OCTOBER: JESUS DIED, BUT LIVED AGAIN
LOVE CONQUERED!
Concept:
Jesus died on a Roman cross. The whole earth was sad. But death was not the end for Jesus! After three days, he was resurrected - that means he was alive again. Jesus’s death and resurrection is really hard to understand. There’s mystery to all of it, and it’s okay that we can’t answer every question we have about it. (Photo by Marc-Oliver Jodoin on Unsplash)
Here are some ways to talk with children about it:
For very young children:
Some people didn’t like the way of love that Jesus taught, and they killed him. But God’s love is stronger than death, and Jesus lived again! Love is stronger than hate. Life is stronger than death. And we know that we will always be with Jesus, even when we die.
For older children (not a specific age - this is for when they start asking more questions!):
We all miss the mark. The people in the Bible missed the mark, our ancestors missed the mark, our grandparents missed the mark, all of us miss the mark. Even when we try to do our best to live Jesus’s way of love, we still sometimes just don’t get it quite right. We can think of Jesus’s life, death and resurrection as the ultimate story of God sticking with us. God chose to come and live with humans - to be a baby with lots of needs, to go through puberty, to experience all of the pain and joy and temptation and silliness of being human. Jesus even experienced death, just like we all will. When we try to live like Jesus did, we get to live a whole new kind of life. And just as Jesus forgave the people who played a part in his death, we are forgiven when we miss the mark. We also know that, by the power of Jesus, we can forgive others, too.
When Jesus resurrected, he showed us that God’s love is stronger than everything, even death. Life and love beat death and hate! Life being stronger than death means that there’s resurrection for us, too. How all of that happens is a mystery, but we know that there is life after death, and that we will be with God.
We are “resurrection people.” We live with the hope that love wins, that life wins, and that we serve a God who sticks with us.
Jesus died on a Roman cross. The whole earth was sad. But death was not the end for Jesus! After three days, he was resurrected - that means he was alive again. Jesus’s death and resurrection is really hard to understand. There’s mystery to all of it, and it’s okay that we can’t answer every question we have about it. (Photo by Marc-Oliver Jodoin on Unsplash)
Here are some ways to talk with children about it:
For very young children:
Some people didn’t like the way of love that Jesus taught, and they killed him. But God’s love is stronger than death, and Jesus lived again! Love is stronger than hate. Life is stronger than death. And we know that we will always be with Jesus, even when we die.
For older children (not a specific age - this is for when they start asking more questions!):
We all miss the mark. The people in the Bible missed the mark, our ancestors missed the mark, our grandparents missed the mark, all of us miss the mark. Even when we try to do our best to live Jesus’s way of love, we still sometimes just don’t get it quite right. We can think of Jesus’s life, death and resurrection as the ultimate story of God sticking with us. God chose to come and live with humans - to be a baby with lots of needs, to go through puberty, to experience all of the pain and joy and temptation and silliness of being human. Jesus even experienced death, just like we all will. When we try to live like Jesus did, we get to live a whole new kind of life. And just as Jesus forgave the people who played a part in his death, we are forgiven when we miss the mark. We also know that, by the power of Jesus, we can forgive others, too.
When Jesus resurrected, he showed us that God’s love is stronger than everything, even death. Life and love beat death and hate! Life being stronger than death means that there’s resurrection for us, too. How all of that happens is a mystery, but we know that there is life after death, and that we will be with God.
We are “resurrection people.” We live with the hope that love wins, that life wins, and that we serve a God who sticks with us.
Read It: Mark 16:1-7 (Shine On pp 269-271; The Peace Table pg 277-281)
6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here.
6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here.
Pray It:
Jesus, you understand every thought and feeling I have. Thank you for showing us how to live a way of love, and for the hope we have in you. Amen.
Jesus, you understand every thought and feeling I have. Thank you for showing us how to live a way of love, and for the hope we have in you. Amen.
Do It:
Recite the Story:
- Read more of the story: From Shine On pp 264-278 and The Peace Table pp 274-290, read stories Jesus’s death and resurrection.
- Artistic Representation: Using the medium of your choice, create a depiction of the resurrection garden. This could be as simple as a drawing or painting, but here are some more ambitious ideas, too:
- Collect and press flowers, then mod podge them into a collage
- Make a 3D resurrection garden - this website has some good ideas to get you started.
- Remembering Our “Saints”: Pull out pictures of important people in your life who have died. Tell stories about them. Name that you are sad they have died. And that you know they are with God.
- Talking with children about death is really hard. It can be helpful to normalize this conversation and introduce the idea of death before the child experiences the death of someone close to them. When talking with a child about death, it’s important to use clear, simple language and to avoid euphemisms. Say, “She died,” instead of, “She passed away,” for example.
- Sing it: Living as a resurrection people is a mindset. We can offer grace and forgiveness toward others and ourselves when we live from resurrection instead of from death. One way we can form our mindset is to sing! And maybe dance while you’re at it. Here are a couple ideas of songs to get you started.
- Alive, Alive, Alive Forevermore (this is really retro, but it’s good!)
- Christ the Lord is Risen Today
Recite the Story:
- God created, and it was good.
- God called a family to be a blessing to all the earth.
- God saved the people and they became a shalom community.
- God's steadfast love showed the people the way in a new land.
- God spoke through prophets when kings missed the mark.
- God gave hope when the people had to leave their homes and families.
- God’s love was born, a baby Messiah named Jesus.
- Jesus invited people on an adventure.
- Jesus showed everyone God’s love in action.
- Jesus died, but lived again.
Explore It:
Here are a few resources to further explore thoughts that Talashia touched on in the Concept and Do It sections.
Here are a few resources to further explore thoughts that Talashia touched on in the Concept and Do It sections.
- The only thing more powerful than hate is love Hate and divisiveness try to take the upperhand in our world. But Jesus helps us see that nothing is stronger than love. This upbeat youtube video and song bring out the joy of love.
- Helping children cope with death “Helping a child navigate grief may feel overwhelming, but understanding how a child may process and express grief can help parents and family members better support them.”
- Passing down legacy: The power of ancestral stories Learning from our ancestors can provide some of the richest experiences for our children.
