NIV Adventure Bible Easter Activities | Page 3

devotions
Topic: Easter
Scripture: Revelation 7:9
signs of life
There before me [in heaven] was a great multitude that no one could count,
from every nation, tribe, people and language.
—Revelation 7:9
introduction
You probably know the signs of spring: the air gets warmer; the days get longer; the grass
gets greener. Flowers start to bloom, trees begin to bud, and birds come back. These signs
are familiar to most people. They tell us spring is here!
Do you know what the first sign of Easter was? Do you know the first thing that indicated
to the world that Jesus had risen from the dead? It was the huge stone that had been rolled
away from the entrance to his tomb! The women who went to see Jesus the Sunday after
he was crucified noticed it. They didn’t know right away what it meant. But it wasn’t long
before they understood that a wonderful thing had happened. An angel explained it to
them, and they saw that the tomb was empty.
Nowadays, there are other signs of Easter, like all the candy in the stores and pictures of
bunnies everywhere. But we’re going to look at one girl’s favorite Easter sign and what
Easter really means. Today’s devotion is based on Revelation 7:9, in which the apostle John
wrote, “There before me [in heaven] was a great multitude that no one could count, from
every nation, tribe, people and language.” The devotion is called “Signs of Life.”
devotion
“Isn’t this beautiful?” Alayna said. She and Libby were walking through the apple orchard
behind Alayna’s house. It was spring, and the trees were in bloom.
Libby breathed deeply. “Yeah, and the air smells so good!”
Alayna twirled a couple of times, just for fun. “I love coming out here every spring. The
blossoms are my favorite sign of Easter.” She ran her hand through them.
Libby said, “Mine is chocolate eggs.” They both laughed. Then Libby asked, “Why are these
your favorite?”
Picking a blossom, Alayna said, “Because they make the trees look alive again.” She looked
around. “And because there’s so many of them. It reminds me of all the people who’ll be in
heaven because of Easter. The Bible says there’ll be too many to count!”
What’s your favorite sign of Easter? Does it help you remember the real meaning of the
holiday? Easter is a celebration that Jesus rose from the dead. Because he did, there’ll be
many joyful people in heaven. And you’ll be one of them! If your favorite sign of Easter
doesn’t remind you of that, why not choose a new favorite? The real meaning of Easter is
too good to forget.
Copyright © 2011 by Zondervan
Material taken from the
NIV Adventure Bible Book of Devotions