THINK TOGETHER
What does it mean that Jesus died for us?
READ TOGETHER
When Jesus died on the cross he died FOR us. That means that he died in our place as our substitute. When Jesus died FOR us all of our sins were forever forgiven. And that is good news!
But guess what. There’s even more good news. Not only did Jesus die FOR you, the Bible teaches us that when we become a Christian that we also died WITH Jesus.
Here’s how Paul begins to explain it in romans chapter 6:
Romans 6:6. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.
When we receive Jesus and his life as a free gift our life is joined to his in a way that makes everything that happened to Jesus something that also happened to us.
Jesus was born – we are born again WITH him.
Jesus died on the cross – we died on the cross WITH him.
Jesus rose from the dead – we rose from the dead WITH him.
These things didn’t happen to us physically. We didn’t physically, in our bodies, die on the cross WITH Jesus. But we did die with Jesus spiritually – with the inside part of us. And we were resurrected with Jesus too. Again, not physically (yet) but spiritually.
What does this mean?
It means that not only are we forgiven for all our sins, but also that we don’t have to sin anymore. The part of us that we are all born with, the part that makes us God’s enemy, the part that makes us a sinner, that part of us is DEAD! It died with Jesus on the cross. And that’s even more good news!
I know what your thinking – if that part of me died with Jesus on the cross, then why do I still do bad things every day?
Stay tuned…we’ll talk about that tomorrow.
Because of Jesus the sinful part of us died on the cross with him.
With Jesus we don’t have to choose to sin anymore.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
Draw a picture like this together that illustrates how we were IN Jesus when he died on the cross – so we died WITH him. Ask your kids to talk about what that means (we won’t be found guilty for our sin, and we don’t have to choose to sin anymore).
PRAY TOGETHER
Jesus,
Thank you for dying for me, and thank you for crucifying me with you on the cross. Help me to trust that I am dead to sin and can love you instead.
Amen.
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