God sent Jesus partly to make himself real to us, and his reality makes Jesus the easiest topic among the Trinity. By teaching children about the nature of Jesus, we also teach them about the nature of God and the Spirit, providing invaluable groundwork for later lessons.
Jesus said that all of the law and the prophets boiled down to love, so focus on that. Tell all the stories about how Jesus showed love for God and love for people. Hopefully, these stories will match the love they have felt from family and church, allowing them to internalize the truth of Jesus' love. Basically, you can't go wrong with focusing on the way Jesus lived.
Bruce Powers
Christmas is not too challenging since most children understand the idea of babies. Just try to focus on Jesus instead of presents and parties—and stick to the birth of God's Son rather than tackling incarnation.
Easter, on the other hand, can be quite difficult. I am in no way suggesting we skip these lessons; we just need to be realistic. There is nothing wrong with telling our children that Jesus died and rose again. It is wonderful to hear a 3-year-old call out, “He is risen!” But remember that it takes quite a while for children to even grasp death, so the idea of resurrection simply isn't going to register. It is okay to tell children that some people did not like Jesus and were very mean to him, but there is little to be gained from graphic descriptions of what happened. I fear that for many children the death of Jesus blends in with the many hundreds of imaginary deaths they witness watching what passes for children's television.
In sum, celebrate Easter, but focus on Jesus being alive rather than the rest of Passion Week—those lessons will be more effective later.
The third member of the Trinity is the most difficult. The Holy Spirit is tricky for the best of teachers with the brightest of students, so we have to be careful and creative. I would lean toward an explanation along the lines of carrying someone you love in your heart. Younger kids may be able to grasp the idea of loving and thinking about someone, (like parents or other relatives) even when they are not physically present, but don't even try to explain Jesus' spirit living within us and guiding our steps. Older kids may understand that even in the absence of their parents, they “hear” their voices, reminding them what to do or not do, and you might be able to help them recognize the feelings that indicate the movement of the Spirit within them.
Perhaps the best thing you can do is talk about the work of the Spirit in your life. Often we focus on God and Jesus to the exclusion of the Spirit. Try to model a Spirit-led life and describe what you experience for your children. That will be the best lesson of all.
Bruce Powers, whose column appears monthly, is pastor of Westhaven Baptist Church in Portsmouth. Contact him at [email protected]. Other parenting resources are available from Diane Smith ([email protected]) of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board's emerging leaders team.