Show Them Jesus: Teaching the Gospel to Kids

by Jack Klumpenhower

How were kids in those days taught to follow God’s law? Moses said to do it by telling the story of how God saved his people: “When your son asks you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the Lord our God has commanded you?’ then you shall say to your son, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand’” (Deuteronomy 6:20–21). It should come as no surprise, then, that once God’s saving work reaches its peak in Jesus, the Bible constantly uses this salvation to motivate us.

Our custom of taking the Bible a verse at a time means that we often miss this pattern. We think there’s doctrine (stuff about what God does for us in Jesus) and instruction (what we must do for God). We fail to see how they’re connected. We ought to teach them together. We should teach the good news with an urgency and expectation that its payoff is good behavior, or else our doctrine will be served cold. And we must teach good behavior only when we show it flowing from the good news, or else kids will choke on moralism.

Other times, especially in the case of violence, I go ahead and tell what the Bible tells for the following two reasons: It’s good to remain as faithful as possible to the whole Bible account because that’s how God gave it. It’s better if kids’ early exposure to the cruelty of this world comes through the Bible, where God’s story of healing and forgiveness is also told. It may be hard to discover violence in the Bible, but it’s much harder to discover it without the Bible. I let kids see how God is in control of death and pain and even man’s cruelty, and is rescuing us from these things in Jesus. The Bible is blood-stained. Its accounts of sin and gruesomeness are a serious barrier to teaching it to kids unedited. I see no reason to subject them to any of it unless I’m using it to teach about the blood of Jesus.

I’m not convinced that drawing moral lessons from a Bible character’s life is wrong. Teachers have done that for centuries. Is it really all that bad? Sometimes it is that bad—when we force moral lessons that are barely supported by the text or not there at all. One of the thickest books I own is a guide to all the New Testament passages that refer to the Old Testament.2 Only a handful of those are passages where an Old Testament character is used as an example of how to live. If we teach Old Testament lessons that are mostly how-to-live examples, we’re taking a different approach than the Bible itself takes.

On other occasions, it’s good and proper. Jesus used Lot’s wife, who turned back when fleeing Sodom, as an example for disciples to be ready to abandon worldly goods when his kingdom comes: “Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it” (Luke 17:32–33). Paul used the destruction of many Israelites in the wilderness as another example: “Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were” (1 Corinthians 10:6–7). Bible characters can be behavioral examples. That’s part of God’s salvation plan too. He’s worked in the lives of real people we can learn from. Just don’t leave out God’s role in th...

Not every verse mentions Jesus directly. But every part of the Bible contributes to the all-about-Jesus theme, and we need to read it that way.

I don’t reinterpret what the Old Testament writers said. I try

first to be true to what they said and to the good news as they could see it—then bring their story forward to include the fuller view of Jesus we have today. We’ll learn more about this technique in the next chapter.

Parents: When your kids ask, “Why do we follow these rules God gives us?” be ready to answer them the way Moses directed—by telling of God’s saving work. Take a few minutes now to anticipate godly behaviors your kids might challenge or complain about, like letting others go first, contentment with less, or sexual purity. Write down now what you plan to say about Jesus so you’ll be ready. For example, “We let others go first because Jesus saved us to be different from the world. He put his personal interests last for our sake—even dying for us. We do the same for others.” Practice frequently connecting Christian behavior to the good news, rather than merely saying, “God says it (or I say it), so do it!”

Before we begin walking through this process together, let me say this: If you teach Bible lessons, you do need to come up with your own lesson content. Even if you use published lessons—even if they’re good, Jesus-centered lessons—you still need to set them down for a time. You need to go through the process of studying, thinking, and finding wonder in Jesus for yourself. You might end up using much of what your teacher’s guide says. Still, the best teaching moments seldom come from following a script someone else has prepared, even a good script. They come from excitedly teaching rich truths you’ve discovered for yourself—and that discovery takes some work.

Let me show you how I connected Balaam with Jesus. I pick this lesson partly because it didn’t end up having any particularly clever insights. Getting to the good news from an Old Testament story usually isn’t about being clever; it’s about approaching the story with the right questions. Here’s the set of questions I used to tackle the Balaam story:

What is God doing for his people in this story? Good news! How does God do the same for us—only better—in Jesus? Believe it! How does believing this good news change how we live?

Of course, I also needed to decide how to present these themes in a way that was clear and interesting. That’s good technique, and you should use what works for you. But the lesson content itself was just the ...

That’s it. So don’t be intimidated. Yes, some people spend years learning the fine points of Old Testament interpretation. I’m all for that, but most of us who teach kids haven’t been able to go to seminary. We can still teach the Old Testament. Jesus set down the basic principle on one afternoon walk lasting no more than a few hours. The day he rose from the dead he walked with two disciples to the town of Emmaus. They didn’t understand his death and resurrection, and he scolded them for it: “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!” (Luke 24:25). Then he explained how all the Old Testament leads to him. Jesus. He’s the principle for teaching the Old Testament. It’s so simple and clear that Jesus called those disciples unbelieving fools for missing it. Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament isn’t some deep prophecy stuff for those teachers who are ultra-scholarly. It’s the ABCs. You’ll be on the right basic track—and well ahead of the two disciples—just by teaching the Old Testament with one eye on Jesus. It’s that easy.

Be curious to see how this balances with Abner Chou's christotelic approach vs christocentric approach

It’s the same with a “type.” That’s what Bible scholars call a person, thing, or event in the Old Testament that’s a symbolic picture of Jesus and foreshadows him. King David is a type for Jesus—a shadow of the ultimate Shepherd King. The Passover lamb is also a type—prefiguring the Innocent One who died to save us. Types are fun to think about, and God arranged biblical events so as to provide many of them.

The New Testament writers did a lot of this. But again, you don’t need one to get to Jesus. Nor should you force one.

Jesus is all over the Balaam story. We don’t need cute tricks to draw him out. It doesn’t require an “aha” moment where we reveal it was all about Jesus. We aren’t trying to look fancy.

Just notice how God is working. Then expand. Complete it with Jesus. Every Old Testament story is unfinished without him.

Many of us, when trying to teach kids, are used to thinking first about the human characters in a Bible story. We find an example from them, good or bad, and that’s our lesson. It’s me-centered, not God-centered.

The main character in the Balaam story isn’t Balaam. It’s God. To focus on Balaam trivializes God’s work in the story. So here’s the first rule of teaching from the Old Testament: Don’t: Look for a moral lesson about a human character. Instead: Look for the worth and work of the main character, God.

Again, start with the question What is God doing for his people? It’s important to take your time with the answer. Learn the context of the Old Testament story. Know what comes before and after. Consider how God is working in the lives of the human characters. It’s a bit different with each story and each character, and this is what gives freshness to each lesson. Don’t be too quick to flip over to Jesus for just another bland mention of the cross. First find the richness of God’s work in the Old Testament story.

LESSON: Baby Moses What is God doing for his people in this story? He arranges events to protect baby Moses and give the Israelites a leader who will rescue them from Egypt. Good news! How does God do the same for us—only better—in Jesus? He has provided a Leader and Savior who rescues us from sin and death. Believe it! How does believing this good news change how we live? Even when it’s hard to see, we can trust that God is working out his plan to complete our salvation.

LESSON: The Ten Commandments What is God doing for his people in this story? He comes down to make the Israelites his holy nation, giving his Law to show them how to be holy. Good news! How does God do the same for us—only better—in Jesus? He has come down as Jesus to bring us into God’s kingdom. Jesus has kept God’s law for us and made us holy. Believe it! How does believing this good news change how we live? As people belonging to God, we’re eager and able to obey his laws and proclaim his excellencies (1 Peter 2:9).

LESSON: Gideon What is God doing for his people in this story? He chooses a weak man with a weak army to save the Israelites. Good news! How does God do the same for us—only better—in Jesus? Through the weakness of Jesus, he chooses to save us who are weak in the world (1 Corinthians 1:27). Believe it! How does believing this good news change how we live? We do not b...

LESSON: Hannah What is God doing for his people in this story? He answers Hannah’s prayer and cares about her problems. He turns her from a despised person into one with a big role in his work. Good news! How does God do the same for us—only better—in Jesus? Jesus cares when we have problems. He takes the despised people of this world and makes them his people. Believe it! How does believing this good news change how we live? We pray with confidence in C...

LESSON: Jonah What is God doing for his people in this story? He shows grace and compassion to all kinds of people, from a disobedient prophet to the enemies in Nineveh. Good news! How does God do the same for us—only better—in Jesus? In Jesus, God’s saving compassion extends to the whole world. All of us—from churchy hypocrites to outright rebels—are enemies saved by grace. Believe it! How does believing this good news change h...

Again, these steps just get you the pieces of your lesson. You won’t necessarily teach those pieces in this order every time; that would get boring. Plus, always ending with how we live might give kids the wrong idea that Christianity is chiefly about how well...

Notice, though, that starting with God doesn’t mean the lesson has no behavior application—nor does bringing in Jesus mean the Old Testament point gets left behind. This method stays true to the message of the Old Testament passage. Including ...

Most stories include several things God is doing. The themes I’ve picked to emphasize in my examples are not the only options. To pick a good one it helps to keep in mind some of the main themes of God’s work in history. He creates and sustains life. He fights evil. He defends the helpless. He chooses people to be his own. He lives among them. He makes and keeps covenants. He declares his law. He gives grace. He reveals himself in his Word. He displays his majesty. He defends his name. He champions justice. He rules the nations. He raises u...

Instead of focusing on what God is doing, sometimes it’s simpler just to notice his character and goodness. Especially if you’re teaching older kids and moving beyond the Bible’s story passages, God’s character may be an easier starting place. So we might change our questions a bit. What does this Bible passage teach us about who God is? Good news! How is this aspect of God revealed—most fully—in Jesus? Believe it! How does believing this good news change how we live?

LESSON: Psalm 23 What does this Bible passage teach us about who God is? He is our shepherd, gently meeting our every need and protecting us from all dangers. Good news! How is this aspect of God revealed—most fully—in Jesus? Jesus meets our greatest need of all by being the Good Shepherd, so loving that he laid down his life for the sheep (John 10:11). Believe it! How does believing this good news change how we live? Knowing that Jesus went so far as to die for us, we are confident that we shall not want for any good thing. He will always be with us, and we fear no evil.

LESSON: The Golden Calf What does this Bible passage teach us about who God is? Like any lover, he is a jealous God. He fiercely demands that his people worship him alone, in his way. Good news! How is this aspect of God revealed—most fully—in Jesus? Jesus calls for his followers’ entire lives to be wholly devoted to him. He’s so jealous for us to be his alone that he died to redeem us from the devil. Believe it! How does believing this good news change how we live? When we know how much Jesus longs to be with us forever, it makes us yearn to be with him too.

Again, there’s so much in the Bible about God’s majesty and character—all seen most fully in Jesus—that the possible topics seem endless. We can teach about his mercy, his power, his kindness, his justice, his determi...

The first two methods depend on how God’s dealings with his people in the Old and New Testaments are much the same. But because the Old Testament anticipates Jesus, in some ways it also differs from the New. Its stories leave us unsettled. The Bible’s grand story unfolds as we progress from start to finish. With each turn it shows us more about the good news to come. Until we open the final fold and see Jesus, the whole picture never quite works. Old Testament stories tend to leave us with nagging problems or unsolved tensions, looking for more—for him. Read the prophets and you’ll see that Old Testament believers sensed it too. They were able to carry on with God only because they had faith that he was doing something unseen and better. Because of this, another way to teach Jesus from the Old Testament is to notice an unsolved problem or tension and then show how Jesus solves it. What problem/tension is left unsettled in this passage? Good news! How is this solved in Jesus? Believe it! How does believing this good news change how we live?

LESSON: Samson What problem/tension is left unsettled in this passage? God uses Samson to save the Israelites from Philistine influence, yet Samson remains a flawed and unsatisfying savior for God’s people. Good news! How is this solved in Jesus? Only in Jesus do we find the flawless Savior we long for. Believe it! How does believing this good news change how we live? We put our faith in Jesus alone, the only perfect Savior, knowing that in him God can use even flawed people like ourselves.

LESSON: The covenant at Mount Sinai What problem/tension is left unsettled in this passage? God invites the Israelites into a covenant on the condition that they obey—how can they say no? But clearly they aren’t able to obey, so how can they dare to say yes? Good news! How is this solved in Jesus? In Jesus we’re saved from both the guilt and the power of sin—forgiven and made able to obey. Believe it! How does believing this good news change how we live? We dare to say yes to God with confidence and eagerness.

LESSON: Moses in the cleft of the rock What problem/tension is left unsettled in this passage? Moses wants to see God’s glory, but no sinful person can see God and live. So Moses must be satisfied with seeing God’s back, not his face. Good news! How is this solved in Jesus? In Jesus we have seen God’s glory more fully than Moses did, yet in a form that brings us life rather than death. And one day we will see God’s face (Revelation 22:4). Believe it! How does believing this good news ...

Faced with the choice of making God out to be either a softie or a monster, she chose the kindhearted God. Later, I thought about it and realized there’s a third choice: Tell the whole story (always a good idea) and acknowledge the tension. God has to punish. He also loves to save. The flood is one of the many places where God’s justice and mercy come together. So teach it something like the following: LESSON: Noah and the flood What problem/tension is left unsettled in this passage? God must punish sin but also loves to save. At the end he promises not to destroy the world again—but what will he do if people keep sinning? Good news! How is this solved in Jesus? Jesus brings justice and mercy together. He suffered the punishment of God’s justice for us so that now anyone who belongs to him—not just one family—is saved by God’s mercy. Believe it! How does believing this good news change how we live? We stop fearing God’s judgment as we place our faith in the mercy that’s ours in Jesus. The only way to avoid either the softie God or the monster God is with the God of the cross. In fact, the New Testament does exactly this with the Noah story—see 1 Peter 3:18–21 for further evidence.

The good-news teacher welcomes such lessons. After all, our sin is the starting point for the good news (remember those Fs on the God Report Card?). It just means that when we teach any command, we must also stress how, already in the Old Testament, God made provision for sin and pointed to Jesus—who alone kept that command. I like to point out specific and amazing ways Jesus obeyed the exact command I’m teaching about, and that he also died for the way we break it. We’re counted righteous when we’re joined to him—as if we had obeyed as well as Jesus.

Except there’s still more! The full good news regarding any of God’s rules is that believers are (1) eternally forgiven for breaking that command and counted righteous in Jesus, no matter how badly they mess up; (2) made eager to follow that command in gratitude and hope as children of the Father; and (3) made able to follow it by relying on the Holy Spirit’s transforming power. Never skip this good news. Teach it every time you teach God’s commands.

LESSON: Proverbs 14:5—“A faithful witness does not lie.” What problem/tension does this passage leave unsolved? Telling the truth is both wise and commanded, but we often fail. We sin with our speech every day. Good news! How does Jesus solve the problem? Jesus did it! He controlled his speech perfectly. For example, he didn’t get defensive at his trial even when witnesses lied about him, and he answered truthfully even when it meant being sentenced to die. When we’re joined to him, he takes our failure and we get credit for his obedience. Believe it! How does believing this good news change h...

Do you see how we take God’s law seriously without it being a burden? It isn’t about God deciding whether or not to love us, nor is it about anything we’re stuck doing on our own. We do work at it, but in a trusting way that’s part of life with God. Because of this, a Christian kid who’s rooted in the good news will like God’s law. It will become a blessing in her life. She’ll want to study it and do it, like the person in Psalm 1:2: “His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” (By the way, this verse too is a problem passage. It’s made many a believer...

It’s an obvious but critical one: a Bible teacher must know the Bible. There’s no getting around this. If you first learned Bible stories in isolated pieces, you need to learn how they fit together. The best method is just to read the Bible.

Before teaching any particular story, I usually read not only the passage itself but the surrounding chapters. If I haven’t recently read the book of the Bible it’s in, I might read that entire book. This, of course, is in addition to being generally familiar with the entire Old Testament. It’s the only way I can properly see what God’s doing in a story. I know—that sounds time-consuming. I’m about to make it worse. To connect the Old Testament to Jesus, you have to know all you can about Jesus too. This means knowing the New Testament even more thoroughly than the Old. It means reading through the Gospels and Epistles regularly, even when the passages you’re teaching come from other parts of the Bible. It does take time—but not that much compared to other things. I try to read through one of the Gospels or an epistle or two in one sitting every month. It takes less time than a movie, and I always notice new things to admire about Jesus.

But now, I find that doing the reading makes me a better teacher and saves effort in the long run. For example, in my Balaam lesson I referred to Colossians 2:15 and how by the cross Jesus made a public spectacle of evil powers. That didn’t come from any lesson guide or cross-reference notes; it just came to me as I was thinking about Balaam’s embarrassment—and because a few months earlier, I’d reread Colossians.

A surprising number of popular Old Testament stories are directly mentioned in the New Testament—the Bible itself connects them to Jesus.

With this in mind I almost always stick to straight storytelling for the youngest kids: The Israelites were chased by the Egyptians. God saved them by making a path through the sea. He did this because he loves to save his people. He was getting ready for an even bigger kind of saving. Many years later Jesus saved lots of people from getting punished for their sin—he died on the cross to save people from that too. It’s that simple. Just tell the story and continue all the way to the good news.

Several years ago I had a class of preschoolers. I made a colorful card with the word “Jesus” printed on it and taught them to read it. I told them that all Bible stories led to Jesus. Then when I told my Old Testament stories, I’d get to a point where I said, “And many years later . . . .” That was the kids’ cue to yell “Jesus!” as I reached for the card—and finished the story. A repetitive approach like this wouldn’t have worked with older kids, but it was just right for those preschoolers. They liked my little game. They also learned to look for Jesus wherever we started in the Bible. They were actually disappointed when we moved on to the New Testament—where Jesus was clearly in the story from the start.