Jesus Saves: Teaching the Gospel to Children
By Angela Jelf, writer, poet, mum of 2
As a Sunday School Teacher of very young children, I’ve often found myself pondering this question: “What is the single most important message these little ones need to know about God?”
I normally arrive at the conclusion that what young children really need to know, if nothing else, is that God loves them.
I recently came across a quote by Spurgeon which caught my attention:
“Feed the kids with the same gospel as the grown-up sheep.”
Was he right?
Yes! Absolutely.
Because God’s love and the gospel go hand in hand. They are like two sides of the same coin.
What is the Gospel?
The gospel can be summed up in one of the most famous verses in all the bible. It’s a verse that’s often written on banners and held up at football matches.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that whomsoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
God’s love is not a mushy, sentimental kind of love. God’s love was demonstrated. It was put into action.
For God so loved the world, that He gave! What did He give? The most precious thing a father ever could give. He gave us His Only Son!
Simply put, the word gospel means ‘good news.’
In the book of Luke, the birth of Jesus was announced as “good news of great joy” to the shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem.
“For unto you is born this day, in the City of David, a Saviour who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)
Christ, in total and willing obedience to His Father, left His heavenly throne, and came to earth in human form to live the sinless life we could not live and die on a cross in our place.
Anyone who believes in Jesus and puts their trust in Christ’s finished work on the cross will be saved. That’s the gospel. Parts of the gospel are not pretty. Fallen humanity. Sin, death and separation from our Heavenly Father. And most of all, a wonderfully kind and sinless man, dying a brutal and shameful death on a cross.
Why and how should we teach children about such things?
Why should we teach kids the Gospel?
· Jesus said: “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)
Jesus rebuked the disciples for disqualifying the children. The gospel message belongs to children and to those who have a child-like faith.
· And He said to them, go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” (Mark 16:15)
Jesus commanded His disciples (and us) to proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Not adults only. Not a select few. To the whole creation! And that definitely includes children!
How should we teach kids the Gospel?
Children love to hear good news, don’t they? When my kids were little, if we wanted to break something less than pleasant to them, we would often couple it with a sweetener. We would say: “Do you want the good news or the bad news?” Generally speaking, they’d ask for the bad news first. Why? So that they could revel even more in the good news!
Bad news helps us to appreciate good news all the more! So, let’s not hold back the full gospel from our kids!
Here are some practical ways that we can share the gospel with children.
Always Point to Jesus
The gospel is woven like a golden thread through every book of the bible, from Genesis right through to Revelation.
The death and resurrection of Jesus was prophecied long before it happened. It was foretold and foreshadowed all throughout the Old Testament. Here are just a couple of examples:
· Abraham and Isaac – God tests Abrahams faith by telling him to sacrifice his son, Isaac on Mount Mariah, and providing a sacrificial ram in the thicket, symbolic of Christ, the lamb of God, come to take away the sins of the world.
· In Exodus, the Hebrew people are set free from the bondage of slavery in Egypt, by Moses, a ‘deliverer.’ Christ came to set us free from the bondage and oppression of sin.
No matter what bible story or topic we are covering, let’s be quick to point to Jesus. Let’s use every opportunity to talk about His life, His death, His resurrection. Salvation is found in Christ alone.
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)
Look for Gospel-Centred Resources:
When sourcing books, songs, video clips and other resources, let’s be conscious of how well they line up with the biblical account of the gospel.
Here are a few recommendations:
· Do check out the Jesus Adventure Section on the God for Kids App – especially topics such as Jesus Forgives and Jesus Saves!
· Keys For Kids daily devotionals for kids – read or listen to a daily devotional online
· For family devotions, check out next month’s blog from Lucy Rycroft of “The Hope Filled Family”
For gospel-centred praise and worship songs, check out the Aussie singer/songwriter, Colin Buchanan.
Metaphors can be helpful:
· “The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe” by C.S Lewis
· “Treasures of The Snow” & “The Tanglewoods Secret” by Patricia St. John
Jesus often used parables, to unpack the gospel – The Unmerciful Servant, The Pearl of Great Price, The Good Samaritan
Explaining The Gospel to Kids
Let’s not assume that children understand deep theological terms – but let’s look for creative ways to explain them. Here are some (less than perfect) ideas:
· Redemption – buying something back, paying a ransom
· Gospel – Good News
· Justice – Getting what we deserve
· Mercy – Not getting what we deserve
· Grace – Getting what we don’t deserve
· Righteous – Made right with God
· Atonement – Jesus is punished in our place
· Justified – Just as if I never sinned
How would you explain these terms to children? What metaphoric examples could you give for each one?
Time To Celebrate!
With Easter fast approaching, let’s use every opportunity to teach our kids this good news of great joy!
