Sure, you probably have explained to your child that Jesus was killed as a sacrifice, but depending on the age of your child the only idea of sacrifice she or he has comes from giving a few coins for the collection on Sunday in lieu of buying candy with it. The idea of blood sacrifices - such as it was stipulated for the Israelites when they had left Egypt - has probably not very clearly been taught to your child. After all, the cute little lambs and goats that accompany the pictures in Bibles for children are rarely if ever associated with the sacrifices made by the Levite priests in order that the sins of the people could be forgiven.
Yet without an understanding of the idea of blood sacrifice, your child will have a hard time understanding that Jesus' sacrifice some 2007 years ago was just that - a sacrifice for our sins. Children need to understand that the laws God gave, such as the Ten Commandments, are God's expectation of righteous living, yet everyone who ever lived has broken at the very least one but more likely than not an overwhelming number if not all of them. At some point, a person runs out of sheep and goats to sacrifice.
You may wish to point out that you and your family do not own any sheep or goats, and thus having nothing to give to God as a sacrifice. Furthermore, since the Ten Commandments make us conscious of the sins committed, it is imperative that we make things right with God again. Yet how would you go about this - without the required sacrifice?
God knew of our problems before the Israelites in the desert even realized that at some point they would run out of sheep and goats to make up for their sins. This is why God decided to accept one sacrifice as a final sacrifice: a first born male, perfect, who would willingly take on the sins of every person on earth and thus pay the price in blood so that you and I do not have to. In the whole world, no such person could be found until the Son of God, who was with God from the beginning, willingly consented to step down to earth to become that very sacrifice.
If you - and your child - understand that what Jesus did was a freewill offering, a sacrifice entered into knowingly and without reservation, an act that Jesus at His discretion could have stopped at any second, this Easter will become more than a time of painted eggs - it will be a celebration of sacrifice, triumph, and gratitude. After all, who is not grateful to have someone else give a life for them, not incidentally, but with premeditation?
About Sylvia Cochran
 Sylvia Cochran - Christian Parenting Corner and Common Sense Parenting and Parenting By the Book Christian Parenting Book Reviews
Sylvia is a seasoned freelance writer, born and raised in Germany. Having been exposed to a variety of religions and traditions due to travel and study, Sylvia has been a student of the Bible for more than ten years, and has for the last four years taught in small groups about Biblical principles, practical Christianity, Christian parenting, as well as the spiritual use of money. Sylvia also provides Free Online Christian Parenting Courses at Suite 101.
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