Jesus Took Your Punishment

Keys for Kids Daily Devotional for December 2, 2006
TITLE: Just One Sting
SCRIPTURE: 1 Corinthians 15:50-57
AUDIO: listen here
THE STORY FOR TODAY:
"Get away! Get away!" Joanna swung her arms wildly as a bee buzzed round and round her head. "Mom!" she screamed. "That bee is going to get me!"
Joanna dashed toward her mother, who was working in the flower garden. Mom held out her arms, and Joanna rushed into them and hid her face against her mother. The angry bee followed.
Mom stood still, waiting for the bee to leave, but the excited insect seemed determined to find a victim. As Mom brushed the bee away from Joanna, it landed on her own bare arm. "Ow!" Mom exclaimed with a gasp. Then she said quietly, "Look, honey. You don't need to be afraid of this bee anymore. It has stung me."
Fearfully, Joanna lifted her head and looked at her mother's arm. She drew back as she saw the bee still crawling there. "It can't hurt you now," Mom assured her. "It has only one sting."
"Oh, Mom! You took the sting for me!" exclaimed Joanna as the bee tumbled to the ground. "Does it hurt bad?"
"Well, it doesn't feel very good," said Mom, "but I'm glad I was there to take it."
As Mom treated the sting a few minutes later, Joanna spoke thoughtfully. "In Sunday school last week, my teacher read some verses and explained that Jesus took the punishment for our sins," she said. "I didn't quite understand it then, but I think I do now. Just like you're suffering for me, Jesus did, too-only more." She paused. "I want to thank Him and ask Him to save me," she added. "Should I just go ahead and tell Him that? Will you pray with me?"
Mom nodded and put an arm around Joanna. "Yes, and I'm so glad," she said. "Let's talk to Him right now, and then let's get the Bible and review some of those verses." The bee sting was forgotten while Joanna and Mom prayed and then sat together to look up some of the verses in God's Word.
MEMORY VERSE: 1 Corinthians 15:56-57 The sting of death is sin . . . but thanks be to God who gives us the victory.
HOW ABOUT YOU? Do you understand that Jesus took the punishment you deserve? When you accept Him as your Savior, you no longer need to fear death because He died for you and conquered the sting of sin and death. If you've never acknowledged what Jesus did for you and haven't asked Him to save you, won't you do that right now? (See the ABCs at the end of this book.)
THE KEY: Jesus took your punishment