Have you ever played the game where you ask someone random questions in order to get to know them better and find out more about their personality? It’s an ice breaker of sorts. I ask questions like, If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? Tacos for me, if you’re wondering. Where would you rather vacation—the beach or the mountains? Take me to the beach, please! Or there’s this one: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
This question actually popped into my head recently, and I can’t stop thinking about it. I began wishing that I had the power to do something massive—something that only a superhero could possibly do: I wish I could shield my kids from all of the hurt and pain in their lives. That’s what I would want to be able to do. Not too much to ask, is it?
I’m not particularly fond of having the nightly news on in my house. There are many reasons for this preference, but one of them is that my kids are learning how evil and hard the world is, and quite frankly, I’d rather they not know. I could simply not turn on the TV, but let’s not fool ourselves into thinking that by keeping the TV off we are actually shielding our kids from the hurt and pain that this world brings. If only it were that easy!
The truth of the matter is that our kids live in this world every day, just like you and I do. They see evil for what it is. They experience pain, no matter how much we try to shield them. The brokenness of this world spills over into their lives, their hearts, and into our homes. We might be able to turn off the TV, but they are still living with divorce, bullies, fear of a gunman entering their schools, loved ones dying, friends getting cancer, and on, and on, and on. This world is a hard place to live in.
That Friday in Jerusalem
I often think about how hard this world was to live in all those years ago on a Friday in Jerusalem. The pain and evil surrounding the disciples that day is truly unimaginable to us now. They had journeyed with and learned from Jesus for three years. They trusted Him. They gave their lives away for Him, and now they were watching everything fade away right before their eyes. They witnessed the injustice, torture, shaming, and ultimately, the death of Jesus—their friend and Savior.
As readers of the Bible in 2019, we get to see the whole story. We don’t stop reading at Luke 23. We know what is coming in Luke 24. We know about so much more than Jesus’ death; we also know, believe, and stake our eternity on His resurrection. There is much more to the story than the awful, dark day on that Friday so many years ago.
Everything Changed
Saturday comes and goes, and finally, Sunday arrives—and everything changes. This is the hope of our salvation, the foundation of all that we believe. Jesus rose from the grave and conquered evil, death, and sin forever! We still live in a world full of sin and brokenness, but there is hope that this is not forever. One day all of this will be made right. One day, there will be no more need to guard our kids from evil—no more turning off the TV so that they aren’t exposed to the scariness of the world. One day it will be over.
But until then, we live here and now. The truth of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection brings so much hope to a hurting world. When my kids are hurt, scared, or afraid, this is the hope I go back and remind them of.
When this world feels out of control and we wish that we had the power to take away all of the brokenness that our kids will encounter, I encourage you to lean into the hope that we have in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the only superpower we possess—the power to tell our kids the truth about the hope that we have in Jesus.
