A New Life

Bible Reading: John 3:14-18, 36

“Look, Mom. This big leaf broke off our purple African violet,” Paige said, carrying the leaf in from the porch where the violet plants sat by the window. She threw it in the wastebasket.

Mom quickly took it back out. “Wait a minute. Let me show you what we can do with that leaf.” She filled a glass with water and cut a piece of thick paper to fit over the rim. Then she cut a slit in the paper and slid the leaf through the opening so the stem was in water and the leaf was held upright. “Now we just have to wait for it to sprout some roots.”

Several days later, Paige noticed that the end of the stem was getting fuzzy with tiny roots. As more days passed, the roots continued to get bigger and longer. “Now,” Mom said one day, “it’s time to plant the stem in soil, Paige. It will have to be watered occasionally. I’ll leave that job to you.”

“Okay!” Paige said. “It will be fun to watch it grow.”

Paige faithfully watered the little plant, and she was delighted when tiny new leaves peeked up from the soil. But a few days later she called her mother to come and see the plant. “Mom, look!” Paige pointed to the big stem. “I thought it was growing so well, but it’s dying! What do we do now?”

“Nothing, honey. The big leaf has finished its job,” Mom explained, “and now the new plant will continue to grow.”

That evening Paige told her dad about the leaf. “It’s as though that leaf gave its life so there could be a new plant,” Dad said. “Isn’t that a great example of what Jesus did for us? He died so we could live. Because He gave His life, we can have new life—eternal life. Of course, unlike the plant, Jesus didn’t stay dead! He rose again, and right now He’s in heaven preparing a place for all who have received new life from Him.”

“That’s pretty cool,” Paige replied. Turning to her mom, she asked, “Can I take the new African violet plant to church to show my class next week? Mrs. Canard asked us to try to find things in everyday life that remind us of God. This will be perfect!” Charles VanderMeer

How About You?

Have you received new life in Jesus Christ? Did you know that He died and rose again so that you could live with Him forever? Accept the gift of eternal life He offers you. Trust Him as your Lord and Savior today. (To learn more, click the “Good News!” button in the right column of this page.)

Today’s Key Verse:
John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son [Jesus] has eternal life. (NIV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Jesus gives new life