Mysterious Transformation

Pentecost Proper 3; 2nd Sunday after Pentecost

From “Scolding the Snakes”

Scripture Reference: 1 Cor. 15:51-58  

Preparation: Bring a chrysalis or pictures of cocoons and moths or butterflies. (A butterfly emerges from a chrysalis; a moth emerges from a cocoon.)

Do you know what a mystery is? Have you ever seen something mysterious? (Let children respond.) A mystery is something amazing, something very difficult or impossible to explain. (Using the pictures or objects you brought with you, describe the transformation of an insect, such as caterpillar to butterfly. If possible, describe one you have seen yourself, or use my example below.) 

Here is a mystery I have seen. I have watched fat little caterpillars spin smooth, warm blankets around themselves. The caterpillars sleep inside those chrysalises, and many days later, something that is not at all like a caterpillar comes out. What does a caterpillar change into? (Let children describe butterflies or moths they have seen emerge from these transformations.) Yes! A caterpillar becomes a butterfly.

If you could see inside that tight covering, you’d find that the caterpillar doesn’t look like it’s alive. It’s not moving; you can’t see anything changing. It looks dead. Then one day, the chrysalis starts to shake and wobble. Slowly, an insect with wings pushes its way out into the world.

The chrysalis is a little bit like the tomb where Jesus was buried. When Jesus was laid in that tomb and the big stone was rolled in front of the entrance, everyone thought that was the last they’d see of Jesus. No one expected life to come out of that place of death. But after three days, God raised Jesus to new life. A transformed Jesus came out of that tomb, more alive than he had ever been before.

In 1 Corinthians, Paul writes, “But let me tell you a wonderful secret God has revealed to us. Not all of us will die, but we will all be transformed. It will happen in a moment, in the blinking of an eye. . . . Our . . . earthly bodies must be transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die” (15:51-53 NLT).

All of us are sort of like caterpillars. We know we’re alive, but this is the only life we know. We walk along the ground like caterpillars crawl along a leaf. A little caterpillar can’t imagine what it will be like to have wings and soar through the air. And like that caterpillar, we can’t imagine what life will be like when we are living in heaven with our Savior. It’s too wonderful to imagine. But Jesus has promised that we will have this special new life with him. We will be changed, transformed.

Prayer:  Dear Jesus, as we look forward to a new life with you in heaven, begin to change us now. Give us hearts that love you more and more, and hands that help others.