Summary: "I like Easter Sunday," said Rosanne as the family finished dinner. "Easter lilies are so pretty, and I like to hear the account of when Jesus arose." "I like Easter dinner!" her brother Caleb said with a grin. "Everything is so yummy." But then he frowned as he looked at his father. "My Sunday school lesson was about how we'll be raised from the dead like Jesus was," said Caleb. "Then on the way home, we heard on that news report about a fire at one of the restaurants downtown. It said two people died in the fire." Caleb hesitated. "It's one thing to picture in my mind Jesus being raised from the dead after only three days," he added, "but I just can't see how bodies that have been burned or have been dead a long time could ever be raised up and be alive again." "It's hard for us to understand," agreed Dad, "but . . . come with me out to the garage. Maybe another example of the resurrection will help." Caleb and Rosanne followed Dad to the corner of the garage where Mom kept her garden tools. "Hand me that jar over there," instructed Dad. Caleb took a jar from one of the garage shelves and shook it. "Those are marigold seeds Mom saved from the old flowers last fall," said Rosanne. "That's right," said Dad. "Let's plant a few. Fill one of those flower pots with this stuff." He nudged a bag of potting soil toward Caleb, who scooped out some dirt and filled a pot. Then Rosanne dropped a few seeds into the dirt. "Okay. Cover them up with soil," said Dad. "Bury them." Caleb smiled as it suddenly occurred to him what Dad was trying to show them. "Like bodies are buried, right?" Caleb asked. "Yes," said Dad. "Now what do you think will happen in the next few days?" "I know what will happen," said Rosanne. "The seeds will start to grow." Dad nodded. "God can take those shriveled, dead-looking, brown seeds and resurrect them--make them alive again. He'll turn them into something beautiful--and it's just as easy for Him to do that with any body as with seeds." Several weeks later, a pot full of bright yellow marigolds stood on a patio table. I don't know how those dry, shriveled, little seeds turned into such pretty flowers, Caleb thought to himself, but I'm sure it wasn't any problem to God! How About You? Do you wonder how dead bodies could possibly live again? Raising them from the dead is no greater problem to God than turning seeds into plants. In other words, it's no problem to Him at all. Jesus rose from the dead and He'll raise believers, too. He'll give His children bodies that are even more wonderful than those they had before. It's impossible to understand, but God will do it! Today's Key Verse: Death is swallowed up in victory. (1 Corinthians 15:54) Today's Key Thought: God will raise the dead
