The Baby’s Easter Sermon
By Emily M. Evenden
It was long ago and Elizabeth was a wee maiden of four years.
All the grown folks had gone to church except Grandma, who was deaf, and said she preferred to stay at home and take care of the babies. Not that there were any babies, oh no! for Elizabeth felt she was a very big girl, and sister Louise would proudly tell you she was almost six years, and would soon go to kindergarten.
This was Easter Day and instead of their usual morning greetings our little friends Elizabeth and Louise used to say: “Jesus Christ is risen today,” and their mamma would answer, “He is risen indeed.”
So, when someone knocked at the kitchen door, Elizabeth ran to open it and said, “Jesus Christ is risen today,” but instead of the answer she expected, a poor, hungry man asked for something to eat.
“Why don’t you say, ‘He is risen indeed’?” questioned Elizabeth, as she pulled the man into the kitchen.
“Didn’t know no one was dead to rise again,” said the man.
There at Elizabeth’s eyes grew wide with astonishment and she ran off to ask Grandma to get the man something to eat while she told him all about Jesus.
“You know,” she said, “that long, long years ago, some of the wicked men did not know who Jesus was and they nailed Him to a Cross, so that He died, but three days after, angels rolled the stone away from the tomb, and Jesus came out of the tomb alive, just as though He never died, only He was even so much more beautiful.”
“No,” the man said, “I never heard tell of that Man; guess He didn’t live in this country.”
“Well,” said Elizabeth, “if you don’t know about Jesus I’ll tell you from the beginning, shall I?”
“Yep,” said the man.
So Elizabeth pulled her little rocking chair near the man and began—
“You know,” she said, “that long, long years ago the Heavenly Father gave us the bestest Present we could ever have—He gave His own dear Son, Who came to us a dear, little Baby. He grew and played, and worked . . . like any other boy, but He was good. Then when He was a Man He went about telling people of the Heavenly Father, and those that were sick He made them well, and blind people received their sight.
“Oh, He did ever so many other kind and lovely things that no one else could do unless He gave them power.
“Everyone loved Him—I mean, ‘most everyone—and He just loved everyone, even more than papa and mamma loved me!
“But some people did not like Him and said He must be hung on a cross—crucified—my mamma calls it.
“Then some people took Jesus and nailed His hands and feet to a Cross and He hung there until a good man who loved Him, had His body taken down from the Cross, and laid in His own tomb.
“The wicked men were so afraid that someone would take this body away, that they sent soldiers to see that no one came there.
“But three days after, an angel rolled the stone away and he was so bright with his shining clothes that it dazzled the soldiers that they could not see, and then Jesus walked into the garden and spoke to some women who loved Him. But He was so beautiful they did not know Him at first; when they did, they ran and told all the people that Jesus Christ had risen.
“That is why every year we keep Easter Day. Jesus died for us and rose again and we can never die, that is, not really die. This part of us that we see will die sometime, but something inside will go on living forever, not down here, but up in Heaven with God and the angels.”
“Now,” said Elizabeth, “I have told you all I can, and don’t you want to say to me: ‘He is risen indeed!’”
Do you wonder what the man answered her? Elizabeth never told me, but years after, I went back to S—— for her wedding, and as I passed through the churchyard after the ceremony, I saw an old man with a peaceful look in his faded eyes who followed the bride down the flagstone walk, while he said softly to himself: “God bless her! God bless her!”
Published in Gospel Herald
GOD’S WORD TO YOU!
As Christ was raised up from the dead . . . even so we also should walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:4).
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1).
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him (I Thessalonians 4:14).
Peace I leave with you . . . not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27).
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore (Psalm 16:11).
For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but that wrath of God abideth on him (John 3:36).
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (II Cor. 5:17).
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord (Acts 3:19).