Was He Talking About You?

I love teaching the Bible to first graders. After Easter I was given the privilege of subbing for first grade at my favorite Christian School. The Bible Lesson for the day was about “Doubting Thomas.”

In the first place, I don’t think poor Thomas should have been saddled with that nickname. After all He was not the only one among his peers who doubted in the resurrection of Christ. All of the disciples doubted. Look up Matthew 28:17, Mark 16:11 &13, Luke 24:11, and Luke 24:37 (They even saw Him in person and didn’t believe.) In fact, a few of the women and John were the only ones to believe in His resurrection before He actually appeared before all of them in the upper room.

So now back to the Thomas story.

I started the class with this, “Did you know that there is a place in the Bible where Jesus talked about me?” Their little first grade eyes looked skeptical but no one said anything. “Yes, He was talking about me! I wasn’t even born way back then but He was talking about me.” Still I saw the skepticism.

Then I told the story about Thomas and how he didn’t believe until he actually saw the risen Christ. (At least Thomas believed at first sight and didn’t think He was a ghost like some of the others.)

At that point in the story I said, “The next thing Jesus said to Thomas and the rest of the ones there in the room was when He talked about me.” And their little eyes got a little bigger but still doubtful.

I told them this, “Luke 20:29 Jesus said to him (Thomas), ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’ That’s me! I haven’t seen Jesus. I wasn’t in the room when He appeared to them. But I believe that Jesus is alive. I believe He is raised from the Dead. I believe all of what the Bible says and I wasn’t even there! So Jesus was talking about me.”

 Well, you could actually see the unconvinced little faces clear. And some smiles. And some nods. One little boy in the back didn’t even raise his hand but blurted out, “He was talking about me too!”

I said to him, “Really? You haven’t seen the risen Jesus and you still believe?” He nodded. I told him, “Well then He was talking about you too.”

And then I heard a chorus of little voices saying, “He was talking about me. He was talking about me.”

I love that moment when The Word of God becomes real to children.

He was talking about me.

Was He talking about you?