The Foolishness of Thinking that Easter is Just for Kids.
“If it’s good for them, then it’s good for me!” When was the last time you said that about your kids? Just imagine your kid’s lives: school, homework, challenging relationships, dating, sports, peer pressure and more. We don’t let our kids call the shots to determine what is best. We know best, not them! Of course, there is always the famous 'out', "Do what I say, not what I do." Thank goodness for the person who was smart enough to come up with that phrase!
What about the things of God? As parents, we like to tell our kids Bible stories that teach good morals about lying, stealing, being respectful, and more. But did you ever stop to think about those Bible stories? They were written to adults!
And what about church? We like the fact that our kids are spending time in a safe place where they will learn something positive void of the ‘worldly’ influences of ‘those kids,’ and the church pays for it! It’s good for the kids…it’s even great for the kids…but don’t expect me to join them. After all, I’ve got better things to do. Right?
Let me introduce you to John and Karen Jo. John and Karen Jo have been coming to the church for years, but it wasn’t always that way. Their Sunday mornings used to be filled with other things too, and they were the parents who wouldn’t go to church while their kids would. It started when their daughter wanted to go with a friend, and of course, why wouldn’t John and Karen Jo let her go to church? There were friends, great activities, a safe environment, and more, but it just wasn’t for them. Of course, they'd still go on the BIG holidays, Christmas and Easter, but they didn't think they needed, nor did they want to, go more than that. Then something changed.
Here is part of their story:
Through the first years of our marriage, we did not attend church, other than special occasions. As our children reached school age, we felt it was important for them to attend religion classes and learn about God. But we still only occasionally attended church. Our daughter began attending PVC with a friend. Eventually she began getting involved with the church youth group activities. After a period of time, she came home and shared with us she wanted to get baptized at PVC. We realized, at that time, that we knew very little about the church and the people she was spending time. We began getting involved with the youth activities and meeting members of the church. We truly felt welcomed and loved, and began spending more time at church. We also realized that it was as important for us, as it was for our kids, to know more about Jesus and what it meant to have a relationship with Him. We then committed our lives to Christ, and now have been members of PVC Church for over 20 years.
John and Karen Jo’s story is like a lot of adults. God is good for our kids, but we don’t really need Him. It’s not that they were against the idea of God, or church per se, but they clearly had other priorities. Then something happened. John and Karen Jo began to realize they needed God just like their daughter, and soon enough they became Christians! What was once just good for their daughter became great for them!
Easter is just around the corner, and we like to make Easter about the kids. However, Easter is for everyone! Easter is about the good news of Jesus Christ: that God’s son lived a perfect life, and because He died and rose again, sinful people can have their broken relationship with God restored! The Bible says, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” And in 1 Corinthians 15, “…that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…”
Does that sound like a story that is only for the kids, or is also for you? The bottom line is this, we all need the truths of Easter! So, do you think Easter something we all need, or is that too foolish to believe?