Matthew 21:15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant,
So who was crying out in the temple? Crying out Jesus' praises?
It was the children. Hmm. Sounds like children knew Him personally.
Mark 10:13 & 14 And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. B
ut when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.
Jesus came for the children... let's be literal here!
Luke 1:16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God,
Jesus spent time with little children... and they knew him more than those who were supposedly wise and understanding (and older).
Luke 10:21 In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.
And the children participated in whatever happened together with the men, and their wives. No separate holding area for kids!
Acts 21:4 And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. And uthrough the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. 5 When our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all, with wives and children, vaccompanied us until we were outside the city. And wkneeling down on the beach, we prayed 6 and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home.
The children even prophesied - 4 unmarried daughters meant that the oldest could have been no older than 18, and the youngest possibly younger than 10.
Acts 21:8
7 When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and we greeted xthe brothers2 and stayed with them for one day. 8 On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of yPhilip zthe evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. 9 He had four unmarried daughters, awho prophesied
Our mandate is clear
Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
John wrote to the children too....
1 John 2:12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake.
1 John 2: 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father.
The children knew God Almighty as a Father! And John reassures them. And then he teaches them how to know a good person from a bad one...
1 John 3:7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.
John teaches little children how love is shown...
1 John 3:18
Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
And he reassures them that God is greater than their fears
1 John 4:4
Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
An admonition to children:
1 John 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
John rejoiced in some of the children of his fellow Christians:
2 John 1:4 I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father.
Whew. Let me get this right then. Children were part of worship, in the temple, around Jesus, involved in praying and prophesying, taught, discipled, leading and integral to Christian life.
The challenge is on!
I pray that I can teach my kids all this so that they are alive now, and not lost when they are teens. I pray that I will echo John:
3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
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