THINK TOGETHER
Is there anything you believe in even though you don’t completely understand it? (a plane flying, the light switch turning on lights in your house).
READ TOGETHER
There are four books in the New Testament that tell us the story of Jesus on earth. They are called the “gospels.” Can you name them? (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John)
But John’s gospel is a bit different from the other three because John doesn’t start out with Jesus on earth, he starts with Jesus in heaven. John tells us about Jesus before there was an earth or any creation. Listen to what John says about Jesus (remember that the “Word” is Jesus):
John 1:1-3. the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Before Jesus was a little baby born in a manger at Christmastime he was in heaven living eternally as the Son. He was living with the Father in perfect love and unity. And because the Son and the Father loved each other they decided to share their love by making everything that was made – including YOU!
John is teaching us about a very important truth that all Christians must believe – God is a Trinity. Have you ever heard the word Trinity before? Trinity means that God is both ONE God and at the same time he is THREE persons.
So Jesus, the Word, was WITH God – this means that he is different from God.
And Jesus, the Word, WAS God – this means that Jesus is God.
This can be tricky to understand, but it’s very important that we believe that God is a Trinity, even if we don’t completely understand it. Why?
First, because if God is not a Trinity, then he can’t love. If God was all alone without anyone or anything to love than how could he ever love? But if God is the Father, and he is the Son, and he is the Holy Spirit, all in one, then they can love each other. And therefore God can love us too.
And second, if God is not a Trinity then we could never, ever be saved from our sins. Jesus the Son had to be the sacrifice for our sins made to God the Father. God had to save us from God. God’s love had to save us from God’s fair punishment for our sin. But if God was not a Trinity, then this could never have happened.
But it did happen. Praise God! Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Because of Jesus I can be saved from my sins and loved by God.
With Jesus we can love just like the Trinity loves us.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
Hint for parents: Don’t try to use analogies to explain the Trinity to your kids (water being liquid, solid, gas; a man being a father, a husband, a son; a triangle having three sides but being one triangle; etc.). All of these fall short and even teach heresies concerning the Trinity.
Here’s a simple diagram that can be a great starting point for kids. You can print it out and color it, or practice drawing it together.
PRAY TOGETHER
Jesus,
Thank you for being the perfect sacrifice for my sins and for inviting me into the Trinity’s great life of love.
Amen.
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