Heidelbergian Children's Catechism (age 8- 10 years)
Lord's Day 16
Do you like pets? A dog, a cat, or a guinea pig? Some people like white mice. And fish in an aquarium can be fun. Every goldfish is different. It may happen that your pet dies. You feel bad about it, but you know that can happen. You may even bury them in the backyard, and put a stick in the ground to remember it. But you know that this is the end for the fish or the mouse. Grandma can die, too. You loved her very much. You could talk with her about many things, also from the past. And you could hear that she loved the Lord. Grandma will be buried. When you are at the funeral, you have tears in your eyes. But that is not the end for Grandma. The Lord Jesus, too, was buried. That was after much suffering on Golgotha. This began with the pain caused by the flogging, and by the crown of thorns. Then the nails driven through his hands and feet. And the spitting and mocking. But that was not the worst. Much worse was the fact that during the day it became dark. Then the Lord Jesus realized that He did not belong anywhere. Not even with his Father in heaven. He was under so much pressure that he cried:”My God, my God, why have you forsaken me!”
When you are separated from God, Satan attacks you. You cannot see him, but you can feel him. Then you are scared to death. That was what happened to Jesus. It was Iike hell for him. Our Saviour was willing to do this for us. Now, death in hell is no longer waiting for us. The Lord has paid everything for us. That is what we can say: Jesus Christ paid for all our sins. And now, God will never leave us alone. After all this had happened on Golgotha, the Lord Jesus was buried. Then all people could know that He had died. It did not just look like He was dead: He had really died. But now you may have a question. If it is true that Jesus Christ died to pay for our sins, why do we have to die? That is a good question. You could think that dying is no longer necessary for us, because Christ died. Yet, we do have to die. But through the death of Christ, our death is not as bad as it would have been. For when you die, you are with Christ right away. And you are free from all that is evil and sinful. Think about that! The more you think about it, the more you will serve the Lord.