“You know people who go around raising other people from the dead?”
This was my comment to one of my daughters when during our family worship time she said that Jesus’ raising Lazarus from the dead showed the humanity of Christ.
We have been studying theology in our family worship time. Many unfortunately relegate theology to the ivory towers of seminary and to pastors and theologians. After all, theology is not for family worship time, right? Wrong. Theology for the children can be fun and exciting with a little creativity.
Let me offer an example from our own family worship. This past Sunday night I drew two columns on a small white eraser board. The left column heading was “Jesus Christ was completely human/The Humanity of Christ” and the right column heading was “Jesus Christ was completely God/The Deity of Christ”.
I then read from different portions of the Gospels. After each of the passages was read, they were to tell me under which of the 2 columns that passage would go, depending on whether the humanity or the Deity of Christ was on display.
I began with the healing of the paralytic who was let down through the roof because the crowd was so great as Jesus was preaching that there was no room even at the door(Mark 2:1-12). But my question to them was not specifically about the healing, but about what happened after.
“Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that he is blaspheming who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts?”
Mark 2:1-12
This was obviously under the deity of Christ for only God knows what we’re thinking.
Next passage was the calming of the storm when Jesus was asleep in the boat with the disciples(Mark 4:35-40). My oldest daughter said that it falls under both headings. When I asked why, she said His humanity is seen by His being so tired that He was asleep on the boat even in the midst of a storm that was causing the boat to be filled(Mark 4:37-38). She said His deity is seen by His making the winds and waves stop. I said isn’t that amazing that He is Lord over nature.
“And they were filled with great fear and said to one another who then is this that even the wind in the sea obey Him?”
Mark 4:40
The last passage was the raising of Lazarus from the dead. We all chuckled and had a good laugh when I made that comment and my daughter caught herself and said no it is the deity of Christ.(John 11:38-44)
So teach theology to your kids during family worship. Be creative. Try the 2 column chart that I used to teach that Jesus is fully God and fully man. Use other passages as well. Make it fun and exciting. You are building a foundation for them.
