To Step with Death

Kidspeak gives us a new vocabulary to describe Jesus' all-out war with the grave. He "steps" with death, and achieves a victory that is ours today.

[NOTE: Begin by reading the following Homiletics version of the story of the raising of Lazarus.]

Two fly Betties named Mary and Martha had a brother named Lazarus, a homeslice of Jesus the Messiah. Lazarus was whack - he had a bad illness - so Mary and Martha gave Jesus the 4-1-1, saying, "Lord, the one you sweat is ill."

Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's bounce." So they went to the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, and found that Lazarus was in the tomb - death had ganked his life. "That's killed," said Jesus, "but I don't give any props to death. Mary and Martha, raise the roof! Your brother will rise again!"

Jesus decided to step with death. He dropped some information on his heavenly Father, then cried out to Lazarus, "What's the dilly, homeslice? Come out!"

The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to the people around him, "Death is slummin'. Now unbind him, and let him go."

"Death is slummin'."...