Bay City Baptist Church, Green Bay, WI - What Does God Think About Jesus' Death?

Stories for children that teach them about the nature of God

What does God think about Jesus’ death?

"Mom, have you seen my new minicar?" Toph loses those things all the time.

Mom usually says the same thing. "No, Topher. The last time I saw your cars, you were playing with them in the backyard. I haven’t seen them today. Ask Megan."

Toph didn’t think Megan would have it, but he asked her. "Megan, do you have my minicar?"

"No, Toph, I don’t play with cars. You know that. Did Tommy take it home with him by accident?"

He didn’t think Tommy had it, so he went to see Dad in the garage. "Dad, did I leave my new minicar out here? I can’t find it."

"No, son, I haven’t seen it out here. Have you checked your room?"

Toph was getting tired of looking. "Yes, two times. I just can’t find the car anywhere. Maybe Bobbie knows where it is." When she came, Toph asked her if she’d seen the car.

She said, "I buried it in the sandbox for hidden treasure."

"You buried it? Mom!" Toph ran back to the kitchen. "Mom, Bobbie buried my new minicar!"

Mom talked to him for a minute; then she called Bobbie. The phone rang, and Mom went to answer it. Toph didn’t want to wait till she came back to talk to Bobbie.

"You shouldn’t have buried my car, Bobbie! Sand will ruin the gears. I told you not to mess with my stuff unless you ask!"

She only looked a little bit sorry. "Toph, you can go dig it up. I forgot where I buried it though. Sorry."

"Bobbie, sorry isn’t enough."

Bobbie looked sort of surprised. "I didn’t think you would care."

"Well I do care. I care a lot. That car cost me three weeks’ allowance. I only had it one day, and you ruined it! You’re going to pay this time, Bobbie Lynn Schmidt."

"How?"

"You’re going to find my car! I’ll help you look, but if we can’t find it, or if I can’t get the sand out of the gears, you’re going to buy me another one with your own money."

Then Bobbie looked sad. "That’s not fair. I’m telling Mom, Topher. You’re being too mean."

Toph thought he was right, so he told her, "Go ahead. I already asked her. Bobbie, you’ve done this before!"

Bobbie and Toph dug in the sandbox for an hour. They couldn’t find the minicar. Bobbie kept saying, "I know I buried it here, but I’m tired of looking, Sorry, Toph."

Toph wasn’t too angry anymore, but Bobbie had to learn her lesson. "No, Bobbie, you’re not giving up. You need to learn to be responsible for what you do." They kept looking.

At lunchtime Bobbie was crying, and they still hadn’t found the minicar. Bobbie went crying to Mom, but Mom wouldn’t let her get out of her trouble.

After lunch Mom took Bobbie to the store and helped her pick out a car just like the one she had buried in the sandbox.

When they got home, Bobbie gave Toph the new car. "There, Topher. Are you happy now?" She was pouting.

"Yes, I am. Thank you. Next time remember not to take my stuff without asking me."

Bobbie went to tell on Toph. "Mom, Topher wasn’t fair to me."

"Actually, Bobbie, he was right to be angry with you."

"But I said I was sorry, and he wouldn’t take it."

Mom had to explain to her, "Sometimes being sorry isn’t enough to cover a wrong."

"But Toph was mad until I paid him back." Bobbie still didn’t get it.

So Mom told her, "Bobbie, it’s like Jesus’ paying for your sin. God is angry with our sin, and just saying sorry isn’t enough. God wants payment for our wrongs."

Bobbie knew what "payment" means, because Megan had explained it to her before. It means when someone pays for something. "What kind of payment does God want? I don’t have very much money left."

"God is looking for a blood payment. He wants a life to be given to cover the sin."

Blood payment? Toph frowned at Mom. "Do you mean He wants someone to die?! God must be very upset about sin to want someone to die! Will He ever get unangry?"

"Actually, when Jesus died on the cross and gave His blood for your sin and my sin, God was satisfied with the payment."

Toph asked, "So God is happy with me now?"

"Well, it all depends."

"On what?"

Mom said, "It depends on whether you have admitted to God that you have done something wrong against Him and if you have accepted Jesus’ blood payment for you. Some people are too proud to admit they’re wrong. They insist on trying to pay their own payment for sin."

"God won’t take their payment, right?" Toph wanted to make sure he understood the whole thing.

"That’s right."

"They must be silly, Mom." Bobbie had been listening the whole time. "I don’t want God to be angry at me. I’ll trust Jesus to pay for my sin."

Verse to Memorize

I John 4:10: "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD

1. How does Jesus feel about your sin?

2. How did Jesus take care of your sin?

3. How can God be pleased with you?

This material is reprinted by permission from "Kids' Questions About Jesus" and "Kids' Questions about Sin and Salvation,," published by Regular Baptist Press. (www.rbpstore.org/showprod.cfm?prodnum=5308)

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