{"id":7693,"date":"2024-03-29T08:01:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-29T14:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/?p=7693"},"modified":"2024-04-15T12:09:30","modified_gmt":"2024-04-15T18:09:30","slug":"honoring-good-friday-with-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/honoring-good-friday-with-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"It’s Good Friday: The Importance of Honoring this Day with Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The joy of Jesus\u2019 resurrection is possible only because of the sadness of His death.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

My own kids are teenagers, and I often wonder if my husband and I have tried too hard to make life comfortable for them. We\u2019re wired as parents to insulate our kids from danger and pain. It\u2019s built into our DNA, an inherent and necessary part of the job description. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those of us with kids know the routine \u2026 we find out a baby is on the way and run home to safeguard electrical outlets and medicine cabinets. But throughout their childhoods, we realize we must peel back the insulation<\/a>, bit by bit, to help them become healthy, balanced human beings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those of us in the west live in a culture that is averse to pain, which is often reflected in the way we parent and lead kids. We don\u2019t know what to do with our pain, so we do our best to avoid it, through entertainment, burying ourselves in busyness, rushing to what\u2019s next without processing what was. But the Bible paints a starkly different picture for us as believers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than promising an escape from pain, Jesus tells us that suffering is a guarantee. He teaches that to experience life in Him, we must first pick up our cross.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bible paints a starkly different picture for us as believers. Rather than promising an escape from pain, Jesus tells us that suffering is a guarantee.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Credit: Getty Images\/iStock\/Getty Images Plus\/fizkes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Following Jesus<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When Jesus explained to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem to suffer, be killed, and on the third day rise again, Peter scolded Him, saying, \u201cNever, Lord! \u2026 This will never happen to you!\u201d (Matthew 16:22, NIrV).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus responded to Peter\u2019s scolding with these words: \u201cGet behind me, Satan! You are standing in my way. You do not have in mind the things God cares about. Instead, you only have in mind the things humans care about\u201d (Matthew 16:23, NIrV).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peter wanted a Savior without the suffering. I am like Peter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Jesus had something altogether different in mind. \u201cWhoever wants to be my disciple,\u201d Jesus says, \u201cmust say no to themselves. They must pick up their cross and follow me\u201d (Matthew 16:24, NIrV).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we\u2019ve walked with Jesus<\/a> for a while, when we\u2019ve limped through dark seasons of loss and doubt and disappointment with cross in hand, we begin to learn something important: the darkest nights give birth to the most beautiful dawns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Most Beautiful Dawn<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On Easter Sunday, we celebrate the most beautiful dawn in history, a dawn that would not exist if it weren\u2019t for Good Friday. As Holy Week approaches, let\u2019s see Good Friday as an opportunity to peel back the insulation we\u2019ve carefully crafted around the kids in our homes and ministries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s see it as an opportunity for them to glimpse the pain Jesus experienced for our sake so they can celebrate with new and deeper understanding the miracle of Christ\u2019s resurrection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do we invite kids into Christ\u2019s suffering in ways that are age and developmentally appropriate?<\/em> We can begin by recognizing Good Friday<\/a>. Whether on the actual day or at another time preceding Easter Sunday, set aside intentional time to remember Christ\u2019s death with the kids in your care. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some ideas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start Simple<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Start simple by teaching kids and families a breath prayer to pray as a way to focus on Jesus and the sacrifice He made for us on Good Friday. A breath prayer is a word or phrase to repeat in a single breath with one part on the inhale and the other part on the exhale. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are two examples: