How to explain to 8 yr olds why Jesus is God?

[CARose]

If you don’t mind, CARose, I’d like to print this out and read this (probably bit by bit) to my grandchildren as they get a little older. They’re just 3 yo and 17 months now, but I don’t think I’ll wait until they’re 8! Your description sounds so good for little ones! Actually, maybe I should start now - at 4 I was reading St. Luke Christmas story out of the KJV, and understanding it! It’s probably easier for little ones to understand than for “grown ups”.

I’d be honored to have you or anyone else read this to your grandkids.

CARose

 

[quiet52]

God is LOVE, a LOVE sooo big He needed someone to love in his infinity, and there was the Son, who is also God, infinite and eternal (He has been since before time and He will always be until after the end of time). The Love between the Father and the Son was so incredibly infinite it took on existence as a whole seperate person, The Holy Spirit.

Just a reminder – God is not a created being (He was, is, and ever shall be). He has always been a Triune God. There was no “beginning” for the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit. So we need to be careful not to imply that the Son and the Holy Spirit were “created” because the Father needed them.

One approach I’ve used is to explain that God is all about love … and love is only possible through relationships. So He has revealed Himself to us as three persons in perfect relationship, indivisible. God created us, He came to us on earth as man, and He continues to be with us, guiding us and helping us to be good and to love. We are created because He loves us and wants us to try to love Him and other people, as perfectly as we can…etc.

Explaining God is never an easy task. Some good ideas have been posted.

 

[CARose]

“We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
one in Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.”

…

“We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the
Father and the Son.”

 

[fellowChristian]

A man can be the following wrapped into one.

A brother, a son, a father, a uncle.

Apply that to God…

Father, Son, Holy Spirit

Does that help?

Not everything makes sense in our human minds.

As Jesus said to St. Peter “Get behind me satan” He asked why do you call me satan? Jesus replied “Because you think like a human”

The teaching of that is the world of our Father is different than our human world.

Yes this is what I use for my CCD kids from K-8th grade.

I say I am one person — We only have one God

I am a mother ----- Our Heavenly Father

I am a daughter ---- Jesus is the Son

I have a soul ------ The Holy Spirit

I am all the above and I am one person.---- He is all the above and He is one God.

After I say that the kids go ooohhh!

 

[St_Gabriel]

[Where is the Trinity found in Scripture?In the beginning * God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.* (Genesis 1:1-3)
And when Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened and he saw * the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on him; and behold, a voice from heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”* (Matthew 3:16-17)
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them * in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”* (Matt 28:19-20)

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of working, but it is * the same God who inspires them all in every one.* (1 Corinthians 12:4-6)

Good quotes. Don’t forget the Transfiguration.
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[japhy]

Good quotes. Don’t forget the Transfiguration.

That’s actually one of my favorite instances – I only didn’t bring it up because it’s a rather heavy theological event. I like that Luke used the Greek word for “overshadow” when the cloud came over the hill, in his account of the Transfiguration, the same word he used in the first chapter of the Gospel when the Holy Spirit overshadows Mary… and the same word used in the Septuagint to describe the presence of the Holy Spirit over the Ark.

 

[TheDoctor]

Greetings all. One of the issues you are dealing with is that children at this age have been taught all along to identify singular things - “the” dog, “the pencil”, “the bus” and it is easier for them to identify with “the God” rather than “the God who can exist as three distinct persons”.

Children (all of us really) are a combination of verbal, visual and tactile learners so in addition to telling them about Jesus it helps to show what we mean, the way leonie and kage_ar have said.

If I may offer one more way that involves some tactile feedback. Grab a hunk of clay (I prefer Play-Doh ) and tell the class it represents God. Form the clay into three shapes (e.g. roll it out and join the ends for a halo, cross, press flat like a communion wafer). After making each one, ask the kids "even though it looks different, is it still “God”.? If they can get that, you can then try to squish the clay, break it into 3 chunks and give it to 3 groups of kids to shape. The idea is that no matter which of the three shapes it takes, the clay is still God. If your class is small you can even give each kid some clay to work with.

P.S. Yessisn: Thank you for sharing the faith and teaching CCD.

 

[MollyF]

I am a first grade teacher and I get all the same questions and issues that you do as a CCD teacher. I have students (mind you I work in a Catholic school) who have never been to Mass, don’t know any prayers, and don’t know their faith. Here is what I do. Use books! There are a lot of good books that break down the prayers like “The Lord’s Prayer” by Robert Baden, or Piera Paltro’s books “Angel of God, Glory Be, etc”. I also simplify a lot! Jesus is God is a tough one. I begin with the sign of the cross and practice that (shape of Cross). Then I have used symbols like the three leaf clover (St. Patrick). You have to remember at this age they are very concrete and their level of understanding changes and grows. Just plant the seeds. I also use Blest Are We. It is good in the order but lacking of substance so I supplement with lots of books I have found over the years. One good idea for CCD is to make a paper Bible. One one side write OT and the other side write NT. When you read a Bible story, have them make a simple picture to go with it. Then you can type out the name of the story and they can glue or tape it over their picture. It helps them remember stories, it allows them to see before Jesus and after Jesus, and they love it! You can use a file folder too. Keep this each week so by the end of the year they have a bible of stories. I hope this helps. If you ever need any other ideas, let me know. Catholicmom.com is a good website.