Can you imagine what a surprise it would have been for the women who arrived at the tomb of Jesus to find the stone had been rolled away? How about the even bigger surprise to be told by an angel that Jesus wasn’t there because he was alive again?
Sally Michael asks such questions in her just-released Easter-themed children’s book, A Wonderful Surprise, that brings the final days of Jesus’s time on earth to life. It tells young children how Jesus died for us and rose again... and ends with an even greater surprise.
Part of her Bible Verses to Remember series, A Wonderful Surprise helps young children to not only memorize Scripture but to understand how it applies to their lives. In this new release, preschoolers learn that Jesus is the King of everyone and everything and helps them memorize Luke 19:38: “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“I chose this verse to explain the crucifixion, death, resurrection, and return of Jesus because little children understand that a king is important and in charge of his kingdom,” Michael said. “But unlike most kings, Jesus didn’t come to be served but to serve others by dying on the cross for sinners.”
“Luke 19:38a—Blessed be the king who comes in the name of the Lord!—carries the theme of Jesus the King, who humbled himself to die on a cross, but because he truly is the Son of God, the King of the whole world, death could not hold him. He rose from the dead and is alive!”
A Wonderful Surprise tells how when Jesus entered Jerusalem, the crowds shouted, “Hosanna!” and “Blessed is the King!” But just a few days later, the people shouted, “Crucify him!”
The book vividly illustrates the cave where Jesus’ friends put him after he died. It was a sad day. No one was saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.” However, on the third day after Jesus died, everyone received a big surprise—Jesus was alive!
The final pages of A Wonderful Surprise reveal what will be the greatest surprise ever—the astounding day when Jesus will come back again. It will be the greatest surprise because no one knows when that day will be.
“These books are primarily aimed at preschool children,” says Michael. “Little children memorize almost effortlessly. Their minds are like sponges, eager to absorb as much information as they can. By simply repeating the verse several times, most preschoolers will have the verse memorized.”
“They may not have a comprehensive understanding of memorized verses, but they do have a rudimentary understanding and I have seen amazing examples of the Holy Spirit bringing understanding of memorized Scripture through real-life situations.”
Bruce A. Ware, a professor at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, calls these books “a gift to our children.” He says the Bible Verses to Remember series accomplishes the twin goals of helping “young children to memorize Scripture” [and] “think deeply and clearly about what those verses mean.”
