Is Easter Too Scary for Children?
— Thursday, April 21st, 2011 —
Every year, around this time, parents and churches ponder how to communicate the Easter story to children, as something more than dyed eggs. The problem is, of course, that it’s impossible to talk about the resurrection of Jesus without talking about death. And, in the case of Jesus, it’s really hard to talk about death without talking about crucifixion.
Some churches resolve this tension by deeming the cross too violent for kids. They talk instead about Easter meaning that Jesus is our “forever friend.” They say that Jesus “went away for a little while, and his friends were sad,” but that he soon “came back to see them.”
Most Christian churches, thankfully, still speak on Easter of the cross and the resurrection, but in many places this is, well, precisely because it’s Easter. The story seems particularly strange to the children in such places because “Jesus is my forever friend” is the standard fare the rest of the year.
We need to understand that this temptation isn’t just related to children, although we see it perhaps most explicitly there.The temptation that comes to all of us, in every era of the church, is to have Jesus, without seeing ourselves in the gore of his bloody cross and the glory of his empty grave. In the way that we speak of Him to our children, or to skeptics, or to seekers, we sometimes believe we’ll gain more of a hearing if we present Him as teacher but not as a former corpse. It is too disturbing, we think to ourselves, too weird.
Peter thought that way too. Not the bold preacher of Pentecost, mind you, but the Peter of just a short time before that, the Peter of Caesarea Philippi. Peter certainly knew Jesus as friend, and he had just confessed that He was Messiah and Son of the living God. But when Jesus began to teach that He must “suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed, and on the third day be raised,” Peter was outraged (Matt 16:21).
Peter was no preschooler, but he was disturbed. Matthew tells us that he began to rebuke Jesus. His cognitive development was not yet to the point where he could understand such things. This will never happen, Peter said. He loved Jesus. He wanted to be with Jesus. He wanted to stand with Jesus. He just didn’t want the Jesus of the cross or the empty tomb. Jesus didn’t call this shallow theology. He didn’t call it inadequate teaching. He called it Satan (Matt 16:23).
Our children need to hear the Gospel. They need to see Jesus. That means they need to see both sides of skull place. That’s graphic, sure. It’s confusing, of course. And not just for kids. But it is the only message that saves. It’s the only message that prepares one for salvation. It is, as Paul says, that which is “of first importance,” the message he received from Jesus Himself (1 Cor 15:3-4).
The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is the Gospel. That’s the first word. If we cannot speak of that, we would be better off not speaking of Jesus at all, rather than presenting another Christ, one who meditates but does not mediate, who counsels but is not crucified, who is accessible but not triumphant over sin and death.
The apostle Paul told us the word of the cross would be folly to those who are perishing (1 Cor 1:18). He didn’t warn us that it would sometimes also be folly to those who are publishing. No matter. It is still the power of God
This Easter, preach the Gospel… to the senior citizens, to the middle-aged, to the young adults, to the teenagers, to the seekers, to the hardened unbelievers, to the whole world. And, yes, preach the Gospel to the preschoolers.
I’m not saying it won’t be scary. The Gospel will disturb the children. And, if you understand it, it will disturb you too.
Thanks for this post, it nicely summarizes the hazy stew of things I’ve noticed this year in preparing for Easter with my 5 year old.
He’s at the age where understanding death and its permanence is front and center and prompts a lot of questions, fears, and fascination. We’ve never lied (nor has our church) about the truth of Easter, but this is the first year we find him tearing up over the reality of death. While we’ve tried to avoid in-depth discussion of darker topics before he’s ready, in the past month I’ve found this knowledge to be a great builder of sympathy, empathy and gratitude in him. And in me.
@Miriam Ward, that’s a great word Miriam. Thank you for modeling such sensitivity and wisdom.
Thank you so much for this message. It brought tears to my eyes. Many tears in fact. I read this message while at work and my coworkers wondered why I was sobbing. It gave me a great chance to witness for Our Lord.
Many laughed but a few listened. I continued to weep and weep as I pleaded there, like Paul on Mars Hill before unbelievers. I may have reached a heart or two today as two co-workers stuck around to talk more about Jesus. They wanted to know about Him who motivated my tears.
Thank you, brother Russ. Thank you for the edification and the chance to offer a tear-soaked doxology before witnesses. He Is King.
@Simon Tiller, praise the Lord brother. I just prayed for your co-workers and for you as you witness to the power of the gospel!
Thank you for this post! This year, my 6 and almost 5 year old sons will come with us to a Good Friday Service. This past year they’ve both put “Jesus in their hearts” and we feel they are ready. As we’ve prepared for this weekend, both Friday and Sunday, they’ve had a new awareness of what Christ has done.
Today we even went to a cemetery to see what happens when most people die.
They both know that He rose from the grave, which makes Friday easier!
I will say in years past, we’ve not done as much preparation as we have this year. (we used poster boards I found on line that go through each day of the Holy Week…they’ve been helpful!)
The preparation has helped us give them a full view of Easter!
Thanks again for this post!
Well said! We do speak lovingly to our children (and now to our grandchildren); but we must also speak truthfully to them. Thank you for this timely reminder.
When I gave the gospel to my 5 year old son, it wasn’t the cross that was scary but it was the depths of his depravity that him cry out in anguish and desperation.
But with tears—tears of joy streaming down my face, I get to respond, “Let me tell you of the One True God who saves”.
It is nuts that God would put His power of salvation into mere words.