Alive, immortal, and just like Jesus!

“Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.”

Jn 11:25 NLT

The story is told of a nine-year-old boy named Philip who suffered with Down Syndrome. In Sunday school the other kids made fun of him because he was different. The Sunday before Easter the teacher gave each of the kids a plastic egg and asked them to look for symbols of new life, like seeds and leaves, and then place them inside the egg. The idea was to open their eggs on Easter Sunday and discuss what they had found. When the children gathered they had collected all sorts of things like flowers, butterflies, and rocks. But when the teacher opened Philip’s egg it was empty. One child said, “That’s not fair, he didn’t do it right!” But Philip tugged at the teacher’s sleeve and said, “I did do it right. It’s empty because the tomb is empty. That’s why we have new life.” The class gasped—and from then on Philip rose to a new level of respect and became part of the group. But Philip’s family knew his time was short—too many problems for one small body. So that summer he died. As the class of eight-year-olds faced the reality of death, they marched up to the altar—but not with flowers. Together with their teacher they each placed an empty plastic egg on their friend’s tiny casket. Why is the resurrection of Jesus so important? For two reasons: (1) His resurrection guarantees yours. (2) If you live long enough you will experience the heartache of losing someone you love. Easter guarantees you will meet them again—alive, immortal, and just like Jesus!

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