Story

Let me preface this post by saying that I spoke at NCA's chapel service today, I had 20 minutes to share the gospel with pre-K - 4th graders. NCA is a christian school and with that in mind was confident that the children would know the gospel, therefore I thought that I needed to do something less familiar. I thought retelling the gospel story in a new light might impact them more then just hearing the gospel reiterated. I had an introduction that I made up on the spot and at the end I had some application and exhortation. But the main body of what I had to say is the story that follows. I hope you enjoy and as you read, read it as though you were reading it to children (otherwise the repetition will drive you crazy, just ask my wife.) Happy reading and enjoy.


Once upon a time, because that is how all good stories begin, there was a great King. This King was a good King, a kind King, and a loving and generous King. This King loved to give. He had a glorious kingdom full of servants that loved Him, for He was a very, very lovable King. Everything that this King did was right, He never made mistakes. And this King had a Son, an only Son, Whom He loved very, very much.

Now, though this King was a kind and a good and a loving King, He had a servant that was jealous of the King. This servant wasn't thankful for all that the King had given him, for how the good King had always been good to him. This servant was ungrateful and turned against the King. This wicked servant began to fight against the King. The wicked servant wanted to be the king.

This wicked servant began calling himself king. He even made a kingdom for himself. But where was he going to get servants to fill his kingdom? For you cannot have a kingdom without servants. So this wicked servant, who called himself king, decided to take the good King's servants. This wicked servant began kidnapping the good King's servants, he would promise good things to them, tricking them and then making them his servants. He was a very wicked servant indeed.

The good King's people began following the wicked king. The good King's people left the good King. This was not good. This was very, very bad. The people of the good King made themselves servants of the wicked king. Now the King's people were His enemies. The good King's people were now the people of the wicked king.

Now, the good King still loved His people, after all they were His people, and he desired for them once more to serve Him in love. He desired for them to know Him as King. But His people had done something very bad. Very, very bad. They were now very far away from the good King. Very, very far. So far away that it seemed that there was no way to get back. What were the people of the good King to do? The people had left their King, they had committed treason. Do you know what treason is? Treason is when you turn against those that are for you. The people had turned against their King.

The good King, because He is good, chose to rescue His people. He would rescue them, not only from the wicked servant (who thought he was a king) but even from their own mistake in leaving their true King. He not only would deliver them from the evil servant but also return them to His Kingdom. The King loved His people, for He was a loving King, and He chose to rescue His people. But how? Who would go to the evil servant's kingdom and defeat the evil servant and who would pay the penalty for what the people had done in turning from their King? Who would go? Who should go?

The King knew who would go. The King knew who had to go. The King knew that only someone as good, and as kind, and as generous, and as powerful and as loving as Himself could go and defeat a wicked enemy and pay the fine that the people owed for treason. For the people, though loved by the King, were also in trouble with their King for they had turned against Him. The King knew only His Son could accomplish this mission. The King had a Son, an Only Son, Whom the King loved very much. And in His love He sent His only Son to rescue those that had turned against Him. He would send His Son to take the place of His servants. His Son would live for them and even die in their place.

The Son left His Father's Kingdom and entered into the kingdom of the wicked servant. The Son of the good King would pay for the freedom of the good King's people, he would pay with His life. When the good King's Son entered the kingdom of the wicked servant, the wicked servant fought against Him. The wicked servant knew the Son had been sent by the good King. The wicked servant fought against the good King's Son. He fought and fought. He fought until he had killed the good King's Son, His only Son.

But the story isn't over. The wicked servant didn't know the good King's plan. He didn't know that the Son of the good King had been sent to die for the King's people. The good King had sent His only Son to take the place of His people, to die in their place, to pay for their turning against Him. The Son died as part of the good King's plan, for the good King had an even better plan. The good King would raise His Son from death. And when the Son rose from the grave He defeated the wicked servant.

The good King's Son rescued all the good King's people and brought them back to His Kingdom. The people rejoiced in their good King and in His love for them and in the love of His Son.

The Son of the good King had rescued them from the evil servant and had forgiven them for turning away from their good King. The good King's people were once again happy to be servants of their King. The End.