Who Is the Man on the Little “t”?
An Introduction to Jesus
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
People thought that Jesus was a teacher and a leader who cared about them. But some people were mad at Jesus for saying that mercy was at the heart of God’s rules. Other people were mad at Jesus for saying that He was sent by God, and that He was God. Jesus got into trouble for telling the truth. Some people who wanted to be leaders wished Jesus would go away.
Jesus showed us that service to others is more important than fame. Jesus never took back anything He had said. Jesus showed us that real power does not come from force, but comes from love. Love obeys God. Love brings mercy, truth and forgiveness.
People hurt Jesus and put Him on a cross. They thought that would make everyone ashamed of Him. They thought everyone would forget about all that Jesus had said. From the cross Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
But His friends remembered Jesus, even though they were afraid of those who had put Jesus on the cross. And we remember Him too, even on the cross. We remember that Jesus understands every hurt. He understands how we feel when blame is not fair … When people bully us for no reason … and when people we thought were friends disappoint us.
Jesus died on that cross. But then He did something wonderful! He did not stay dead!
Jesus came back and visited His friends. He said “Peace” to them. He did not make them feel bad for hiding while He had been on the cross. He promised His Father would give them strength. His friends told other people about all that Jesus had said and done. We still do that today too!
When we see Jesus on the cross at church, we believe that He loved us so much He was willing to die for us. He taught us how to be human, to be our best selves. We remember He never promised we would not have to suffer. We know that He is still with us, no matter what. God’s love is stronger than suffering and death. We don’t have to be afraid.
We try to become more like Jesus every day. We recognize Him in each other. We try to love God like Jesus loved God, and to love each other like Jesus loved us – because that’s what He asked us to do. When we truly become Christ for each other, we will be part of His Risen Body. We will be part of God’s plan to renew the face of the earth.
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
Faith begins at home, but how do we talk about it? This introduction to Jesus will give adults a comfortable way to start easy conversations at home with children. Black-and-white drawings (that can be colored) depict familiar Gospel stories that can be told in your own words, or not. Scripture references offer easy access to the biblical telling of each story, as needed. When curiosity allows, this book will help children learn how to look up scripture stories on their own. Faith that knows Jesus is a good place for faith to begin.
About the Author
With a master’s in theology from Loyola University, Margaret Sheehan has worked in church settings for seven years. She served as director of religious education and parish teacher for a small church in Florida.