During the past week, I was thankful to have taken the time to read the book "Heaven is for Real." As I read the well-known story about Colton Burpo, (age 3 years and 10 months at the time,) having an encounter with Jesus Christ in heaven I couldn't help but have a spiritual realization.
Throughout the years following Colton's near death experience of a ruptured appendix, he revealed to his parents more knowledge and understanding of how things ran in heaven. Of course, all through the eyes of a blue-eyed, almost four year old, little boy. His descriptions of Jesus could only be explained such as, "hair on his face" where an adult would have specified a beard, or mustache. His innocence, however, adding a much simpler explanation.
After reading this conversation, I realized that I needed to be reminded of God's everlasting love. That Jesus' death on the cross was for the sins of all people. And that the markers Colton saw on Jesus, represented the places where nails once lived. This realization reminded me that God gave us his only son, so that we may have a relationship with him. Without the sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus Christ, we could never fulfill God's will.
Excerpt from "Heaven is for Real" written by Todd Burpo
"Hey, Colton, can I ask you something else about Jesus?"
He nodded but didn't look up from his devastating attack on a little pile of X-Men.
"What did Jesus look like?" I said.
Abruptly, Colton put down his toys and looked up at me.
"Jesus has markers."
"What?"
"Markers, Daddy. . . "
...As would become a pattern for the next couple of years, I sat there and tried to figure out what to ask him next. I thought through what he had said so far. . .John the Baptist... was "nice," Jesus and his clothes, rainbows, horses. I got all that. But what about the markers? What did Colton mean when he said Jesus has markers? What are markers to a little kid? Suddenly, I had it.
"Colton, you said Jesus had markers. You mean like the markers that you color with?"
Colton nodded. "Yeah, like colors. He had colors on him."
"Like when you color a page?"
"Yeah."
"Well, what color are Jesus' markers?"
"Red, Daddy. Jesus has red markers on him."
At that moment, my throat nearly closed with tears as I suddenly understood what Colton was trying to say. Quietly, carefully, I said, "Colton, where are Jesus's markers?"
Without hesitation, he stood to his feet. He held out his right hand, palm up and pointed to the center of it with his left. Then he held out his left palm and pointed with his right hand. Finally, Colton bent over and pointed to the tops of both his feet.
"That's where Jesus' markers are, Daddy," he said.
After realizing that his little boy was referencing Jesus' marks from being crucified, Colton's dad was too shocked to acknowledge that he and his wife had never explained the places where Jesus was nailed to the cross. And from what they knew, Colton had never seen a crucifix. However, when Todd asked his son what Jesus looked like, the "markers" were the first description Colton gave him. "Not the purple sash, the crown, or even Jesus' eyes, with which Colton was clearly enchanted. He'd said, right off the bat, "Jesus has markers."
"I'd once heard a spiritual "riddle" that went like this:
What's the only thing in heaven that's the same as it was on earth?
The answer: the wounds in Jesus' hands and feet.
Maybe it was true."
