Your family will love learning about Bible history for kids in this fun, illustrated book for 7-12 year olds, What Was the Cross?.
The whole of the Bible points to the work of Jesus on the Cross. On the Cross, Jesus paid the debt of everyone who believes in him. He willingly sacrificed himself for our salvation.
Colossians 2:13-14, ESV, tells us:
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
Our children need to understand the meaning of the Cross of Christ. Understanding how the whole of Scripture points to the atoning, sacrificial death of Jesus on the Cross will broaden their understanding of God’s great plan for salvation. The story of the Cross is the story of the gospel.
What Was the Cross?
The Cross is the most important event in all of human history because it is the moment when Jesus, who is God the Son and the Son of God, paid for the sins of all who believe in him. Sin makes us enemies of God. Not only did Jesus bring about the forgiveness of sin for all believers, but at the Cross Jesus also made his followers friends of God instead of his enemies.
What Was the Cross?, Danika Cooley (Christian Focus Publications, 2025), page 8
The Cross was more than just an ancient wooden torture device intended for criminals.
The Cross represents the moment that Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, took the punishment for the sin of all who believe in him.
For Christians, the Cross is the symbol of the freedom and eternal life that Jesus bought for us.
What Was the Cross? will help your children understand how all of Scripture points toward the salvation of Jesus made possible for us because of his sacrifice on the Cross.
In a fun and engaging way, children will look at how the events in the Garden of Eden, during the Exodus, and through the Prophets all pointed forward to Jesus. They will learn about Jesus’ substitutionary atonement in a way they can understand. They, they will see how the entire biblical narrative was fulfilled in Jesus’ work on the Cross. They will learn, too, about how the Bible points Christian toward the future, when we will live with Jesus for eternity.
The Cross of Jesus Christ
Your kids need to be able to answer the question: What Was the Cross?. The Cross is the symbol of our eternal salvation through the work of Jesus Christ.
Take a look at a few things your children will learn about the Cross:
- At the very beginning of Creation, humans sinned. God promised the seed of the woman would bruise the head of the offspring of the serpent. This started a war between the followers of Jesus and the followers of Satan. Jesus was bruised on the Cross, but he won the war.
- The sacrifice of the perfect lamb at the first Passover pointed to the sacrifice of the only perfect, sinless man, the Lamb of God–Jesus.
- God’s prophets shared God’s message about his coming Messiah, the Savior. Jesus bore the sin of believers on the Cross and paid the penalty for sins, just as the prophet Isaiah said he would.
- Only the one, sinless God-Man, the incarnate Christ, could pay the price for our sins. The birth of Jesus is the Incarnation, when God became man.
- Jesus accepted his mission to die on the Cross willingly. He was not surprised by the Cross. Instead, he worked for our benefit and for his own glory.
- Jesus’ death on the Cross was a victory.
- His victory is complete, yet not quite whole. We are in the already-and-not-yet kingdom of God. One day, Jesus will return for believers.
The Cross is the story of God’s great plan for salvation. It is the explanation for the gospel. The Cross is the means by which Jesus Christ, God the Son, saves sinners.
The Cross in Bible History
In a fun and engaging tone, the narrative Christian history book What Was the Cross? will help your kids learn about why salvation is necessary, about how Jesus came to earth to save sinners, and about how Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies.
What Was the Cross? chapters:
- Chapter One: The Mystery of the Cross
- Chapter Two: War in the Garden
- Chapter Three: Blood of the Lamb
- Chapter Four: Messengers who Spoke for God
- Chapter Five: Standing Trial in God’s Court
- Chapter Six: Arrival of the God-Man
- Chapter Seven: The Mission Jesus Accepted
- Chapter Eight: Victory on the Cross
- Chapter Nine: Living in God’s Kingdom
- Timeline
You know that the Cross is the most important event in all of history. It is the most important event in the Bible, too. In fact, over and over again the stories in the Bible point us toward Jesus and toward the sacrifice he made for us on the Cross. Once you see how the Cross shows up in God’s Word, you will notice how all of the Old Testament history points forward to the Cross. All of the New Testament points to the work Jesus did on the Cross too.
What Was the Cross?, Danika Cooley (Christian Focus Publications, 2025), page 10
Fabulously illustrated by Martyn Smith, the Who What Why series books are each 95 pages long with 8-9 chapters, perfect for your middle grade (ages 7-12) readers. The fun narrative makes each book an engaging family read aloud, but kids will love, too, that they can read the books on their own.
In fun sidebars, your kids will also learn about Colossians 2:13-14, and about the gospel of Jesus Christ:
- How the Cross Became Our Symbol
- Dead In Your Trespasses
- The Uncircumcision of Your Flesh
- God Made Us Alive in Him
- Our Trespasses Forgiven
- Our Record of Debt Canceled
- God’s Legal Demands
- Our Sin Nailed to the Cross
- The World Crucified to Me
What Was the Cross? is a fun way for kids to learn about how God taught his people to worship him–and how we worship God now that Jesus has died and was raised for our salvation.
Purchase What Was the Cross?
Learn more about the Who What Why series and get your FREE Resurrection Lapbooks here.
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Christian Biographies for Kids | Christian History for Kids | Theology for Kids
Christian History Matters for Our Kids.
History matters. Now, more than ever, we see how important it is for our children to know and understand history and the Bible.
Here’s why:
- God is the sovereign ruler of all things. It’s important for our kids to see his hand in the history of nations and in the lives of both peasants and kings.
- Christian history is the story of our family history. Our kids get to see how people who love Jesus follow him.
- Understanding history can help our kids learn historic and biblical theology. They learn what the Bible says and what that means for us. They also see when the study of Scripture has taken important turns that have changed the Church.
- Reading Christian biographies and history can be a wonderful way for kids to think outside their own time and culture. God’s Church spans centuries and includes people from every nation.
- Christian biographies help kids consider their own faith, walk with Jesus, and the impact their witness may one day have on others–and on history.
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