If Easter isn’t true, then the Christian faith is worthless. That may sound a bit over the top, but that’s exactly the
point Paul makes in 1 Corinthians 15. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins (1 Cor. 15:16–17). Christianity is more than believing in the resurrection, it is never less. When Jesus declared to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life,” he followed up this pronouncement with a simple and bracing question: “Do you believe this? ”(John 11:26).

That’s the question we should ask ourselves and—when appropriate—our children every Easter. Do we believe a Jewish man born in a feeding trough in the backwater of the Roman Empire was the Son of God incarnate? Do we believe this man died on the cross to take away our sins? Do we believe that he rose again three days later? Do we believe that after this resurrection he appeared to hundreds of witnesses, ate fish for breakfast, showed off his scars, and walked through walls? And do we believe this same man, who later ascended into heaven, is coming back to earth someday to judge the living and the dead? Jesus’s question to Martha is his question to us: Do you believe this? To be sure, the resurrection of Jesus is a historical fact whether we believe it or not. But when we embrace for ourselves the story of Jesus, and the person and power of Jesus, it makes all the difference. If Jesus is the Son of God, we should listen to him as if he were God. If he rose from the dead, he is worthy of all our praise and worship. If he could be trusted to keep his word then, he can be trusted to keep his word now. What could be crazier than saying you believe this man defeated death, but then denying that he has any claim over your life? The annual holidays of Good Friday and Easter provide a wonderful opportunity to talk to our children about what Christ accomplished for us through his death and resurrection. Whether we get to tell the story to children in a Sunday school class, to family around the dinner table, or to a neighbor wondering what the fuss of Easter is all about, the message about a man who died and couldn’t stay dead often resonates with young people more than we (or they) understand. Whether we realize it or not, we are all formed by stories. This is especially true the younger we are. It is our job (and privilege!) as parents to pass on the stories of our faith to our children, and it is the work of the church to do the same with the people in her midst. I hope that the five stories in this booklet—taken from The Biggest Story Bible Storybook—can be a helpful reminder of the good news we believe as Christians and the good news we get to share with others.

Kevin DeYoung