Talks to children about Jesus

Preface

Of the many books which have been written specially foi children, to tell the wonderful story of our Redeemer’s Life on Earth, those for the little ones are strangely incomplete; whilst others, suited for more advanced intellects, are beyond the comprehension of the very young.

In the following pages, therefore, my endeavor has been to give the Gospel Story almost in full ; yet in s^ch simple language as to be readily understood by a child of four — or even less.

This little work is not didactic. It has been my aim rather to let the Story of Jesus tell its own exquisite tale; believing that it possesses, in this, its simplest form, a peculiar fascination for the young mind.

I would wish to acknowledge the great assistance I have derived in my work from that most useful and suggestive book (invaluable to the Sunday-school teacher), Lessons on the Life of our Lord , by Eugene Stock.

Farrar’s Life of Christ has also helped me much in telling my story to the little ones.

H. M.

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TRA.C& chap. page.

I. Why Jesus came 13

II. The Virgin Mary 17

III. The Birth oe Jesus 20

Euke ii. 1-20.

IV. The Presentation in the Tempee 25

V. The Wise Men . 30

VI. What King Herod Did 34

VII. The Boyhood of Jesus 37

VIII. The Baptism of Jesus 47

IX. The Temptation 53

X. The Discipees of Jesus 60

XI. The First Miracee 64

John ii. 1-11.

XII. Jesus at the Passover . *8

XIII. NlCODEMUS

John iii. 2-11^

Contents

CHAP. PAGE

XIV. The Woman of Samaria 76

John iv. 1-42.

Chapter II. Th£ Virgin Mary

A FTER people had waited a long, long time for ^ the promised Saviour, God saw that the right time had come to send His beloved Son down from heaven.

And how do you think He came ? Like a greM king, with servants to wait upon Him, and to obey Him ?

Oh, no ! Though He was a king in heaven, and though all the bright angelo obeyed Him there, and sang praises to Him, yet when He came into this world, He put away all His greatness and glory, and chose to come like a little helpless baby.

This is how it happened.

There was a poor woman at that time whose name was Mary, and she lived in a small town called Nazareth. I am quite sure she was a good woman, and loved God, and always tried to do what would please Him.

One day she was alone in the house, when all at once she saw a bright angel before her. God had sent the angel to speak to her. When she saw him she was very much frightened, but the angel spoke to her so kindly. He said,

“ Do not be afraid, Mary ; for God is pleased with 2

THE VIRGIN MARY.

you, and He has sent me to tell you a wonderful tiling. He will give you a little baby, and you must call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.”

Then Mary said to the angel, “ How shall this be ? ”

And the angel said, “ God can do everything. He will send His Holy Spirit upon you, and so the holy babe that He will send you shall be called the Son of God.”

How Mary must have wondered at that strange message ! Did she believe it ?

Yes : she answered, “ I am God’s servant ; let it be to me as you have said.”

And then, when the angel had gone back to heaven, she praised God for His goodness, and for doing such great things to her. She said, “ My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour! ”

You see she called her baby her Saviour, because she knew quite well that He would save her, as well as every one else who trusts Him, from sin and from Satan.

Mary had a husband called Joseph. He was a good man. And God sent an angel to him one night, to speak to him in a dream, as he lay fast asleep upon his bed, and to tell him about the baby Jesus that would soon be born.

TALKS TO CLIILDUKjS ABOUT JESUS,

2,0

Chapter III. The Birth Of Jesus

VOW it came to pass in those days that a great L * king gave an order that every one was to have his name written down in a long roll or book, that he might know how many people there were. And both Joseph and Mary, like every one else, were obliged to obey the king’s order.

It was the cold winter time when they left their home in Nazareth to set out on their journey to another town called Bethlehem. It must have taken them a long time to go so far, for it was a very great way off.

When they got to Bethlehem, they found that so many people had gone there too, to have their names written down, that every place was full, and there was no room for them in the inn. What were they to do ?

Near by there was a place where camels, cows, and asses were kept ; and there Joseph and Mary were obliged to go and rest, after their long, cold, weary journey.

While they were there, lodging in the stable, God sent to Mary the little baby He had promised her.

How happy she was now ! She wrapped the precious babe so tenderly in long swaddling-clothes,

TALKS TO CHILD MEN ABOUT JESUS.

and laid Him down carefully in a manger, on the soft hay. She had no pretty cradle to put Him into. Though He was God’s own Son, He was born in a stable, and His bed was a manger. You know, a manger is the place in the stable where food is put for the cattle to eat.

Did any one know that this little baby was the Son of God, come down into the world ?

Joseph and Mary knew, but no one else just at first. Very soon, however, God sent to tell some other people.

The very same night that Jesus was born, some shepherds were in the fields near Bethlehem. What were they doing there, in the dark and cold ? Why were they not in their own homes ?

They were taking care of their sheep, and watching to see that no savage animal should hurt them. Here where we live, sheep and cattle may remain quite safely out in the fields all night; but in that country, far away, there are a great many bears and wolves, and they would kill the sheep if men did not stay with them to frighten the wild beasts away.

Well ! the shepherds were watching over their flocks that night, when suddenly an angel came to them, and a bright light — brighter than the sun — shone all around them ; and the poor shepherds were sore afraid.

But the angel spoke so gently to them. “ Do not be afraid,” he said ; “for I bring you such good news,

THE ANGEL APPEARING TO THE SHEPHERDS

TALKS TO CHILDREN ABOUT JESUS.

which will make you and all people very glad. A little baby is born this day, who is your Saviour, Christ the Lord. Go to Bethlehem, and you will find him wrapped in swaddling-clothes, and lying in a manger.”

As the angel said this, all at once a very great number of angels came from heaven, and they all praised God and said, “ Glory be to God, and peace be to men.”

When the angels had sung their song, they all went away again back to heaven. And as soon as they had gone, the shepherds said to each other, “ Let us go quickly to Bethlehem, and see this wonderful thing that has come to pass, that God has told us of.”

They made such haste to go ! As they hurried along, they did not think of their flocks any more ; they only thought of the infant Saviour, and that the Son of God had come into the world.

Do you not think they must have longed to see Him? Oh, yes; and at last they found Him, lying in the manger, just as the angel had said; and Mary and Joseph were quite near, taking care of Him.

The shepherds then told everybody of the wonderful sight they had seen, and how God’s angel had come to tell them where to find the holy child Jesus, and that He was the Son of God.

As the people listened to the shepherds’ story, they were very much surprised; yet they did not

THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE.

believe that the little baby lying in the manger was indeed the Saviour of the world.

But the shepherds believed it; and when they went back to the fields again, to take care of their betheehem.

sheep, they thanked and praised God for all the wonderful things they had heard and seen.

Chapter IV. The Presentation In The Temple

TRIE baby Jesus was just six weeks old when His mother and Joseph carried Him to Jerusalem, to present Him to God in the Temple.

TALKS TO CHILDREN ABOUT JESUS.

The Temple was God’s house; and Mary wanted to take her baby there, and to thank God, in Ilis house, for all His goodness to her.

So the beloved Son was brought into His Father’s house, to receive His Father’s blessing. The priest who took the child in his arms to present Him before God, did not know who this baby was ! He thought He was just like any other little baby.

Just then an old man, called Simeon, came into the Temple. He was a very good man, and loved to pray to God. He knew that God was going to send His Son into the world, and he wanted so much to see the Lord with his own eyes. God had told him that he should not die till he had seen Jesus Christ, and he believed God.

It was the Holy Spirit that made Simeon go into the Temple at that moment ; and what did he see there ?

He only saw a poor man and woman with a little baby ! Yet he felt God’s message in his heart saying to him, “ This is the promised Saviour ; ” and at once, with a heart full of love and thankfulness, he took the holy babe in his arms, and sang a song of joy and praise to God for sending Jesus.

How Joseph and Mary wondered when they found that this stranger knew who their baby was !

Then good old Simeon blessed them both. But he told Mary that though Jesus was the Saviour, yet people would speak against Him, and would not

THE HOLY FAMILY

TALKS TO CHILDREN ABOUT JESUS .

believe in Him. He also told her that one day she would have such a great sorrow that it would be like a sword piercing her heart.

When did she feel like that?

Ah ! I am sure you know ! It was when she saw her dear Son hanging on the cross.

But how did Simeon know what was going to be done to Jesus ?

God told him by His Holy Spirit. Those people to whom God speaks, and tells them what He is going to do, are called prophets.

Just as Simeon had done speaking, a very old woman came into the Temple. fou have never seen any one so old as she was : she was more than a hundred years of age. Her name was Anna, and she was a prophetess. She loved God so much, that day and night she used to pray to Him, and serve Him.

As soon as she had seen the baby in His mother’s arms, she believed that He was the Lord, and she thanked God, and spoke about Him to all those who were longing for the Saviour to come into the world.

Alter all these things, Joseph and Mary took the holy babe back to Bethlehem.

And the child grew. Not only His little limbs grew bigger and stronger, but He grew in wisdom and perfect holiness. The Bible says He was “ filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon tun.

THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE.

Think of Him, dear children, and try to be like Him. Remember, He was quite holy, without one spot or stain of sin. As a tiny baby, He was never even cross.

Will you try to be like Jesus? a child of God?

TALKS TO CHILDREN ABOUT JESUS.

CHAPTER V. The wise men

F N a country far, far away from Bethlehem, there lived some wise, rich men. They were very clever and very learned. They liked to watch the stars, and they knew a great deal about them.

One night they saw a new star ! It was very bright and very beautiful ; and they knew that God had put this star in the sky, to tell them that He had sent His Son into the world to be a little baby.

The wise men thought they would like so much to see the Lord Jesus, and so they said they would go and try and find Him. They said.

“Let us go and worship Him, for He is God’s Son ; and let us take Him some presents, for He is a king.”

What does it mean to worship ? When we iprtiy to God, and give Him thanks, and praise Him, then we worship Him ; and the wise men knew that Jesus was God, and so they wanted to worship Him, though He was only a little baby.

So the wise men took some gold and other things, and then they mounted their camels and set off on their long, long journey.

At last they came to Jerusalem. When the people saw these strangers from a strange country,

THE WISE MEN, they wondered what they had come for.

But they soon knew, for the wise men began at once to ask,

“ Where is the baby King that is just born?

For we have seen His star, and are come to worship Him.”

The people said, “We do not know of 25 any baby King.” &

How surprised the g wise men were to hear w tli is! What were they S to do now ? Good old Simeon and Anna could have told them about Jesus, but they did not know the wise men were seeking Him. Would these men give up trying to find Him, and go back to their own country again ? No, they left Jerusalem at 0 ] lo ! once again they saw k , to go further on. And 3 star ! When they saw

1 3 2 )

THE ADORATION OF THE MAGI hi)

FLIGHT INTO EGYPT

TALKS TO CHILDREN ABOUT JESUS.

it, they were very glad, and were filled with thankfulness and joy.

The star moved on. The wise men were quite sure that God was guiding them to the right place ; so they followed it, till at last it led them to Bethlehem, and stood still over the very house where the young child was. Joseph and Mary were not now in the stable ; they were in a very humble house, for you know they were poor people.

The wise men went into the house, and when they saw the babe, with Mary His mother, they fell down on their knees and worshipped Him. Then they opened their treasures, and took out their presents, and gave Him gold and sweet-smelling stuff to burn.

After this, the wise men had intended to go back to Jerusalem, to tell the people there that they had found the baby King. But God spoke to them in a dream, and told them that they were not to let the people know about it. So they returned to their ovvn country another way.

Chapter VI. What King Herod Did

T^HERE lived at Jerusalem at that time a very -*■ wicked king, whose name was Herod.

He was exceedingly cruel, and had caused nurn-

WHAT KING HEROD DID.

bers and numbers of innocent people to be put to death, either because lie was afraid of them, or disliked them, or because they would not call him their king.

He even caused three of his own children to be killed. And some people he ordered to be burned alive ; and some he ordered to be cut in two — but I cannot tell you half the cruel things he did, for it is too dreadful to think about.

This wicked king knew about the wise men having come to Jerusalem to look for a new-born King, and he was afraid. Afraid and jealous of a little infant ! He could not bear that there should be nn other king.

He heard, too, that some people thought this baby King was Christ, the Son of God ; and in his wicked heart he determined to kill Him. But he did not know where to find Jesus. So he sent for the chief priests and all the learned men, and when they came he asked them,

“ Where do the Scriptures say that Christ shall be born ? ”

They told him, “ In Bethlehem.”

Then what do you think Herod did? He sent men at once to Bethlehem to kill this holy Child ! and because there were many babies there, and he did not know which was the Lord Jesus, he ordered that they should kill every baby in every house.

Was not this terribly sad and terribly cruel ?

TALKS TO CHILDREN ABOUT JESUS.

But God can see into people’s hearts as easily as we can look into people’s faces, and He knew what Herod was going to do. But He would not let His dear Son be killed yet, for it was not the right time for Him to die.

So God sent an angel that night to speak to J oseph in a dream. The angel said,

“ Get up quickly, J oseph, and take the young child and His mother, and go into another country, a great way off. You must stay there till I tell you that you may come away again, for Herod will try and find the young child, that he may kill Him.”

Joseph got up that very moment, and told Mary his wife all that the angel had said to him. Then they took the precious Babe, and with all the haste they could, they set out in the dark night to go down to Egypt. No one saw them go, for they went away so quickly and so secretly.

Next day was a sad, sad time in Bethlehem !

Some soldiers came into the town, sent by Herod to do his wicked, cruel bidding. They went into every house, and wherever they saw a baby, they snatched it from its mother’s arms and killed it.

Down every street they passed. The poor mothers saw them coming, and they clasped their little darlings tightly to their bosoms.

“ Oh ! do not hurt my child ! ” they cried, “ do let it live ! ” But it was all in vain ; the soldiers had

THE BOYHOOD OF JESUS.

no pity ; and in another moment it was torn away from its unhappy mother and killed.

What sad hearts there were in Bethlehem that night ! what weeping and crying in every street ! Not only in the town itself, but also in all the country round. Every little baby was lying dead.

Was Jesus amongst the murdered children? No: Joseph and Mary had escaped just in time to save the infant Saviour from Herod’s cruel hands.

Very soon after this, King Herod died. And then once more God sent His angel to speak to Joseph in a dream.

“ Arise,” the angel said to him, “ take the young child and His mother, and go back to your own country again ; for Herod is dead.”

So Joseph obeyed God, and did as the angel bade him, and they went to Nazareth ; which, you remember, was the place where Joseph and Mary had always lived before Jesus was born.

Chapter VII. The Boyhood Of Jesus

TRIE Bible tells us scarcely anything of the life ot -*• Jesus while He was a boy ; but enough has been told us to make us able to picture Him to ourselves in His humble home in Nazareth.

THE BOYHOOD OF CHRIST,

THE BOYHOOD OF JESUS.

He was brought up as the son of a poor man ; for Joseph was a carpenter, and had to work for his daily bread ; and we may be quite sure that, as soon

A STREET IN NAZARETH.

as He was able, Jesus would try and help him in the workshop and learn his trade. Indeed, the Bible tells us plainly that Jesus became a carpenter Himself. (Mark vi. 3.)

TALKS TO CHILDREN ABOUT JESUS.

Then, again, we may certainly think of Him as going to the school every day* with other boys, and learning to read ; doing everything that He had to do with all His heart, and in the best way : perfectly obedient to His teachers as well as to His parents.

Is it not wonderful to think that the Son of God condescended to live like any other little Jewish village boy? going to the same school, learning the same lessons, and doing the same tasks ?

But do not forget that there was always one great difference between Him and all other children. What was it ?

Jesus was without sin. He never did a wrong thing. Satan tried to tempt Him, as he tempts all children and grown-up people too, but Jesus would not listen to Satan. He prayed to His' Father in heaven, and always did the thing that would please Him.

I told you before that He was “ filled with wis dom,” and that as He grew older and bigger He “ increased in wisdom.” Everything that He did was right and kind, and no one could ever find anything to blame Him for.

Will you try and be like Him ? I dare say you think it is impossible ; and of course no one can be like Him ; but He will help us to be better than we

* We are told that even so long as eighty years before the birth of Christ, schools were established all over Palestine, and education was compulsory.

THE BO WOOD OF JESUS.

are, and to be more like Him every day, if we will ask Him.

Because Jesus was once a child Himself, He knows exactly what children feel; and He quite understands all their difficulties, and all their temptations, and all their sorrows. He loves little

JERUSALEM.

children, and loves to help them when they ask Him.

Will you then pray for His help ? Not only when Satan tempts you to do things you know to be wrong, but also when you do not feel inclined to do the things you know you ought to do.

Have you ever heard about the Feast of the Pass-

TALKS TO CHILDREN ABOUT JESUS.

over ? It was a very solemn feast, which God had commanded the Jews to keep always, to remind them of the time, years and years before, when He had saved them in a wonderful way from being slaves, and had taken them out of a country where they were most cruelly treated, and where they were very miserable and unhappy.

Every year Joseph and Mary went up to Jerusalem to keep this feast, and to attend the solemn services in the Temple.

Little children, however, could not join ; and it was not till Jesus was twelve years old that, for the first time, He was taken by His parents to keep the Passover with them.

This was a great event in His childhood. There was the long journey to be taken,* there were the hundreds and hundreds of people, flocking from all parts of the East to go up to Jerusalem at the same time ; and there were numbers of boys too, besides the Lord Jesus, going for the first time to the holy city. How eager they must all have been to see that city and Temple, of which they had read so much in the Scriptures !

Once before, Jesus had been in the Temple. Do you remember when it was? When His parents had taken Him, as a little infant of six weeks old, to present Him to God.

* From Nazareth to Jerusalem is a distance of about eighty miles.

THE BOYHOOD OF JESUS.

Good old Simeon, and Anna the prophetess, who had recognized Him as the promised Saviour, must have been dead when Jesus went this second time to the Temple; for we hear of no one then saying that He was the Son of God.

And now, amongst all the worshippers in that beautiful Temple, there was only one who had no wandering thoughts, only one who praised God with a perfect heart. You do not need that I should tell you who that was ; you know it was the boy Christ.

At last the week of solemn services was over, and all the people who had gone up to attend this great feast of the Passover began to travel homewards again.

Joseph and Mary went too ; and all that day they were journeying on, to return to their home at Nazareth.

But Jesus had stayed behind in Jerusalem, and His parents did not know it. When they did not see Him, they thought He was among the company (for a great many friends and relations were travelling with them), and so they were not at all unhappy. But when evening was coming on, and they stopped to rest for the night, then they looked for Him amongst their friends: and when they could not find Him they were greatly distressed.

What should they do ? They could not rest till they had found Him ; and so, after they had sought for Him anxiously, and had asked everybody they

(44) THE young saviour in the temple.

TIIE BOYHOOD OF JESUS.

met if they had seen their dear Son, they went back very sadly to Jerusalem, seeking Him.

Three days passed before they found Him — three dreadful days of anxiety and unhappiness. And where do you think He was found at last ?

In the Temple. There was the boy Jesus, sitting in the midst of many learned men, listening eagerly to them, and asking them questions.

For there was a large room in the Temple, where these learned men, called chief priests and rabbis, used to sit to teach young men and boys. They taught them the law of Moses, and examined them in the Scriptures. And Jesus had gone there to be taught.

The learned men did not know who He was, but they thought they had never seen such a wonderful scholar before. They were astonished to find how much He knew, how quickly He understood, and how wonderfully He answered their questions. Whatever Jesus did He did with all His might; and whatever He had to learn, He set His whole heart to it. This was another thing that made Him so different from all other children.

You may imagine how thankful and happy His parents were to see Him once more, and to find He was safe ! But they had suffered so much in their anxiety about Him during those last three days, that His mother could not help complaining just a little, as she said, —

TALKS TO CHILDREN ABOUT JESUS.

“ My child, why have you treated us like this ? Your father and I have been looking for you with aching hearts.”

Jesus said, “ Why were you looking for me ? Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business ? ”

When Mary spoke of His father, she meant Joseph, but Jesus spoke of His true Father, God.

A CARPENTER’S SHOP AT NAZARETH.

I think His parents must have almost forgotten that this boy, who w r as always so obedient, and loving, and gentle, was God’s own Son; for they did not at all understand when He told them that He must be doing His Father’s work.

Do you think the Lord Jesus went home again with His parents after this ?

Yes, He did. He returned with them to Naza-

THE BAPTISM OF JESUS.

reth, and was obedient to them just as before. And this was doing His Father’s work, and obeying His Father’s will !

And God was more and more pleased with Him ; for as He increased in age and in wisdom, He also increased in favour with God and man.

And so Jesus was a pattern for us in loving obedience to parents, as well as in everything else.

Chapter VIII. The Baptism Of Jesus

"T^OR a great many more years (eighteen), till He grew up to be a man, Jesus remained in Nazareth.

He was thirty years old now ; but He was living quietly on in the old home. He had not yet begun to preach, or to do any miracle ; He was doing His Father’s will in the humble home in which He had been brought up.

People had become very wicked in those days. Every kind of iniquity, and wrong, and cruelty, was done in the land ; and those people who still loved God, and grieved for all the sin that was going on around them, were looking and longing for a Saviour to come, who should take away all the evil, and make everything good.