By His Wounds We Were Healed

It is Holy Week, and none are too little for a moment of reflection during this time, so I learned from my three year old.

This Sunday, we had a good conversation in the bathroom after Sunday School. I knew she needed to go. Getting her to take care of business can be a challenge, though. As an encouragement to use the restroom at our family ministry building, I ducked into the church library and grabbed a pamphlet for her to “read.” My apologies to our church librarian.

The pamphlet was about Jesus’ life, and my daughter opened it to a full-color depiction of Jesus carrying his cross to Golgotha, his back bloody from scourging. It was a sober picture.

My daughter stared at it a moment. “Jesus is sad.”

“Yes, this was a sad time for Jesus.” I replied, wondering if the picture might be too disturbing for her.

“Who are hurting Him?”

“The soldiers and the people are hurting Him. That is the cross He is going to die on to take away our sins.”

She pondered the picture again. “Jesus has boo-boos. Can I…” She stopped, needing time to make the thought in her head come out in words. Finally she looked up at me and said, “Can I feel Jesus better?”

I put my hand on her little shoulder. “God did make Jesus all better already. Because, remember, Jesus came alive again. God healed all of Jesus’ boo-boos. His body is all perfect now.”

“Perfect!” she repeated.

“And you know what makes Jesus happy?”

She thought a moment, then smiled wide. “Mary!”

Of course. Mom always makes things better.

“Well, yes, but also you make Jesus happy. When you come to church and Sunday School like you just did now, it makes Jesus very happy.”

She beamed at the thought.

May your Holy Week be blessed with worship, reflection, and joy in making happy a Savior who went to the cross so we could be happy forever.

He himself carried our sins in his body on the tree so that we would be dead to sins and alive to righteousness. By his wounds you were healed (1 Peter 2:24).