During a routine trip to the pediatrician, my six-year-old was working on her BSF lesson.  

Walking in, the doctor asked, “What are you working on?”  

“My Bible study,” answered my daughter while putting away her BSF lesson.  

“Oh! And what are you studying?” she inquired. 

“Revelation!”  

The pediatrician turned to me in surprise, exclaiming, “Revelation?!? What six-year-old studies Revelation?” 

Maybe you’re wondering the same thing. How can children study the book of Revelation? I’d love to tell you three reasons why my husband and I chose to allow our children—who were one, four, six, and ten at the time—to study this often-avoided book through BSF.

(Revelation 22:6)

BSF Kids and Students have always prioritized this biblical truth: God is the hero of every story. While the book of Revelation may seem full of confusing imagery and difficult events, the conclusion is always the same: Jesus can and will make everything right.  As my preschoolers went through the BSF Kids study, I appreciated that they always walked away with the truth that Jesus conquers all.

When a passage from Revelation was too mature or unclear for little hearts, BSF chose a parallel passage to teach the same truths, but at an age-appropriate level.  

In BSF Students, my older children read the same Scripture that the adults read, but their lesson questions focused on what is clearly understood as opposed to grappling with what God has purposely kept a mystery. There were times our older children came to us asking questions about things they read, and we saw these as opportunities to explain what we knew, as well as admit to what we still couldn’t comprehend. We didn’t view this as something to fear or explain away, but as a chance to model our trust in the Lord’s sovereignty and character.  

(Revelation 1:3, 22:7)

John begins and ends the book of Revelation with a promise of blessings. He states that the one who hears, the one who reads aloud, and the one who takes to heart what is written in this book will be blessed. John also opens the book with a unique assurance that what he has written is from Jesus, given by God, to be shown to Jesus’s servants.  

I don’t have to wonder what my child will get out of studying Revelation because John, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has assured me that we will get God’s blessings. I will not withhold from my children the good that God intends from the reading and studying of this book. He had Revelation written with them in mind. 

(Revelation 4:11)

A good friend once taught some of our children to ride a bike. She held the back of the bike and the handlebar while running alongside, repeatedly reminding them that they needed to look up to stay balanced. “If you look down, you’ll get wobbly,” she warned. Even after she let go, she kept reminding them to look up; when they got nervous and looked down, they would start to fall. While the metaphor isn’t perfect, it’s the same for us. To live an abundant life on earth, our children need to be trained to look up at Jesus.

The world wants us to look in, look down, and look around for fulfillment, but the book of Revelation demonstrates that creation is most satisfied in the presence of our Savior. Revelation teaches us that to live life abundantly here on earth, we need to keep our eyes and hearts fixed on Jesus. He is coming soon to condemn sin and bring His children home to spend eternity with Him.  

Scripture says that every knee will bow in heaven and on earth one day, but what a blessing to choose to bend our hearts and knees to Him now. He deserves to be glorified now as much as He will deserve all glory when sin has been removed. I want my children to know what reverence looks like, and Revelation gives us a beautiful glimpse.  

Lord willing, our family of seven (we had one more child in 2017) will study the book of Revelation again in September. As a mom who prays for her children to place their hope in Christ alone, I can’t think of a timelier study than Revelation: The Hope. 

I live in downtown Philadelphia, and when the Phillies won the World Series in 2008, the celebration was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Tens of thousands of people spilled into the streets late at night to celebrate the victory. Total strangers became best friends for hours as the city rejoiced in unison. 

A few days later, I walked down the very same street. It was different, shockingly different. I felt let down; to be honest, the drastic change was depressing for me. I wanted to see crowds hugging and high-fiving and dancing. I wanted to hear people singing and shouting and crying with joy. But the street was empty and littered with trash. 

Sadly, I think the same can be said of the Church after Easter. We celebrate on Sunday with vigor, but a few days later, we fall back into the same mundane pattern of everyday life. We often live as if Easter hasn’t happened. 

I love Sundays, but I love Easter Sunday even more. In one culminating and specific moment in history, Jesus Christ summarizes and finalizes the salvation narrative. There are six things in particular that I love about the empty tomb. 

1. The empty tomb reveals that God is faithful. 

Centuries earlier, after Adam and Eve rebelled, God promised that He would crush wrong once and for all (Genesis 3:15). He vowed to send His Son to defeat sin and death by His crucifixion and resurrection. For thousands of years, God neither forgot nor turned from His promise. He didn’t grow weary, nor would He be distracted. He made a promise, and He controlled the events of history so that at just the right moment, Jesus Christ would come and fulfill what had been promised. 

2. The empty tomb reveals that God is powerful. 

Think of the authority you would have to have to control all the situations, locations, and relationships in order to guarantee that Jesus would come at the precise moment and do what He was appointed to do. Also, could there be a more pointed demonstration of power than to have power over death (1 Corinthians 15:55)?

By God’s awesome power, Jesus took off His grave clothes and walked out of that tomb. Those guys in power-lifting competitions may be able to pull a fire truck with their teeth, but they’ll all die, and there’s nothing they can do about it.

 3. The empty tomb reveals that God is loving. 

Why would God go to such an extent to help us? Why would He care to notice us, let alone rescue us? Why would He ever sacrifice His own Son? Because not only is God loving, but He Himself is the definition of love (John 3:16; 1 John 4:8).

You and I need to recognize that His love was not motivated by what He saw in us, but by what is inside of Him. Even when we’re unloving and rebellious, full of ourselves and wanting our own way, God is still loving. He delights in transforming us by His grace and rescuing us by His love.

4. The empty tomb guarantees eternity. 

No matter how mundane, routine, and slowly progressing your story seems to be, it’s marching towards a glorious conclusion. There will be a moment when God will raise you out of this broken world into a paradise where sin and suffering will be no more (1 Corinthians 15:52; Revelation 21:4). 

5. The empty tomb guarantees security. 

No matter how unpredictable and out-of-control your life feels, Jesus is reigning, and He will continue to reign until the final enemy is under His feet (1 Corinthians 15:25). That doesn’t mean you won’t experience pain and hurt in this world, but it does mean there’s nothing that Jesus does not know about, cannot intervene in, or alter altogether. 

6. The empty tomb guarantees delivery. 

No matter how hopeless and weak you think you are, you’ve been provided with all the grace you need to make it to the end. Future grace always carries with it the promise of present grace. God will provide everything you need until you see Him face-to-face (2 Peter 1:3). 

And that’s why I love Easter Sunday so much!

As much as I’m captivated and riveted by these truths of the empty tomb, I need to be honest with you: it’s a struggle for me to remember them once the celebration of Easter has died down. 

So, to conclude, I want to turn your attention to the end of 1 Corinthians 15. This chapter is arguably the New Testament’s longest and most detailed treatise on the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. And in the final verse, the Apostle Paul gives us marching orders for how to live after Easter Sunday. 

He writes, “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58, ESV) 

1. The empty tomb gives us unusual stability. 

Paul uses the words steadfast and immovable. Is your life a picture of that kind of stability? Is your everyday life anchored in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and His victory on Easter, or are you blown around by the winds of difficult circumstances, relationships, and realities of life in a fallen world? 

2. The empty tomb motivates us into lifelong activism. 

Because of the resurrection, we should give ourselves “fully to the work of the Lord.” To abound means to be enthusiastic and hopeful, motivated and courageous. If you actually believe that Christ rose from death and that He reigns in power, you ought to believe that the sexually addicted can be delivered; that rebellious children can become submissive; that broken marriages can be healed; that fearful people can know courage; and that the depressed can rise to live with joy again. Enough of survival—we believe in victory and transformation. 

3. The empty tomb grounds us in realistic hope. 

If the empty tomb guarantees eternity, then we believe that our lifelong activism “is not in vain.” We live and minister in a fallen world—and that can be very discouraging—but in the darkest of nights, when progress seems invisible, we can have hope. 

I know I’m not alone in my struggles to remember Easter. But don’t be discouraged—the very fact that we’re struggling with these heart issues means that grace is present in our lives! In our weakness and confusion, we can admit our need for help and God will meet us in our broken honesty. 

As a follower of Christ, the resurrected Lord dwells within you today by His Spirit. You’re a new person, not only in righteous standing before God, but in ability and desire. Jesus walked out of that empty tomb so you can walk in hope and freedom. 

Don’t wait until next Easter to celebrate that!