Let's start at the very beginning

I was shocked the other day when one of the twins asked, "What's grace?" and the other said, "You know, it's like graceful, like a swan." How, in ten years of Bible stories and Sunday school and everything, have they failed to pick up on the meaning of grace? I guess they're not soaking in as much as I thought. Or maybe the concept is too abstract for them to grasp.

"Grace is being given something you don't deserve," I explained.

"You mean like a spanking?"

"No, no, not exactly. Grace means Jesus took away all the punishment we deserved so we can stand perfect before God."

"As long as we obey him for the rest of our lives, right?"

"No, honey. Grace doesn't depend on what we do. It depends on what God does for us."

"But if I killed someone, I would go to hell. Right?"

"Well, let's not test that theory. But no. God tells us that there is no sin so bad he won't forgive it. There's nothing so shameful Jesus' love can't cover it."

To know and believe those words-- that's true freedom.

This morning we read the first chapter of Luke. "I know you've heard this before," I said. "But you can always learn something new. Try to listen for the things you don't understand and we'll talk about them."

"What's a virgin?" (I should have seen that one coming!) "If Zechariah was prophesying, why did he tell the past and the future?" "Was Gabriel the only angel who ever talked to people? What does it mean that he stands between God and man?" "What is circumcision? What does it mean?" "Why did the people sign to Zechariah if God only made it so he couldn't speak? Couldn't he still hear?" "Did John's dad know that his son would be beheaded?"

It was fun going back to the beginning of the story. I'm looking forward to reading it with fresh eyes.