by Pastor Ralph J. Mineo
One of my favorite books is the children’s book, “Hope For the Flowers.” It’s the story of a tiny striped caterpillar wandering about, looking for the meaning of life. (Sound familiar?)
The caterpillar spends a lifetime of searching and having many adventures. (Sound familiar?)
The caterpillar even comes across caterpillars building useless towers for no apparent reason. (Sound familiar?)
One day, the caterpillar comes to a wise caterpillar spinning a cocoon, saying it’s going to become a butterfly. The wise caterpillar explains: “You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.”
The traveler asks, “You mean to die?”
The wise caterpillar answers, “Yes and no. It looks like you will die, but really you will live. Life is changed not taken away.”
This brings to mind a beautiful and powerful verse from the Bible, in Revelation 21:5 “Behold, I am making all things new.” When a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, it becomes new! When a believing child of God dies and is transformed from the journey of this physical life on earth, to the eternal life promised to us, God in Christ is making all things new.
In chapter 14 of the Gospel of John, we hear Jesus tell us that he has prepared a place for us. How do we GET to that place? Do we have to die? Yes and no. We each WILL die. In Christ, each of us will live. Life will not be taken away from us at death. Instead, our lives will be made completely new.
God’s Word has a deeper message for us. We are given the way we get to our eternal home, and that’s through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Jesus died. We die WITH HIM. Because Jesus lived, the firstborn from the dead, believers will live WITH HIM. Forever.
Thanks be to God for the countless believers throughout the ages who have proclaimed this, taught this, and witnessed to this. Faith is passed on from generation to generation.
We need to remember: the gift of eternal life is in NO WAY our doing! It’s ALL God!
By the Holy Spirit, we believe that only by the Cross of Jesus Christ are we be transformed from the caterpillar (our earthly lives on a journey) to our life as a butterfly (eternal life). This eternal life never ends! It can never be taken away!
Thanks be to God for Christ Jesus and the gift of eternal life. Because Jesus lives, we too will live a new life!
Somebody told you this truth. Thanks be to God for them. Somebody passed this message on to you. Give thanks!
Who will YOU tell this story to? Think and pray about that. Ask God to give you the opportunity and the words to tell this story. Tell about the death and resurrection of Jesus with confidence, hope, and love.