My lovely wife volunteers in the elementary-aged kids ministry at our church. Tonight, our church offered a couple special Saturday evening services to accomodate the influx of church visitors for Easter remembrance and celebration.

My wife was teaching the 4 year old kiddos about Easter and asked them, “Do you know why we celebrate Easter?”. She was fully expecting an answer about [the illogical connection between] stealth-ninja, egg-painting bunny rabbits, ultimate kaleidoscopic scavenger expeditions, and the inevitable free-range parental consent of sugar-comas.

This precious little boy said “I know! I know!” and offered a beautiful and perfectly complete answer that illustratively explains the simplicity of the Gospel… he said:

Jesus died on the cross and he rose again three days later… and he didn’t even do anything wrong… we did!

As confusing and frustrating as the Bible, “deep doctrine”, the concept of eternity, soteriology, the process of sanctification, exegesis, the reality of pain / disaster / evil, the Revelation, the magnitude of Grace, hypocritical Christians (myself included), salvation, and other related topics can be… this kid understands AND exhaustively details it.

His answer is exhaustive and includes sound “doctrine”. It is preciously pure and plentifully thorough. It illustrates where all our hearts start, and where parts of it should always remain…

The Gospel is NOT confusing… it is overwhelming… it is abundant… it is straight-forward… it is sufficient… it is complete…  it is defined by love… it is infinite grace… and it is elegantly simple.

Truth begins and ends with the facts that Jesus died a brutal death and Jesus Sat Up.

A Quick Prayer from a Depraved Servant, Blessed Husband, & Expectant Father

Dear Holy God,

Thank you for the purity of children’s minds, the depth of their understanding, their genuineness and authenticity, and how they challenge us. Help me be a father that models Jesus in actions and thoughts. Help me serve, date, cherish, protect, and honor my wife with a joyful Christlike mind and heart. Thank you for Jesus, and for changing my mind and heart.

Thank you for allowing me to know anything about you. I am a little scared, but ultimately excited about getting to know you more deeply in life and meeting you one day.  Thank you for love. Thank you for showing and allowing me to love. I am nothing away from you. Jesus is everything.

Amen

Bible Verses About the Pure Hearts & Minds of Children

Mark 10:13-16: ¹³ And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴ But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. ¹⁵ Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” ¹⁶ And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

Luke 18:15-17: ¹⁵ Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. ¹⁶ But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. ¹⁷ Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

Matthew 18:2-6: ² And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them ³ and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, youwill never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵ “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, ⁶ but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.