Princesses and Cowgirls -- part 3

This is Chapter 3 from my mentoring times with my daughters, Of Cowgirls and Princesses: God's Design for Young Girls. Thanks again to each of you that gave me feedback on the first chapter, and second chapter. Enjoy finding another batch of time to steal away with your growing girls.

Chapter 3

The Promise Fulfilled

For thousands of years Israel had waited for the promised Messiah. They waited through judges and kings, through the law and commandments, through prophets, and through 400 years of God’s silence.

Finally the waiting came to an end. At just the right time, a young woman gave birth to a little baby and named him Jesus. He was God become flesh.

Jesus lived and showed us how to live. He loved and showed us how to love. He prayed and showed us how to pray. The four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, show us in vivid color what a follower of God should look like.

Even robed in human flesh he remained God and sinless. He came to earth on a specific mission. He did not come to be served or to rule. He came to serve and to save.

Although he deserved all the glory, he washed his disciples’ feet.

Although he had done nothing wrong, he died a cruel death.

Although he brought the way of life, many could not accept the truth.

He died in my place and in your place. He paid a price that we could never satisfy. As he died on the cross his shed blood did completely what the Old Testament sacrifices had just pictured and done temporarily.

God hates sin and cannot allow it unpunished into heaven. Yet, He loves his people and He wants them in heaven. Jesus was and is the only solution. He became the perfect sacrifice and took the consequence of our sins on himself.

Of course, the story does not end there, otherwise our faith would not look much different from other religions. Our God is alive. Jesus rose from the dead. He paid the price for our sin and then conquered the power of death and claimed victory over the grave. He is alive! And on his death and resurrection we can confidently build our faith. On this we can look forward to eternity in heaven without doubt or fear.



Activity:
If you have a set of Resurrection Eggs pull them out as a visual review of Christ’s death and resurrection. If you don’t own a set of these, you could easily make your own.
1. Start with an empty carton from a dozen eggs and 12 plastic eggs (like you find around Easter)
2. Fill each egg with something significant in Jesus’ life leading up to the resurrection.
3. Place these in the eggs in order, and find a verse to accompany the object. Some ideas for filling and accompanying verses:
- small plastic donkey
- cup
- something for temple cleansing
- piece of purple cloth
- nail
- thorn
- coins
- piece of leather (to symbolize whip)
- cross
- a die
- a sponge
- a tiny spear
- a stone
- And the last egg remains empty just as the tomb appeared on the third day

4. Share these eggs with the rest of the family sometime during the week and let your daughter talk about what each item symbolizes.

Verses:
- His pre-existence: Micah 5:2; John 1:1, 14
- Called "Immanuel” “The mighty God, The everlasting Father" Isaiah 7:14, 9:6; Matthew 1:23
- Messenger crying "Prepare ye the way of the Lord" Isaiah 40:3; Matthew 3:3
- Would be a Nazarene Judges 13:5; Amos 2:11; Lam. 4:7Matthew 2:23
- The sacrificial lamb Isaiah 53:5; John 1:29
- Read more of Is. 53 – What a clear prophecy of Christ’s sacrificial death for us!

Go over some examples of how Christ fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament
- Why did Jesus have to die? (Hebrew 9:27 ff and I Corinthians 15:21, 22)
- What did his death accomplish? Romans 6:23
- How do we receive eternal life in heaven? Ephesians 2:8,9; Rom 10:9,10

Action points:
- Don’t let this opportunity for salvation pass by. If your daughter has not already recognized Jesus as her Lord and Savior take this time to make sure the message of salvation is clear. If she has become a Christian at an earlier time, give thanks for that decision and take time to affirm her faith.

Quotes:
Instead of quotes this chapter, a couple songs came to mind. Enjoy singing or listening to these with your daughter.

Chris Tomlin -- Amazing Love

The hymn -- And Can It Be?


Further reading:
So Great a Salvation by Charles Ryrie


While this chapter is really gender neutral, I felt it important for building the rest of the book. Without that motivation to live for Christ, everything else remains fruitless.