Have you ever read a bedtime story to your child? You know the routine; before we can read a story, you need to get ready for bed, brush your teeth, get another drink of water, and then crawl in bed for a ‘bedtime story.’ Sometimes those stories are made up from our imaginations, but many times we read from a favorite book. But wherever the story comes from, we must always remember to followed up with a prayer and a good night kiss. Certainly this sound vaguely familiar?
But how do many of those bedtime stories begin? Whether fantasy or factual, many of these stories begin with these four short words… ‘Once upon a time.’ Or maybe you’ve read the story that starts like this, ‘One day…’ We set the stage back in time to establish the story line. But maybe tonight as you tuck your little one in bed let me encourage you to read them a familiar old story that’s not a fantasy, but one you’ve read (sung) before…
“One day when heaven was filled with His (God’s) praises, One day when sin (life on earth) was a black as could be…Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin (remember, this isn’t a fantasy,) and he dwelt among men…and He’s my example!’
When you read (sing) this bedtime story, be sure you have your Bible handy. For some support I’ve listed a few scriptures. Enjoy the time with your children and practice Deuteronomy 6:7, “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.”
Mark 11:18, “The chief priest and the scribes heard this (“…you have made the temple a robber’s den.” ) and began seeking how to destroy Him…” and John 20:18, “…I lay down My life so that I my take it again. No one has taken it from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative…”
After Christ’s death on the cross…
Mark 15:45-47, “Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead.And ascertaining this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph (of Arimathea).Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were looking on to see where He was laid.“
Luke 24:1-9, “…on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing;and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead?He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”And they remembered His words,and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles...”
I Thessalonians 4:13-18, “…if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
Romans 6:3-11, “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”
The version of this song is different from the traditional one…but the words are the same. And remember, it’s the words are the bring us the message!
Have you ever read a bedtime story to your child? You know the routine; before we can read a story, you need to get ready for bed, brush your teeth, get another drink of water, and then crawl in bed for a ‘bedtime story.’ Sometimes those stories are made up from our imaginations, but many times we read from a favorite book. But wherever the story comes from, we must always remember to followed up with a prayer and a good night kiss. Certainly this sound vaguely familiar?
I’ve listed a few scriptures. Enjoy the time with your children and practice Deuteronomy 6:7, “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.”
perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” And they remembered His words, and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles...”
Romans 6:3-11, “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”