During the past months, your children have awaited and celebrated their Savior’s birth at Christmas. They have heard how He grew up, taught, healed, and unconditionally loved those around Him. By the powerful work of the Holy Spirit, your children have come to know Jesus in a more personal way as their dear Friend.
During this season of Lent we begin to talk about Jesus’ suffering and death. It is difficult for young children to understand both why and how this could happen to Him. None of the heroes with whom they identify ever meet with this kind of apparent defeat. Cartoon heroes never lose. Isn’t Jesus stronger than they? Certainly Jesus could have broken the ropes that bound Him, walked away from the soldiers who arrested Him, or asked His heavenly Father to send angels so save Him. He did not do these things because He wanted to obey God’s plan and because He loved us so much that He let Himself be hurt and die so that our sins would be forgiven and one day we could live with Him forever in heaven.
JESUS DID NOT LOSE . . . HE WON!
His resurrection that we celebrate at Easter tells us that Jesus won over death. He is God. He lives forever and we will too.
Young children will, of course, not grasp fully the meaning behind what happened at the cross. Even as adult Christians, we continue to grow in our understanding of it all. Preschoolers are still in the process of separating fact and fantasy in their understanding of the world around them and probably do not comprehend the finality of death. This may make it difficult for them to see Jesus’ death and resurrection as a wondrous thing. Regardless, they can understand the love behind the sacrifice and that is what we emphasize – Jesus’ great love for us. We celebrate with happiness and joy because Jesus, our friend, is alive and always with us!
I am writing to you on behalf of all Early Childhood teachers, and I hope this information will be helpful to you as together we teach His little ones.
This article was written by Joyce Rausch, a former director of Trinity’s Early Childhood Center.
As we are solemnly celebrating this Holy Week and are looking forward to Easter Sunday, it is my prayer that the Lord would rest His Hand gently upon now and always, remembering that Jesus loves you forever.
With Easter Joy,
Kathleen Krass