A Bunny's Easter Story

This story sort of just came to me yesterday and I hope you'll enjoy it.  Of course, it is ultimately for children.

A Bunny’s Easter Story


One day just before Passover, Bernie the bunny had gathered all of his little grandbunnies and told them he had a story to tell them.  All one hundred fifty-two of the grandbunnies gathered as close as they could twitching their little noses with excitement.

“I wonder what Papa Bernie’s story will be about?”  Little Sarah asked excitedly.

Barney snorted, “Probably about something when he was a little bunny.  You know how he loves tall tales!”

“Papa Bernie was once a little bunny like us?”  Sarah asked with surprise.

“Of course, don’t you know anything?”  Barney said with a snort.

“Quiet, you two!  Let’s listen to Papa Bernie!”  Pelah commanded, as the oldest grandbunny.

Papa Bernie cleared his throat and twitched his nose and settled in to tell his story.

“A long time ago...”

“I told you so,” Barney interrupted with a snort.

“Hush!”  Demanded Pelah.

Papa Bernie started again.

“A long time ago, even before I was born...”

All the grandbunnies looked at each other because they thought Papa Bernie had always been around.

Papa Bernie continued, “there lived a bunny named Jacob in the old land of Israel.  He lived in the city of Jerusalem where a man named Jesus came to teach in the streets.  From what Jacob could tell, everything Jesus said sounded good and He seemed very kind.  So, Jacob followed behind.

“But one evening in the garden where Jesus prayed, some men armed with swords took Jesus away.  Jacob was curious so he followed along.  After all, who would pay attention to a little old bunny like him.”

Sarah giggled a little and Papa Bernie went on.

“Jacob followed as Jesus was taken to one man and then to another.  They tied him up and spit in his face and hit him over and over again.  Then people began to yell, ‘Crucify Him, Crucify Him!’ “

“Jacob didn’t know what ‘crucify’ meant but it surely didn’t sound good.  So, Jacob followed along as some men with a whip made with rope and chips of stone tied into it began to hit Jesus with the whip on his back.  They hit him thirty-nine times and Jacob’s eyes filled with tears for Jesus was a good man and didn’t deserve this.”

“After  the men beat Jesus, they made him carry tow big sticks nailed across one another through the town and up toward a hill. When Jesus was weak and fell on the ground, another man carried the big wooden sticks and Jesus followed along..  Jacob wanted to run away and hide but just couldn’t leave Jesus alone.”

“Finally, they made it to the top of the hill and what happened next made Jacob cry all the more.”

“The men laid down the wood sticks then made Jesus lay on top of them and they nailed his hands and his feet to the wood.  Then they stood the sticks up and Jesus hung on that cross until he died.”

“Jacob cried and he cried and he followed Jesus’ mother to where they laid Jesus down in a tomb.”

Sarah asked, “What’s a tomb, Papa Bernie?”

“A tomb is a small cave where they buried people in Jerusalem.”

“Oh...”  Sarah said sadly.

Papa Bernie continued.

“Jacob didn’t know why but he stayed  by the tomb for three days and what happened next was such an amazing thing, Jacob could hardly believe.  A lady named Mary came to the tomb where they put Jesus’ body and found it empty.  She began to cry loudly from deep inside her when suddenly a man appeared before her.  She looked at Him and so did Jacob and low and behold, it was Jesus there alive once again!”

“Mary got all excited  and ran on her way and, what do you know, but Jesus turned and looked right at Jacob with a smile on His face.  He gave Jacob a winked and thanked him for staying with Him right to the end.  Jesus knelt and explained that because of His death and resurrection every man, woman and child could now choose Him as Savior and never be separated from God forever and ever.”
“Before Jesus left, he asked Jacob one more favor.  He asked him to please tell His story and that He’s alive to all of his kids and tell them to share it with all still to come.”

“With that request, Jesus disappeared and Jacob lived on to tell the story as Jesus had urged.”

Barney sniffed and he snorted as tears came to his eyes.

“Papa Bernie, can I know Jesus, too, can I?”

Papa Bernie nodded his head and they all said a prayer. 

Then Barney said proudly, “This bunny follows Jesus from now on, will you?”


Copyright © 2009, Kimberly Lovell, All Rights Reserved