The Lord's Love For Children

The Lord’s Love for Children

Luke 18:15-17

Sermon by Rick Crandall

McClendon Baptist Church – Sept. 21, 2008

*The tune was first written as a marching song for the Union Army, during the Civil War: “Tramp, Tramp, Tramp, the Boys are Marching.” Later this tune became one of the all-time favorite Christian songs for children. You have sung it many times:

-Jesus loves the little children,

-All the children of the world.

-Red and yellow, black and white,

-They are precious in His sight.

-Jesus loves the little children of the world. (1)

1. Jesus loves children, so He wants us to bring them to Him.

*The parents in vs. 15 are a great example for us, because they brought their children to Jesus, and the Lord wants us to do everything we can to bring children to Him. One reason why is because children are His creation. Psalm 127 tells us that they are a special gift from God. The Lord also wants us to bring children to Him is because they are teachable and reachable. Children are almost always open to spiritual truth. We can help them come to know Jesus Christ in a personal way. We can help them grow into devoted followers of the Lord.

2. Jesus loves children, so He wants us to bring them to Him, and He wants to touch them.

*Vs. 15 tells us that the parents wanted Jesus to touch their children. But the wonderful truth is that Jesus also wanted to touch those children! Matt 19:15 tells us that Jesus “laid His hands on them.” Mark 10:16 tells us that “He took them up in His arms, put His hands on them, and blessed them.”

*Here is a wonderful truth for you: The God of the whole universe is close enough to touch you, and He wants to touch you. He wants to pick you up when you fall down. He wants to carry you safely all the way home to Heaven.

*In Isaiah 46:3-4 the Lord says, “Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, Who have been upheld by Me from birth, Who have been carried from the womb: Even to your old age, I am He, And even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you.”

*Zig Ziglar once talked to his adult children about good things they remembered from their childhood. Two unexpected things stood out. One was that Dad let them order from the adult menu in restaurants. The other thing was that Dad would wake them up every morning by gently stroking their cheeks. (2)

*They never forgot the love and affection of that touch. But we can have an infinitely better touch from the Lord.

3. Jesus loves children, so He wants to touch them, and He rebukes those who keep children away from Him.

*In vs. 15 the disciples rebuked the parents who brought their children to Jesus. But in vs. 16 Jesus rebuked His disciples. He called those children to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.” Mark 10:14 tells us that Jesus was greatly displeased with His disciples.

*Why in the world did the disciples try to block these parents from getting their children to Jesus? One problem was that they were extremely busy. Mark tells us that some days they didn’t even have enough time to eat, so they didn’t want to be interrupted. But maybe the disciples could also see the strain of the cross beginning to wear on Jesus. This was only a few weeks before Jesus died on the cross, and maybe the disciples were trying to watch out for the Lord. But there is never a good reason to keep children away from Jesus! He is never too burdened or busy for them. And, by the way, He is never too busy for you!

*The Lord was greatly upset with His disciples when they tried to keep these children from Him. Don’t ever think you have a good reason from keeping children from the Lord. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.”

4. Jesus loves children, so He rebukes those who try to keep them away, and He calls children to come to Him.

*Vs. 16 tells us that Jesus called these children to Him, and He is still calling children to Him. Some of the most famous Christians in history were saved when they were very young. Church father, Polycarp was 9. Matthew Henry was 11. Jonathan Edwards was 7. Richard Baxter was 6. Isaac Watts was 9. Corrie ten Boom received Jesus at age 5. Count Nicholaus Zinzendorf, one of the fathers of modern missions, was 4!