Object Lessons

Growing a Garden

Objects: A small fish bowl, a small jewel box resembling a casket, a green cardboard large enough to cover the front of the fish bowl, a pint of sodium silicate (one form of water glass), and four of the following crystals: Cobalt nitrate, cobalt chloride, ferric chloride, copper chloride, chrome alum, and manganese chloride. (Add a pint of water to the "water glass" and put in the fish bowl. Place the green cardboard in front of the fish bowl. Cut a large hole in the bottom of the jewel box, and place the box over the mouth of the bowl. "Technical" chemicals are less expensive and are satisfactory.   If chemicals are not available at a local store, the high-school chemistry department will be able to furnish them. 

 How many of you would like to grow a garden?

"We do not have enough space, and it takes too long."

The garden we will grow this morning requires very little time and space.

I have four kinds of crystals, reminding us of the four races of earth. Some of them are more colorful than others. We will drop them into this little casket, reminding us of Christians from all races who will have died and been buried before Christ comes to earth again. (Place the jewel box over the mouth of the fish bowl, allowing the crystals to drop through the hole into the bowl.)

Job asked a question one time about life beyond death. He said, "If a man die, shall he live again?" (Job 14:14). This question is answered in Job 19:25, 26, "For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God."

In Philippians 3:21, we read, "Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body." In this life our bodies are very plain, but our resurrected ones will be like Christ's body.

We will look to see what has happened to the crystals. (The teacher can make sure that the crystals are "growing" by looking at the back of the jar before uncovering the front. A Song may be sung if extra time is needed.) Instead of remaining the common-looking crystals, they have changed into a beautiful garden. The change for us will be greater than this, when we receive our resurrected bodies.