Heidelbergian Children's Catechism (age 8- 10 years)
Lord's Day 13
’’I’ll have a little sister soon!” says Megan Kok to her friend. “A sister? Are you sure? What if it is a boy?” But no, it really is a sister. She was born in Columbia, but she is an orphan; she does not have a father and mother any more. After a while she came. She and Megan share the bed room. She had to get used to her new life. But now she feels at home. She says Mom and Dad, and her name is now Sharon Kok. Father and mother have adopted Sharon as their own daughter. She is their child by adoption. You know that Jesus Christ is the real Son of God, his Father. He is the only one who has the same nature as the Father. But God also has adopted children. Just as Sharon could become the daughter of the Kok family, we may become part of God’s family. You too! Our heavenly Father has adopted us. Long ago, when Jesus Christ was still teaching on earth, He already spoke about this to the people. He said: Who does the will of my Father, is my brother and my sister. Sharon had to come all the way from Columbia. That cost a lot of money: the
flight and many other things had to be paid for. But our adoption was much more costly than that! When we were adopted by God, no money was paid and no credit card was used. Jesus Christ paid for our adoption with his blood, with his death on Golgotha. And that was how we became children of God. Jesus once said that only the people who do God’s will are allowed to continue living in God’s house as his children. God wants us to love him and to serve him. You are allowed to live with God as his adopted child, and now he wants you to show yourself a good and obedient child. Jesus Christ is not only the Son of God, but He is also our Lord. That word is used for very important people, who have much power. It means that someone is the master; he has the right to rule over a whole province, or even a whole country. Other people have to obey the commands of someone who is a master, a Lord. That is also the case with Jesus Christ.When we call him Lord, we say that he is our Master. He gives us instructions, and we have to obey Him. And He is powerful. As Lord He is much stronger than God’s enemy, Satan. Satan has great influence in this world. But the Lord Jesus has much more power. He says to Satan: My people belong to me, and they will never belong to you. I will take care of them. Remember that: Jesus Christ is our Lord, and we are his possession.