Hardly anything is more endearing than the love of a child. Apart from the love of God there is perhaps no purer love. It is authentic and unconditional. So it should be no surprise that children had a special place in the heart of Jesus. Even as He headed for Jerusalem where He knew He would be betrayed, beaten and crucified, He took time to bless the children.
Matthew, Mark, and Luke each recount an incident when parents were bringing their children to receive a blessing from Jesus. The disciples, thinking that this was a waste of Jesus’ time, turned them away. But Jesus called the children over and created a teaching moment, telling them “anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it” (v. 15).
Like helpless children, utterly dependent upon God’s grace, we come to the cross to receive the greatest gift ever given: a place in the kingdom of God. As we submit our own lives humbly to Jesus, let’s also spend as much time as we can leading young ones to Him, especially at Easter time.