Let's not fool ourselves, Easter with young kids is chaotic.
I have a two year old girl who will find a way to spill all things on her new Easter dress, and a four year old boy who will fitfully demand more chocolate than Bianca from Willy Wonka. But somewhere in the midst easter bunnies, dipped eggs, and marshmallow peeps, there is one lesson I will make sure my kids don't miss. It's no secret that I claim to follow Jesus and am trying to figure out how to model my life after his teachings. But this Easter, I've actually decided to set down my Bible. Before you send panicked prayer request cards to your grandma’s Bible study on my behalf, let me explain. My kids hear stories from the Bible. A lot. In fact, it's become routine at our house that before climbing into bed, Daddy shares a new story from the Bible. It's their favorite part of the bedtime routine and they are beginning to learn and know the scriptures well. So why, of all holidays, would I set down the Bible now? Because there’s one lesson I don’t want my kids to miss, and it’s found in the history books instead. As Easter approaches, our family will look at the history of major world religions and research where each founder or leader is buried. Not in an effort to put down or insult any other religions, and certainly not to speak negatively of it's followers. We simply want to look at history. I want my kids to understand the world they live in and that Jesus still makes sense in it. We will learn that though The Buddha was cremated, parts of his body have been preserved and can be found in Sri Lanka temples. We will also study about Muhammed and how his body can be found at the "Mosque of the Prophet" in Saudi Arabia. We learn, among other things, that Mormonism founder Joseph Smith was laid to rest in Illinois, here in the United States. I imagine that by the time we get to Christianity, my kids might be slightly confused: Our God has no grave. We will search the history books and share with them stories and theories of what the experts and historians say. The historical fact is that there is undeniable evidence that there was an actual person named Jesus, and that he actually walked around this earth. There is also overwhelming evidence, outside of the scriptures, that he claimed to be God. Secular history shows us that this man Jesus was crucified - brutally and unfairly. The facts, regardless of what religion my kids choose to believe as they grow, is simply that there is no grave for this man Jesus. It does not exist. So this Easter, I will laugh with my kids. We will eat until our bellies are stuffed. We will enjoy the time we share with family. But I will remind them, that although the Easter bunny is cute, he is not real. What is historically true is the person of Jesus Christ. He came, he shared a message, he died an unfair death, and he has no grave. I pray that this history lesson will point my kids to the God that loves them even more than mommy and daddy ever could. We should stay in touch. Subscribe HERE to get more free resources. |