Why Christian parents need to talk to their children about sin this Easter

At the heart of the Easter story is a simple but transforming truth: Christ died, Christ is risen, and Christ will come again. But behind that, are many deep questions - why the cross? Why the resurrection? How does this impact our lives?

As Christians, we and our kids have probably heard the gospel message, that we need saving, many times. With that familiarity, it can be easy to miss the beauty and subtlety of what Jesus’ death and resurrection mean. The great news and freedom that the Easter story brings should affect us every day, but sometimes we forget just how powerful it is. To properly understand the Easter story and the gospel truth within it, we need to zoom out and look at the big picture of the story of the whole Bible.

We can avoid talking about sin - perhaps because we are scared of over emphasising it

When we do zoom out it is difficult to avoid the issue of sin. In a culture where 1 in 4 of us struggle with our mental health, it can be a challenge to talk about sin, but it is essential that we do if we’re going to understand and experience the wonder of the full story.

The danger of over or under-emphasising sin

Our culture teaches us that we are the authors of our own destiny - to think about ourselves and do what ‘feels right’. Sin isn’t a word we often hear and even when we do, it’s normally linked to indulgence and excitement rather than something that painfully separates us from God. We can avoid talking about sin - perhaps because we are scared of over emphasising it. Understandably, we don’t want to compound the guilt, and shame that we may carry with us, but we don’t want to water down the truth either.

it can be easy to forget about sin all together

So many things affect how we see sin and confession from our cultural background and denomination to our parenting and learning style. For some of us, it can be easy to forget about sin all together. God accidentally turns into a ‘buddy’ who is always there and supports us in whatever we want to do. For others, they can be so aware of falling short and the need to come to God that he becomes someone to fear, who is just waiting for us to trip up. Neither of these are balanced or right pictures of God.

True confession and repentance are not about guilt for guilt’s sake, nor about self-condemnation. They are about honestly recognising where we have harmed ourselves, the people around us, and God, and then opening ourselves to God’s help, forgiveness and redemption.

Without sin, there is no real grace

Of course, if there is no sin, then there is no grace. There is no redeeming love, to call us to something greater, and more life-changing than we could have ever imagined. I love how the story of the prodigal son speaks to both the ‘sinning’ younger brother, and the self-righteous older brother. Both were lost, and in need of the father reaching out to them to restore connection with them. We’re all in need of God’s mercy and help whether we feel like we mostly ‘get it right’ or are massively messing up. The trap is to fall into comparison and judgement of other people when instead, this story is an invitation to all of us to turn away from our sin, and to receive the love, help and pursuit of the Father.

At Parenting for Faith, we encourage kids, teens and adults alike to connect with God through ‘Chat and Catch’. Its premise is simple. We can talk (‘chat’) to God through prayer - about anything that is on our mind - and wait for him to communicate back. ‘Catch’ assumes that God is communicating with us always and we can be ready to receive what he is saying with our imagination, through the Bible, our bodies, and those around us. We can ‘Chat and Catch’ with sin; we can bring our own sin and our worries about it to God, the heavenly father who is ready to welcome us back.

Read more:

Why do we celebrate with chocolate eggs and bunnies if Easter is about Jesus?

Making Holy Week unforgettable: Creative Easter traditions for families

There is no good parenting without Good Friday

God is neither a distant punisher nor merely our “buddy.” He is our heavenly Father who loves us deeply. How we approach our own sin and shame, and how we respond to His grace, comes into sharper focus as we reflect on Christ’s death and resurrection.

And His grace is not limited. It is extravagant, generous, and utterly transformative. As we seek to live out the message of Easter every day of the year, let’s remind ourselves of exactly that - that we are loved, forgiven, and invited to participate in the new life Christ has won for us.