Dear Parents,
With Easter quickly approaching, we turned out attention to this special holiday in our High Life class. While the typical Easter story might only focus on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we chose to go a little further back in the story to try and give students a complete picture of the “Thread of Love” that runs throughout the Bible.
We began with Adam and Eve, the first sin, our need for redemption. That’s where the thread begins. God promises in Genesis to send us a redeemer, one who will take us back from the sin we have fallen into. (Genesis 1-3)
We moved forward to God’s call on Abram’s life, when he chooses one man to form a nation which will be his people (Genesis 12). God didn’t have to choose anyone, but he did. He chose the Israelites to be his people, and then he later extended that invitation to all people. In discussing the Israelites, we talked about the sacrificial system that they used to atone for their sins. This was an imperfect system, because it could never truly remove the people’s sins. Yet, it was an important reminder to them that the wages of sin is death. And so God required a sacrifice. (Leviticus 4)
He did not realize the “imperfection” of this system after the fact, as if he had goofed or something. But, this was a part of the tapestry that he was weaving to demonstrate his great love for his people. He took a system that was common in their world, that they would have seen other nations using, and he implemented it for his people as a temporary payment for sins. All the while, God knew that he would make the ultimate sacrifice in sending his son Jesus. Only his blood could truly remove our sins and make a way for us to be restored to God.
Together we discussed questions like:
- Can anyone define the idea of redemption or what it means to redeem something?
- Based on what you know about this story, how were Adam and Eve different than the rest of creation?
- Can anyone describe the sacrificial system that the Israelites used? What was its purpose?
- How does this system demonstrate God’s love and grace?
- Can anyone think of a reason why this system might have been imperfect?
As we approach the Easter holiday, I hope that the youth (and all of us) will reflect on the big picture, how God has been pursuing us throughout all of time, since the beginning of the world. Ultimately, this is a love so big that it’s hard to understand. God has literally been pursuing you and me since the beginning of time. Amazing.
May you be blessed with an understanding of God’s deep love for you in this Easter season.
Blessings,
Shane, Chris, and Catherine