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“Knowing Jesus is alive is even better than getting candy in your Easter egg,” the leader at church enthusiastically proclaimed. “I’d rather have chocolate,” was one young girl’s quick response. She’s eaten chocolate and loved it! But her understanding of the words “alive” and “dead” is limited by her experience. It reminded me of another young boy who when asked if Jesus was real answered, “The Easter bunny is real. Jesus isn’t real.” He probably had just posed for pictures with the Easter bunny at the mall, but he had never seen Jesus.

These stories remind me once again that the young child’s understanding is based on what he or she can see and touch. When children repeat words that sound like they understand something, it’s easy to assume that they know the concepts behind the words. But these Easter Sunday stories are clear examples of the limited understanding of a young child. And that’s OK! It’s OK for a child to be a child. It’s OK for a child to like chocolate! Our role in teaching is to be a part of that wonderful process of discovery and learning in the lives of young children. It’s fun to teach a kid how things in the world work—what floats and what doesn’t, or how gravity works. But do you know what’s even better? Getting to be someone who teaches a kid how things work in God’s kingdom! When a young child doesn’t yet understand where Jesus is, the child will definitely understand the love of Jesus that I show him or her. When a child wonders why I’m praying to someone the child can’t see, the child, by hearing my prayers, will develop awareness that Jesus is someone I thank and on whom I depend. Sunday after Sunday, the Bible stories I teach, the Bible verses I repeat, the songs about Jesus I sing are planting the truth about Jesus into children’s lives. I know that God is at work in the life of each child, bringing each seed to harvest at just the right time.