Easter Questions

Here's a little something I wrote for the Here We Stand Student Webzine a few weeks ago. Isaac has been particularly inquisitive lately, which caused me to revisit this devotion. (Bear in mind, the audience is 7th grade...so it might be a tad more "simple" than other topics broached in koinonia.)

DEVOTION – I Doubt It

Isaac had a lot of questions. “Why do we have to go to church so much this week?” Whether he liked it or not, the little four-year old was attending five worship services in eight days. It was Holy Week, and there were a lot of differences in the worship services.

“Why are we waving palm branches?”
“Why does the pastor wash people’s feet?”
“Why is it so dark and quiet?”
“How come they slam the book?”
“Why did Jesus have to die?”
“Where did all the trumpets come from?”
“How did Jesus get out of the tomb if a heavy stone was in the way?”
“How did Jesus come back to life?”

We expect questions from little kids. But what about big kids? And adults?

At the end of John’s gospel (John 20:24-29) we see one of Jesus’ disciples have some very real questions and doubts. Jesus appeared to the disciples earlier in the day, but Thomas was not in the house at the time. When he returned, Jesus had left. The other disciples were telling Thomas that Jesus was alive; Thomas doubted. I imagine that there were a few follow-up questions that Thomas asked his friends.

It’s good to ask questions about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Asking questions can help you grow in faith and understanding. You’ll never get too old to ask questions. Be sure to find some trusted friends, parents, and other adults that can help you discover answers to your questions. You never know – they might have the same questions you do!

Think About It:
• What questions do you have about church?
• If you were Thomas, how would you have responded?