Thread: Explaining the Hypostatic Union to a 10 year old

In Bible Study this morning, my wife made the comment that Jesus was separated from God for three hours while he bore our sins. So, my 10 year-old daughter asks "I've been hearing that, how was Jesus separated from God?" I knew from her question that she was having trouble because she is aware of the Trinity and understands its implications, and I too have trouble with the wording, "Jesus was separated from God as he bore our sin" because it communicates that at some point the Trinity was not unified, even though I knew what my wife meant.

Sooooooooo, what are your suggestions for helping to answer this question without glazing her eyes over?

I am not sure how you would convey this to a 10 year old but here is a place to start, putting it into your own words of course.

Jesus is both truly God and truly man; He had both divine and human natures joined into one Person. In the Scriptures there are many things predicated of Him.

1. He knows all things
2. He thirsted
3. He raised the dead
4. He grew weary

Anything that can be predicated of either nature (divine or human) can be predicated of the Person.

I.e. Jesus in His humanity thirsted; Jesus in His deity raised the dead.

Instead of saying Jesus was separated from God, why not say Jesus was separated from the Father (and possibly the Spirit)? I realize that Scripture sometimes uses the word God to refer specifically to the Father, but I think we should only do this in our speech when we are not setting God (the Father) in opposition to Jesus.

Originally Posted by Cary Loughman

In Bible Study this morning, my wife made the comment that Jesus was separated from God for three hours while he bore our sins. So, my 10 year-old daughter asks "I've been hearing that, how was Jesus separated from God?" I knew from her question that she was having trouble because she is aware of the Trinity and understands its implications, and I too have trouble with the wording, "Jesus was separated from God as he bore our sin" because it communicates that at some point the Trinity was not unified, even though I knew what my wife meant.

Sooooooooo, what are your suggestions for helping to answer this question without glazing her eyes over?

Without her eyes glazing over, eh? Hmmmm... Most adults today don't get this without there eyes glazing over, but I'll give it a shot.

That term "seperated from God" is often misunderstood, and probably shouldn't be used as much as it is. You can never be seperated from God in one sense. He is present everywhere, even in hell. The "seperation" refers to our relationship to God, kind of like a divorce or disowning a relative. Mankind has lost communion with God and is alienated from him. The relationship has changed from one of blessing and intimacy to wrath and hostility.

Jesus was not seperated from the Trinity (which is impossible), but separated from God relationally as our representative. In becoming the sin-bearer, His relationship with the Father changed from a relationship of intimacy to hostility, from blessing to wrath, losing God's favor and communion, hence "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" The beloved Son became the ugliest vilest rebel in the sight of God. Yet he remained both God and man in this. As a man he suffered the wrath of God as the substitute, and as God he sustained his human nature through it.

Hope that helps.

Christ's separation from God is not metaphysical (God is omnipresent after all), but ethical and epistemological (the condemnatin and punishment of sin separates us from righteous, holy communion with God--our thoughts cannot truly think His thoughts after Him), and it is confined to His humanity (Christ, the man, is separated in the flesh), not extending to His divinity (Christ, the God, is always in triune communion).

Originally Posted by JTB

Christ's separation from God is not metaphysical (God is omnipresent after all), but ethical and epistemological (the condemnatin and punishment of sin separates us from righteous, holy communion with God--our thoughts cannot truly think His thoughts after Him), and it is confined to His humanity (Christ, the man, is separated in the flesh), not extending to His divinity (Christ, the God, is always in triune communion).

To a 10-year old?

Originally Posted by TrueConvert

Originally Posted by JTB

Christ's separation from God is not metaphysical (God is omnipresent after all), but ethical and epistemological (the condemnatin and punishment of sin separates us from righteous, holy communion with God--our thoughts cannot truly think His thoughts after Him), and it is confined to His humanity (Christ, the man, is separated in the flesh), not extending to His divinity (Christ, the God, is always in triune communion).

To a 10-year old?

What about, God does not look at sin, so when Jesus took on our sin, God turned his face from him?

Can't you just say "God said it, I believe it, that settles it"?

Originally Posted by Skyler

Can't you just say "God said it, I believe it, that settles it"?

Sure would be nice if this worked! Not quite sure about Cary's 10 year old, but I know that I did then and still do today, ask many questions...so for me, even at 10, I would have still had questions.

Originally Posted by Skyler

Can't you just say "God said it, I believe it, that settles it"?

Not on this board, you can't.

Well, you can, but people will point and laugh...

Originally Posted by TrueConvert

Originally Posted by JTB

Christ's separation from God is not metaphysical (God is omnipresent after all), but ethical and epistemological (the condemnatin and punishment of sin separates us from righteous, holy communion with God--our thoughts cannot truly think His thoughts after Him), and it is confined to His humanity (Christ, the man, is separated in the flesh), not extending to His divinity (Christ, the God, is always in triune communion).

To a 10-year old?

Sure, and if they don't know the big words, the ideas aren't that difficult to express.

Metaphysical - What God is
Ethical - How God considers us good or bad
Epistemological - What is true and how we know

and so on. Why can't a ten year old understand that much?

The expression separated from God, or God withdrawing his presence in the Bible and in general Christian talk refers to God's comfortable felt presence to bless, not His presence absolutely.

This should be made clear to unbelievers when talking to them about Hell. Some evangelists say baldly that Hell is separation from God. This is too simplistic, and would make Hell to be Heaven if understood in one way by unbelievers, many of whom want to get as far away from God as possible.

Hell is rather our separation from the favourable and gracious presence of God, of the good things we receive in this life from God, and an awareness of the sin, guilt and divine wrath that separates us from God.

E.g.
And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb (Revelation 14:9-10, ESV)

-----Added 9/24/2009 at 11:31:23 EST-----

I think it's enough to explain to a ten year old that Jesus had to suffer - and wanted to suffer - so that we don't have to suffer for our sins. God the Father and Jesus lovingly agreed that this was the best and only way that we sinners could be forgiven and have new hearts.

Thank you for all the suggestions. I haven't figured out yet how you all are thanking each other for helpful posts or I would do it that way.