It is regularly my privilege to train leaders and helpers in children’s work, and it’s often my experience that they lack confidence in teaching the Bible. In fact, many struggle to think of themselves as Bible teachers at all, telling me they “just” tell Bible stories and help the children have fun.
So I always try to encourage them that every one of them can dig into the Bible a bit more for themselves, and that it’s not hard to do. That’s what my pairs of glasses are about. But I always start with this simple rule of thumb:
It truly is that simple.
But when the passage is from the Old Testament, we can add another layer to that by looking at it through cross-shaped specs. Which means reading the passage in the light of the death and resurrection of Christ. We can do this in conjunction with our question-mark specs, but now the questions ask how the passage points forward to Jesus.
These questions don’t cancel out the rule of thumb. If the passage is about God, the main point will still be about God. But that truth about God the Father will ultimately be seen in the life, death and resurrection of God the Son. And that’s what the cross-shaped specs help us to see.
Next time: using the time-travel specs.
Alison Mitchell is a Senior Editor at The Good Book Company, where she has worked on a range of products including Bible-reading notes for children and families, and the Christianity Explored range of resources. She is the best-selling author of The Christmas Promise and the award-winning Jesus and the Lions' Den.
