Teaching and the Timing of Easter at Our Christian School

I heard an intriguing question this weekend: What does it tell us that Jesus lived among his people and taught about the kingdom for more than three years before he bore our sins in the Easter events that we are about to travel through in remembrance next month?

It’s hard to conceive of a timeline of Jesus making his entrance, unannounced, to earth only a few days before Easter, saving us by grace on the cross and then, like a hurried traveler connecting to the next flight, leave abruptly and not be seen again.

There were three years of deliberate conversations, long walks, and seaside lessons of pacing with the Son of God.  The people had lost their way and their hearts had been hardened. Their downtrodden, hopeless, and in some cases legalistic souls were places that needed to hear about the kingdom of God. This kingdom was so upside down from what they expected that they learned that even children who approached could sit on the lap of Son of God and be blessed by him. The first shall be last and the last shall be first. Jesus had to teach us, as one of us.

One of the things I appreciate about a Christian elementary school pathway for a child is that the years of JK through grade eight have so many places of opportunity for this kind of pacing. What joy that there can be lingering conversations about the love of God, deliberate focus on recognizing God at work among his people, and longing for the perfection of that kingdom when it will be fully restored. When a teacher sits on the carpet with the students or pulls up a chair around the circle of students, they are teaching as one of them. It is a beautiful sight.

May God’s kingdom come this week at our Christian School.

SJ