Why is Easter Good News? (part 2/6)

on how God doesn't demand death to pay for sin

Hi there! I’m rolling into this weekend with a long overdue haircut, the California sun has reappeared, it’s like all things new in my little corner of life. And speaking of all things new, it’s time for the second of a 6-part series on the question Why Is Easter Good News? It’s just for members of the Kids + Faith Community aka, those who pay a little to get extra goodies sent their way.

Not a member of the Kids + Faith Community yet? This new space offers the chance to expand on topics of faith, theology and the Bible for kids, connect in the comments, and meet others who value creating healthy spaces for the kids in their lives to meet God.

I promise the free stuff I make (like Ask Away, the Bible Binge’s I Kid You Not, and content on IG) will keep coming. This just helps make that more sustainable. You can join for $5/month or $50 for the year and jump right in with the series.

Let’s dive in! And I hope to see you in the comments once we’re through.

YOU ASKED: I know I’m supposed to say Easter is good news, but it’s also tangled up with fear for me. It’s like God got mean on Good Friday. What gives?

I hear from folks who avoid talking about the Jesus part of Easter pretty often now. And mainly, they aren’t talking about it because of who the god of the Easter story they were told is – a bloodthirsty, angry, hard-to-please sort of god, whose anger is only appeased by Jesus taking the punishment we deserve. These folks don’t trust the god of Penal Substitutionary Atonement and they certainly aren’t going to introduce their children to Him. (And He’s a He.)

Familiar?

I hope today’s theme helps speak to this, namely: Easter is good news because it shows us what God is really like. 

And I’d argue the god of PSA Easter and the God of the Bible’s Easter are not the same. And the more we become confident in that, the more we feel open to letting our kids hear this story and get to know this God. 

So we’re looking at reason number two that Jesus’ death and resurrection are Good News – that Jesus’ death and resurrection show us most fully who God is. Just not in the way the PSA wants us to think.  So we’re going to unpack two ideas here:

1. God doesn’t demand death, payment or punishment for Sin and

2. Instead, God sacrifices Themself for us.