On a cozy Sunday evening, a little girl snuggled up beside her father on the couch. She held her story book in her lap, pointing to a picture of Abraham and Isaac.
"Daddy, knives are dangerous, right?" she asked, looking up at her father with curious eyes.
"Yes, knives can be very dangerous," her father replied. "That's why only adults should use them."
"And knives are only used in the kitchen, right?" the little girl continued
"Well, most of the time, yes, knives are used in the kitchen," her father said, smiling.
"So why was Abraham carrying a knife when he was walking with the little boy?" she asked.
At that point, her father put down the newspaper he was reading and gave his full attention to his daughter.
"That's a wonderful observation, princess," he said. "You're talking about the moment when Abraham was walking with his son Isaac."
The little girl nodded, her eyes filled with curiosity.
"So, a long time ago, there was a man named Abraham," her father began, pointing to the picture in her story book. "And that was his son Isaac. One day, God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac."
The little girl's face scrunched up in concern. "What's a sacrifice?" she asked.
Her father took a deep breath. "A sacrifice is when we give up something we really want or need. Imagine you really love your favorite toy, but you decide to give it to someone who needs it more. That's a kind of sacrifice."
The little girl nodded, and she continued to ask. "So, Abraham was going to hurt Isaac with the knife to make him a sacrifice?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Her father paused, seeing the weight of concern on his daughter's face. "Sadly, yes, he would have had to hurt Isaac with the knife if he was to sacrifice him to God," he said gently.
The little girl's eyes welled up with tears. "Will God ask you to sacrifice me, since you love me? I don't want you to hurt me with a knife!" she exclaimed.
Her father wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. "That's the Good News, princess," he said, smiling. "All this was just a test. And when Abraham passed this test, an angel came and stopped Abraham from hurting Isaac. Abraham was blessed greatly for his obedience to God."
The little girl sniffled, wiping away tears.
"God never really wanted Isaac as a sacrifice," he continued. "God simply wanted Abraham to love Him more than he loved Isaac. And do you know what?"
The little girl looked up at her father, curious. "What?" she asked.
Her father smiled. "God will never again ask for a sacrifice of people! Never again. We never have to carry knives next to our children! That's because of the Gift of Jesus."
"Daddy," she asked, looking up at him with curious eyes, "Who is Jesus?"
To be continued....
This story continues here: Who is Jesus?
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