Level 2
Lesson 23: Jesus is Alive

It was a beautiful spring morning long ago. In the tree tops the birds were singing their happiest song.

“A beautiful secret! We know a beautiful secret!” they seemed to sing.

By the roadside the flowers nodded their heads in the breeze. “Yes, we too know the beautiful secret!” they seemed to say to one another.

But down the road came three women. They did not know the beautiful secret. Their hearts were sad. Their eyes were filled with tears. These women were some of Jesus’ friends. They were sad because Jesus was no longer living. Before he died Jesus had said to his friends, “I shall live again.”

But his friends did not understand. They placed Jesus’ body in an empty tomb or cave in the garden. A big stone was rolled over the opening. They thought they would never see Jesus again.

Now the women were on their way to put some sweet smelling spices in the garden tomb. It was the only way they could think of to show their love for Jesus now. That is why their hearts were sad. That is why their eyes were filled with tears as they hurried along.

Still the birds kept on singing. And the flowers kept on nodding in the breeze.

“I don’t see how the birds can be so happy when Jesus is not living,” said one of the women.

“Or how the flowers can be so beautiful,” said another.

“Jesus loved the birds and the flowers,” said the third. “He often used to talk about them. It seems as though they ought to be sad now too.”

Still the birds sang on, “We know a beautiful, beautiful secret!”

But the women could not understand the language of the birds. And the flowers smiled and nodded to them as they passed. But the women did not know what the flowers were trying to say.

As they came near the garden tomb the women thought of the big stone that was rolled over its opening. “Who can we get to roll it away for us?” they asked each other.

They were still wondering what they should do when they reached the tomb. And then they stopped in surprise and looked. There was nothing over the opening of the tomb. The stone had been rolled away.

Slowly, for they were afraid, the women came closer. They knelt down and looked in. Jesus was not there. In the tomb sat a strange young man dressed in shining white. The women did not speak, they were afraid.

“Do not be afraid,” said the stranger. “You are looking for Jesus. But he is not here. He is alive again, just as he said he would be. Go and tell all Jesus’ friends that he is alive and that he will live forever. And tell them that you shall all see him again before he goes back to his heavenly Father.”

How happy the women were! Jesus, their Friend and Helper, was not dead but alive. They hurried down the road to tell the beautiful secret to Jesus’ other friends.

This time as they heard the birds singing and saw the flowers nodding in the breeze, the women were not sad. For they too knew the beautiful secret. They knew that Jesus was alive. They knew that Jesus loved them, and they knew that he would be their Friend and Helper always.