This was the Close-My Eyes story Billy had been
waiting for.
It was Easter Sunday night, little Billy was in bed but He was far from being sleepy.
His Mother had said it was from all the chocolate he had been eating all day long.
Big Bill thought maybe it was the company and the fact Grandma and Grandpa had
spent the day with them.
Little Billy had his own notion. He was excited about Jesus.
The pastor at church that morning had talked about the empty tomb and the stone
being rolled away.
That excited little Billy.
Jesus had escaped!
Just like some of the magic tricks he had seen on television. Where they put the
magician in a box, or a straightjacket, or in a fish tank and the next thing you know,
they were out.
They put Jesus in a grave, a hollow in the rock, sealed it with a big stone, and the next
thing you know, Jesus was out.
"I wonder if he said "ta-da!," when He first escaped,"
Billy thought, giggling at his own joke.
Billy did not get any further in his pondering. His Dad entered the room, and Billy
knew it was story time.
"I don't know what I can tell you Billy," big Bill mused. "You have
heard so much today in Sunday School, then church, there were television shows on all
night. What is there left for me to tell you about this day?"
"Well I know the tomb was empty and I know the stone was rolled away," Little
Billy said recounting his lessons of the day. "I know Mary Magdalene was the
first to see Jesus and that she told the other disciples that Jesus had arisen from the
grave."
"Well that pretty much sounds like the whole story to me Billy," his Dad
said. "What's left."
"I was wondering," Billy began, "Did everybody believe that Jesus
actually had come back to life. They saw the empty grave, they heard what Mary said,
but did they believe," little Billy asked his father.
"Even today," big Bill explained, "There are some people who do not believe
Jesus arose from the grave. Pilate and some of the leaders passed around the rumor that
the guards were either paid off, or drugged to make them fall asleep, and Jesus' body was
stolen."
"Even some of the disciples were at first doubtful whether Jesus had returned.
So there were some questions that remained Billy. The empty grave did not
plant faith in everybody."
Little Billy sat straight up in the bed with a puzzled look on his face.
"All that Jesus went through, and there were some who still did not believe,"
Billy said.
"Yes Billy and there are some, who still do not believe today," his father
added.
"I guess they just do not have my Jesus-On-The-Inside feel," said little Billy.
Big Bill smiled. Little Billy seemed to have an answer for most things. And more
often than not, they made sense.
"Now tell me Billy, what is your Jesus-On-The-Inside feel," asked his
father.
Billy had not forgotten about the magicians he had thought about earlier.
"Daddy, on television lots of times they will put a woman in a box and the magician
will stand on the top of it. He holds up a curtain. Then there is a flash and
when curtain is lowered, the woman is standing on the box and the magician is inside it.
Little Billy continued, "When Jesus came out of the grave He had to go somewhere and
I feel, He is inside me, that is my Jesus-On-The-Inside feel. When I help old Mrs.
Miller across the street, I get the feel and when I do something wrong, I get the
feel. It always feels like Jesus is inside me helping me with doing right and
reminding me when I am being bad. That is my Jesus-On-The-Inside feel."
Big Bill smiled, and explained to little Billy that Jesus told his disciples that when he
departed them, He would leave behind the Comforter, who would dwell within them.
"See, I told you I had a Jesus-On-The-Inside feel," little Billy said.
"Besides, if Jesus did not want to live in that borrowed grave, He is more than
welcome to share my body with me. It might be a little snug and cramped for him right now,
but I am going to get bigger."
"Billy I hope you keep that Jesus-On-The-Inside feel for the rest of your life,"
big Bill said giving his son a tight hug, "And as for there being enough room in
there for you and Jesus, I don't think Jesus could find a bigger or better place to live
than in your heart."
Big Bill pulled the covers up for little Billy, thankful to God for giving him such a
special son. A son, who had a Jesus-On-The-Inside feeling!
.
