head over there.
Dodger: Alright then. Thank you for visiting with us today. Happy Easter! Jesus Christ is risen!
Lilly: He is risen indeed!
(NKJV Means New King James Version)
Lilly: Happy Easter indeed! He is risen!
Dodger: He is risen indeed! Okay, that was not meant to sound like we're trying to rhyme with each other. It's something we say because of Jesus' resurrection, because this is the day we celebrate it.
Lilly: Of course, it didn't necessarily happen today. In fact, unlike Christmas, we actually celebrate Easter at a different day each year. Sometimes it's in March, other times it's in April.
Dodger: Either way it usually includes a lot of candy, egg-hunting, and Church-going. Speaking of Christmas, though, I can't help but think about how they're related. You can't really celebrate one without the other. If it wasn't for Christmas, Jesus wouldn't have been able to die for us and be resurrected, but if it hadn't been for Easter He wouldn't have paid for our sins and given us life with Him, making Christmas rather unimportant. The two of them are tightly connected.
Lilly: Say, can we read one of the Gospel narratives about the Resurrection?
Dodger: Sure. Let me provide a quick background to make sure everyone's on the same page. Jesus, God's Son Who came to earth as a man without losing his deity, is dead and in a tomb. He was crucified by the Romans, and although He did nothing to deserve this crucifixion and could have stopped it at any time, He still went through with it.
Lilly: Hold on for just a second. Could you quickly explain crucifixion to us?
Dodger: Well, okay, but not in great detail. Crucifixion was a very painful method of execution that the Ancient Romans used on certain criminals. It involved making the person to be killed carry a heavy wooden cross to the place where he would die, then once he arrived, they would nail the person to the cross, only these nails where the size of railroad spikes and they went through the hands and feet. The person would then hang there, usually until he suffocated. It was embarrassing because everyone could see you, and it lasted for hours. Jesus Himself died after He gave up His spirit (John 19:30).
Lilly: Okay. Thank you for explaining, but that sounds terrible! Why would Jesus do it if He could have just stopped it?
Dodger: Well, Jesus originally came to earth to bring us redemption from our sins and life with Him forever. We separated ourselves from God by sinning, doing things wrong that hurt ourselves or others, but always Him. The penalty everyone deserves for this would is death and separation from God. God didn't want that to happen because He loves us, so He sent Jesus. Even though Jesus is God's Son, and so fully God, He still experienced separation from God when He took the guilt for every sin that any of us have ever done. It was basically the equivalent of one day closely knowing the most wonderful Person in the universe, and the next day having that Person reject you. It was even worse than the physical pain.
Lilly: This story is making me sad.
Dodger: Well, it can be hard to read. It was a terrible experience, but don't get too down. Now that we've finished the background story, we can move on to Easter!
Lilly: Sounds good.
Dodger: It's been three days since Jesus died. The tomb He was buried in is in a cave, where a large rock has been rolled to keep the tomb covered. A woman named Mary Magdalene, a follower of Jesus when He was alive, is coming to the tomb to visit. I'll have the Bible take it from here:
"Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again to their own homes." (John 20:1-10 NKJV)
Lilly: That sounds scary. I can't imagine what it would be like if a friend I knew was buried one day and missing the next. I think I would cry.
Dodger: You aren't the only one. "But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).
Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her. (John 20:11-18 NKJV)
She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).
Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her. (John 20:11-18 NKJV)
Lilly: ...I think I would have been stunned out of my senses.
Dodger: Well, it was certainly a surprise for everyone involved. Other Gospel accounts tell us that the disciples didn't believe Mary or others who said they'd seen Jesus resurrected. Jesus eventually revealed Himself to all of them. "Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (John 20:19-23 NKJV)
Lilly: What a neat story!
Dodger: It is neat. It's more than a story, though. It redefined the relationship between God and man. It brought reconciliation, and gave everyone, everywhere, the opportunity to be children of God, adopted in grace, saved from sin, and given life forever. Jesus destroyed the barrier between us and God, and defeated death in one weekend. Talk about impressive. I can barely finish my homework over one weekend.
Lilly: Perhaps this is the first time you've really heard what Easter's about. Maybe you already knew, but haven't ever thought about doing anything about it. Or you might already know and have done something about it. Whatever camp you may be in, Easter is truly something to celebrate. If you've heard about Jesus, but never actually met Him, now's your chance. He's right in the room with you, waiting to introduce Himself. If you'd like to accept the gift He gave you through His death and resurrection, you could pray something like this.
Dear God, I've made mistakes and sinned against You. I don't deserve to be with you of my own accord, but because Jesus came down and died on a cross, I know I can be reconciled with You and have a relationship with You, forgiveness for my sins, and life with You forever. Because You raised Him from the dead after three days, I also know I can have eternal life. I believe this with all my heart, God, and I'm saying it out loud. Please come into my heart and take away my sin. Thank You for the gift of Easter. I love You Lord. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Dodger: In a sense, Easter is about new beginnings. If you just said this prayer or something like it and really meant it, congratulations! The Bible says you are a new person! You may not feel new, but God listened, and believe me, He's already doing amazing things in You. He loves you very much, you know. Easter's one of our biggest reminders of that.
Lilly: It is indeed. Thank God for Easter.
Dodger: Amen to that.
Lilly: Have you heard about today's egg hunt?
Dodger: Sure! Does it start soon?
Lilly: Yep. I think we'd better head over there.
Dodger: Alright then. Thank you for visiting with us today. Happy Easter! Jesus Christ is risen!
Lilly: He is risen indeed!
(NKJV Means New King James Version)
No comments:
Post a Comment