Have you missed any days in the challenge? There’s still time to go back and complete those challenges!
Thursday, December 31, Day 12
Bible Reading: Luke 23:26-56
Bible Verse: “The people had gathered to watch this sight. When they saw what happened, they felt very sad. Then they went away.” Luke 23:48
Interesting Facts:
- Gall was a painkiller made from a plant.
- Lots could be sticks or stones similar to dice. They were regularly used during this time period to make decisions.
Thoughts to Share: Even though Jesus had spent time trying to explain to the Apostles what would happen to him, they didn’t really understand it. So when Jesus died, they were very sad. They thought Jesus had died and they would never see him again. They may have even wondered what they would do now that Jesus was dead. They were sad and probably very, very confused. Yet, we know Jesus would rise from the dead in a few days. We also know the Church would soon begin and people could be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
There was a lot of hope for the Apostles and other followers of Jesus. They might have thought they would be sad for many years about the death of Jesus. But they were wrong! In a few days, they would feel real joy. Soon Jesus would help them understand many of the things that were confusing them. They just needed to have hope.
Family Fun Instructions: Here, you will find some optical illusions. They are like playing cards with colored designs on them. You are supposed to guess what percentage of each card is covered by each color. The optical illusion is that the colors are drawn in such a way that it is almost impossible to guess correctly! They can make your brain confused…just like the brains of the Apostles must have felt confused after the death of Jesus. Yet once you understand the illusion, it is much easier to do it. God wants you to understand that even though your life may be hard, there is always hope for Christians. Why? Because of what happened after Jesus died. We will talk about that tomorrow.
Just remember that no matter how bad things get, Christians have the hope of spending forever with God in Heaven. And that Hope can make you stronger in good times and bad. In the meantime, see if you can figure out the optical illusion and then follow the instructions here to make your own optical illusions.
Parenting Tips: Here you will find tips for raising a hope filled child. Understanding the hope they have in Jesus, will help your kids be strong in bad times. It will keep them from viewing themselves as lifelong victims. Helping your kids have hope can make it easier for them to endure difficulties the rest of their lives.