THE EASTER STORY

 

This Easter story is not about a bunny.  It has nothing to do with colored eggs.  There will be no mention of a basket full of candy.  This Easter story is all about Jesus . . .

 

"Crucify Him!  Crucify Him!" the angry crowds shouted together.  They wanted the governor of the land to put Jesus, the perfect Son of God, to death.  They hated Jesus.  They wanted to see Him die.  What the people did not know was that Jesus' death was all a part of God's perfect plan from the beginning.

 

Though the governor believed that Jesus had done nothing wrong, he listened to the shouting crowd and handed Jesus over to them.  He knew what the angry people planned to do.  Perhaps the governor watched as Jesus the Son of God was led away.

 

Where were they taking Jesus?  The people led Him away out of the city to a hill just outside the city called the "place of the skull" or Golgotha.  Jesus had already been severely whipped and beaten.  Hairs of His beard had already been plucked out of His face.  But there, on that hill, Jesus suffered even more.  Those who hated Jesus stretched Him out onto a rough wooden cross.  They pounded large, square nails through Jesus' wrists and feet.  A few minutes later, the cross was raised up and Jesus hung there bleeding and fighting to take each breath.  Even this was a part of God's perfect plan.

 

Hours passed.  Though it was the middle of the day, the sky became completely dark as God's Son hung on that wooden cross.  Finally, Jesus cried out from the cross, "It is finished."  Then Jesus bowed His head and died.

 

If the Easter story ended there, it would be a very sad story.  But there's more to the Easter story . . .

 

Some of Jesus' friends came and took His dead, bloody body down off the cross.  They wrapped His body carefully in strips of cloth as was their custom in that day, and then they placed Him in a new tomb.  A huge, heavy stone was rolled in front of the tomb to seal it up tight. 

 

Jesus was really dead.  He was really buried.  The friends of Jesus cried and wept because Jesus was dead.  They had forgotten the words Jesus said to them before His death on the cross.  Jesus had told them, "I lay down my life that I might take it again.  I will rise again." 

 

Three days later, very early on a Sunday morning, some of Jesus' friends came to His tomb.  What they saw shocked them!  That huge stone in front of the tomb was rolled away.  When they looked inside, they could not see the body of Jesus.  They saw an angel instead.  The angel said to them, "You're looking for Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here.  He is risen as He said." 

 

Jesus, the Son of God, was alive!  He had risen from the dead!  Jesus will live forever!  He is the risen, living Savior! 

 

That was the first Easter morning and the only true Easter story.  It is written in the Bible for you to read and understand and believe.

 

After He had come back to life, Jesus appeared many times to different people.  He proved that He really was alive.  He also gave them instructions on what God wanted them to do.  Jesus said, "Go into all the world and share the good news of the gospel with everyone.  Teach them to do all things that I have told you to do.  And remember, I am with you always.  Even until the end of the world."

 

If you have trusted Jesus as your Savior, then those instructions from Jesus are for you.  He wants you to tell others about Him so they can know Him, too.

 

If you have never trusted Jesus as your Savior, then the Easter story is for you, too.  Jesus wants to be your Savior from sin.  He wants you to believe that He loved you so much that He was willing to give His life for you.  You see, sin must be punished.  Though Jesus never sinned, He was willing to take your punishment for sin.  He was willing to die in your place.

 

Do you know that you are a sinner who has done wrong things?  Do you believe that Jesus died for you and rose again?  Then invite Him to come into your heart.  Ask Jesus to forgive your sins and to be your Savior. 

 

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If you have any questions about this Mousetales story or if you want to talk further about receiving Jesus as your Savior, please e-mail Miss Missy at cef-cm@bwkip.com
 
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Mousetales is a ministry of Child Evangelism Fellowship of Columbia-Montour Counties, PA.