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Read: Luke 20:27-38

Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question. Jesus replied, “Those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come . . . will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection. Luke 20:27-38 (selected verses)

God’s Awesomeness Hurts My Brain

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Have you ever really thought about space . . . like, really thought about it?

• The light from the closest star to us (besides the sun!) takes over four years to reach Earth.


• Other stars are so far away that their light takes thousands, or even millions, of years to get here!


• If you could fly in a spaceship past those stars, you’d see even more tiny stars, and past those, even more stars, and it keeps going forever.

Doesn’t that hurt your brain? It’s almost impossible to imagine how big space is!

Back in Jesus’ day, a group of people (called the Sadducees) had a hard time imagining heaven. They didn’t even believe it existed! They thought, “If we can’t understand it, it can’t be real!” So, they tried to trap Jesus with a tricky question, hoping he’d admit that heaven doesn’t make sense.

But God doesn’t work by human rules. Jesus told them that heaven is so different from Earth that we won’t fully understand it. Yet, in heaven:

• There is no sin—nothing bad ever happens.


• The only thing that matters is that we are God’s children (Luke 20:36 ) forever.

And if you ever doubt that God can raise his children to live with him for eternity, just remember: He made all of space! If God can make something so mind-blowing and enormous, he can certainly do anything—including keeping all his believers with him forever in heaven.

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, thank you for giving me the awesome gift of heaven. Even though I struggle to fully understand it, I know it’s going to be great! Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

• How old were you four years ago? That’s how long the light from the closest star has been traveling to reach Earth!


• List some amazing things God created. (Stars, oceans, mountains, animals—anything that makes you say “Wow!”)

Questions for Elementary Age Children

• God calls us his children. How does that make you feel? (Safe, loved, important?)


• What do parents do for their children? Now think—that’s what God does for you, too!

Questions for Middle School and Above

• What things about heaven don’t make sense to your brain? (No sin, no sickness, living forever . . . how can it all be real?)


• What will you do if someone tries to stump you with a question about heaven? (Remember: God can do anything, and we don’t need to fully understand it to trust Him!)

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