Butterflies are one of the most fascinating of all God’s creations. They start their lives as grubby, ugly caterpillars, but there comes a point in in their lives when they undergo a miraculous change, completely transforming into something beautiful and elegant.
The Bible is truly our ultimate guide to life and Godliness, touching on every topic that we need in order to live a life of satisfaction and purpose as God created us.
So, what does the Bible have to say about Butterflies?
Butterflies in the Bible?
Although there are no verses in the Bible that specifically speak about butterflies, when we look at God’s magnificent creations, time and time again we see that creation points us back to the truths of God’s Word.
Butterflies stand as a bright symbol of God’s mercy and grace and the transformative power of the Gospel to change us from what we once were into something beautiful.
A butterfly begins its life as a caterpillar, what many would refer to as an ugly, disgusting, or even a scary worm of a creature. Caterpillars are small, grub-like creatures that spend their days crawling, without the ability to fly, unable to break free from the confines of the prison of the trees and shrubs with which they inhabit.
Similarly, the Bible tells us that we all begin our lives as wicked, sinful people, who are, on our own, are unable to break free from the chains of sin that so easily ensnares us.
However, just as the caterpillar can undergo a miraculous metamorphic change that completely transforms it into a new creation, we too, through the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, can overcome the prison of our sin and experience a miraculous transformation as the old has passed away and all things have become brand new.
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
2 Corinthians 5: 17
10 Bible Verses About Butterflies
Butterflies are a symbol of epic change and transformation. These verses speak truth into our hearts about the transformation that is possible for each one of us when we put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
- 2 Corinthians 5: 14-15 – “For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;15 and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.”
The Bible tells us that Christ died for us so that we should no longer live for ourselves but live for Christ. Before we have placed our trust in Jesus we live a life of selfishness, living our lives for ourselves, but when we are transformed by the power of Christ, we begin to live for Him. By living for Christ, we live for the things that He stands for; such as love and compassion for all men.
- Psalm 107: 14 – “He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their chains in pieces.”
Before the caterpillar has changed into the butterfly it is defenseless, stuck crawling on the branches without any way of escape from predators. However, after the metamorphosis is complete, the butterfly has full freedom to fly high above the jaws of danger. The Bible tells us that God will bring us out of our darkness and the shadow of death, God will break the chains of our old selves and give us freedom.
- Isaiah 40: 31 – “But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”
The new wings of the butterfly allow it to rise up and fly through the air above the struggles that it once had as a lowly caterpillar. The Bible tells us that we too can soar on wings if only we will trust in the Lord.
- Ephesians 4: 22-24 – “…that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”
The butterfly once had an old life as a caterpillar. When it crawled out of the cocoon, it flew away, not taking with it the shell of the old chrysalis and leaving behind the reminder of what it once was. In the same way, you and I are to put aside our former conduct and rise up to greater, holier things.
- Ezekiel 36: 26 – “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”
God will give us a new heart and a new spirit. If we come to Christ, we too can experience a miraculous transformation just like that of the butterfly. Praise be to God!
- John 3: 3, 6, & 7 – “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God’. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.'”
When the caterpillar enters into the cocoon, it begins a type of rebirth. It enters the cocoon as an unsightly caterpillar and is soon completely reborn as a beautiful butterfly. To enter into the kingdom of God, we too must be born again.
- 2 Corinthians 3: 18 – “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.“
The Bible speaks of the great transformation power found in Christ! The caterpillar is often thought of as ugly and maybe even scary. The reality of our sin is that it is ugly and, yes, even scary because the Bible tells us that the wages of our sin is death. Thank God that we don’t have to remain in our caterpillar-like state forever. Thank God that we can leave the caterpillar behind and, through the transformation power of the cross, we can become something beautiful.
- Colossians 3: 9-10 – “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of him who created him.”
The Bible again reminds us that when we have trusted on Christ and been born again, we have put off our old self, just like the butterfly when he has left his old self behind and emerged as his new self.
- Philippians 1: 6 – “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;”
When the caterpillar enters into the cocoon, it does not wonder whether it will ever come out again. It is sure that it will one day emerge as a new creature. The Bible says that we can also be sure of that very thing; that He who has begun the good work in us will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. God assures us that He will personally complete our transformation.
- Isaiah 43: 18 – “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old.”
When the Butterfly finally comes out of the cocoon and its wings have dried out, it does not wait around and ponder about when it used to be a caterpillar. It immediately stretches its wings and flys away. My friend, it should be the same in our lives. When God has set us free from the chains of our sin that once held us so strongly in their bonds, we need not ponder them or dwell on them, but rather spread our wings and fly.
Transformation Power In Jesus Christ
Praise be to God that we can experience the transformation power in Christ. Just as the caterpillar changes into the butterfly, we too can undergo the metamorphasis of our hearts and souls and be transformed into the blessed image and likeness of our Lord Jesus!
God can take a filthy, dirty, ugly sinner just like you and I and transform us into something truly magnificent and worderful.
Let God take control in your life and let Him change you from the inside out. Let Him take you and remake you. Let Him be the Lord of your life today!
