Domestic Seminary

Year 2: Who is Jesus?

Age Range: 7-8 years (school Year 2)
Core Themes: Incarnation, Jesus’ life and teachings, Paschal mystery, Jesus as friend and Savior
Primary Sources:

SECTION A: Driving Questions

At this age, children can move beyond “baby Jesus” to encounter Christ as teacher, healer, friend, and savior. They’re ready to grapple with the paradox of the God-man and begin understanding salvation not just as a concept but as a love story.

SECTION B: Doctrinal Content

Question: Whether Jesus is truly God and truly man?

Objection 1: It seems Jesus cannot be God, because God is everywhere and knows everything, but Jesus was in one place and had to learn things like how to walk and talk.

Objection 2: Furthermore, God cannot die, but Jesus died on the cross. So Jesus must be just a holy man, not God.

Objection 3: Moreover, Jesus prayed to God the Father. How can God pray to God? That doesn’t make sense.

On the contrary, Jesus Himself said, “I and the Father are one”¹, and St. Thomas called Him “My Lord and my God!”²

I answer that Jesus is the most amazing person who ever lived because He is both fully God and fully human. This is like having a dual citizenship—some people are fully American AND fully Mexican. They’re not half and half; they’re completely both!

Here’s a way to think about it: Imagine if the person who invented Minecraft could actually enter the game as a character. They would know all the secret codes and have all the power of the creator, but they would also experience the game world like any player—getting hungry, needing shelter, even “dying” and respawning. That’s a tiny bit like what God did in Jesus—the Creator entered His creation!

Jesus has two natures in one person³:

Reply to Objection 1: Jesus chose to experience human limitations. It’s like a dad crawling on the floor to play with his baby—he doesn’t lose his ability to walk; he chooses to meet the baby where they are. Jesus “emptied himself”⁴ to be with us.

Reply to Objection 2: Jesus died in His human nature, but His divine nature cannot die. It’s like when you go to sleep—your body rests, but your soul keeps existing. When Jesus died, His human body died, but He was still God, which is why He could rise again!

Reply to Objection 3: Jesus shows us that God is Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in perfect love. The Son talking to the Father isn’t confusion; it’s relationship! It’s like in a really close family where everyone talks to each other all the time.

Why Did Jesus Come? The Great Rescue Mission

Question: Whether God became man out of necessity or love?

Objection 1: It seems God had to become man to fix the mess of sin, like a repairman has to come when the sink breaks.

Objection 2: Furthermore, only God could pay the debt of sin, so He had no choice but to come Himself.

On the contrary, “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son”⁵—love, not necessity, motivated the Incarnation.

I answer that God didn’t come because He had to, but because He wanted to. Imagine your friend falls into a deep pit. You could throw down a rope, or hire someone to help, but instead you climb down yourself to be with them and help them climb out. That’s even better than rescue—it’s friendship!

God became man for five amazing reasons⁶:

  1. To save us from sin: Like a lifeguard diving into dangerous waters
  2. To show us God’s love: Words weren’t enough; He had to demonstrate
  3. To be our model: To show us how to live as God’s children
  4. To make us “sharers in divinity”: To lift us up to share God’s life
  5. To defeat death: To transform our greatest fear into a doorway home

Think of it this way: Sin had created a Grand Canyon between us and God. We couldn’t jump across. So God built a bridge—and the bridge is Jesus! But even more, Jesus doesn’t just help us cross; He carries us!

The Life of Jesus: God’s Love Made Visible

The Hidden Years (Birth to 30)

Jesus spent 30 years in ordinary life! He:

Why so long in hiddenness? Jesus shows us that ordinary life is holy too. You don’t have to do big things to please God—doing small things with love is enough⁷

The Public Ministry (Age 30-33)

For three years, Jesus traveled around showing people what God is really like:

Through His Teaching:

Through His Miracles: Each miracle was a sign pointing to something bigger:

Through His Friendships:

The Paschal Mystery: The Greatest Love Story

Question: Whether Jesus had to suffer and die?

Objection 1: It seems cruel that God would require suffering. Couldn’t He just forgive without the cross?

Objection 2: Furthermore, if Jesus is all-powerful, He could have saved us with a single word.

On the contrary, Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”¹².

I answer that Jesus didn’t die because God is mean or needed blood. He died because that’s how much He loves us!

Imagine you broke your mom’s most precious vase—the one her grandma gave her. You feel terrible. Mom forgives you right away, but she sees you still feel bad. So she does something amazing: she carefully glues every piece back together, cuts her finger in the process, and makes the vase even more beautiful than before. Her small suffering shows you how much she loves you AND fixes what was broken.

That’s a tiny picture of what Jesus did, but much bigger:

SECTION C: Thinking and Reflection Activities

🔍 Critical Thinking Tasks

Jesus Detective Work Read one short Gospel story each day this week. After each story, investigate:

  1. What did Jesus DO? (action)
  2. What did Jesus SAY? (teaching)
  3. What does this show about WHO JESUS IS? (identity)

Compare and Contrast Make two columns:

Miracle Mapper On a simple map of Israel:

🧠 Metacognitive Prompts

Thinking About Jesus

Feeling Tracker

📖 Scripture Meditation: The Good Shepherd

Read: John 10:11-15 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

Picture It: You’re a little sheep in a big field. It’s getting dark. You hear wolves howling. Then you see the shepherd—it’s Jesus! How does He look at you? What does He do?

Think:

Talk to Jesus: “Jesus, my Good Shepherd, thank you for…” (Let the child finish)

Do: This week, when you feel scared or alone, remember: “Jesus is my shepherd. He’s watching over me.”

SECTION D: Integration With Life

🧍🏽 Real-World Moral Scenario

The Playground Test

There’s a new kid at school who doesn’t speak English well. At recess, some kids are laughing at how he talks. You have three choices:

  1. Join in so you fit in with the popular kids
  2. Walk away and play somewhere else
  3. Go talk to the new kid and invite him to play

Think Like Jesus:

The Jesus Choice: Jesus always chose the lonely person. He ate with tax collectors, touched lepers, talked to Samaritans. Following Jesus means sometimes being unpopular to be loving.

Practice Saying: “Hey, want to play with us?” in a friendly voice. Practice at home so it’s easier at school!

📱 Digital/Media Discernment

Jesus in the Media

This week, pay attention:

The Jesus Test for Media:

  1. Does the hero forgive enemies or just defeat them?
  2. Does power = good, or does love = good?
  3. Are “losers” mocked or valued?

Family Challenge: Find a movie/show hero who acts like Jesus in some way. How? Find one who doesn’t. What’s different?

🌏 Interfaith & Pluralism

What Others Believe About Jesus

Different people believe different things about Jesus:

What We Believe: Jesus is fully God and fully man, our Savior and Lord¹⁴.

How to Talk About It:

Remember: Jesus didn’t force anyone to believe. He invited, He loved, He showed. We do the same.

👣 Saint of the Week: St. Juan Diego

The Man Who Saw Mary

Juan Diego was a poor Native Mexican man. In 1531, when he was walking to Mass, a beautiful lady appeared to him—it was Mary, Jesus’ mother! She asked him to tell the bishop to build a church.

The bishop didn’t believe Juan Diego at first. (Would you believe someone who said they saw Mary?) So Mary gave Juan Diego a sign: roses in winter and her image miraculously printed on his cloak!

Why This Matters:

This Week’s Challenge: Like Juan Diego, be brave when you have something important to say about God, even if people might not believe you at first.

SECTION E: Parent Guide

🔍 What This Year Is Really Forming

Your child is developing:

  1. Christological Identity: Jesus as personal friend and cosmic Lord
  2. Incarnational Worldview: God enters our mess, doesn’t avoid it
  3. Paschal Spirituality: Suffering has meaning; death isn’t the end
  4. Missionary Consciousness: If Jesus is good news, I should share Him
  5. Scriptural Imagination: The Gospels as living story, not ancient text

🧠 Theology Behind the Simplicity

The Hypostatic Union What we’re really teaching when we say “God and man”:

Cur Deus Homo? (Why Did God Become Man?) The tradition gives multiple complementary reasons¹⁶:

The Paschal Mystery Not just death, but the whole movement¹⁸:

This is the pattern of all Christian life: dying to self, rising in Christ.

🛠 How to Respond When…

“Why didn’t Jesus just zap the bad people?” “Great question! Jesus could have used His power that way, but He came to save people, not destroy them. Remember, we’re all ‘bad people’ sometimes. If Jesus zapped everyone who sinned, there’d be no one left! Instead, He chose to change hearts with love. It’s like the difference between forcing someone to be your friend and winning their friendship—which is better?”

“Did it hurt Jesus to die since He’s God?” “Yes, it hurt terribly. Being God didn’t make Jesus immune to pain—it made Him experience it perfectly. When you stub your toe, it hurts but you might forget about it. Jesus felt every bit of suffering completely. That’s what makes His love so amazing—He knew exactly how much it would hurt and chose it anyway because He loves us that much.”

“If Jesus rose from the dead, where is He now?” “Jesus is in heaven with His Father, but here’s the amazing part—He’s also with us! After He rose, Jesus promised ‘I am with you always’¹⁹. He’s with us in a special way in the Eucharist, He lives in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, and He’s present when we gather in His name²⁰. So He’s both in heaven AND here—because God isn’t limited by space like we are!”

“My friend says Jesus was just a good teacher” “Your friend is right that Jesus was a good teacher—maybe the best ever! But good teachers don’t usually claim to forgive sins, calm storms, or rise from the dead. C.S. Lewis said Jesus is either a liar (He knew He wasn’t God but said He was), a lunatic (He thought He was God but wasn’t), or Lord (He really is God)²¹. What we believe is based on His miracles, His resurrection, and the way He changed the world.”

🛑 What Not To Say

❌ “Jesus died because God was angry” ✅ Say: “Jesus died to show us how much God loves us”

❌ “Jesus isn’t human anymore” ✅ Say: “Jesus is still human in heaven—He kept His body to be close to us forever”

❌ “If you’re good, you’re like Jesus” ✅ Say: “Jesus helps us be good—we can’t do it without Him”

❌ “Jesus was European/white” ✅ Say: “Jesus was Middle Eastern, but He came for all people”

❌ “Jews killed Jesus” ✅ Say: “Our sins killed Jesus—He died for everyone”²²

🙏🏽 Liturgical Practices

Daily

Weekly

Seasonal Focus on Christ

Monthly: Pick one title of Jesus to focus on:

📚 Further Adult Reading

Church Documents

Theological Works

Practical Resources

SECTION F: Self-Reading Guide

🧩 What to Look For

As you read about Jesus:

🗣 Try Saying This

Practice these true statements:

Which one do you most need to remember today?

🔄 Think About This

If Jesus came to your house today:

Draw or write your favorite answer!

✍ My Reflection Box

Finish these prayers:

“Jesus, thank you for…”

“Jesus, help me to…”

“Jesus, I love you because…”

(Add drawings if you want!)

📖 I Want to Know More About…

Put a check next to what interests you: □ Baby Jesus and the Christmas story □ Jesus’ miracles and how He did them □ What Jesus taught about being happy □ Jesus’ friends, the apostles □ Why Jesus had to die □ What happened after Jesus rose □ Where Jesus is now

Ask your parent to help you explore!

References

  1. John 10:30.
  2. John 20:28.
  3. Council of Chalcedon (451 AD), cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church §467.
  4. Philippians 2:7.
  5. John 3:16.
  6. Catechism of the Catholic Church §§457-460.
  7. This concept is central to the “little way” of St. Thérèse of Lisieux.
  8. John 9:5.
  9. John 6:35.
  10. John 11:25.
  11. Mark 10:14.
  12. John 15:13.
  13. Matthew 2:13-15.
  14. Catechism of the Catholic Church §454.
  15. Catechism of the Catholic Church §464.
  16. Catechism of the Catholic Church §§457-460.
  17. 2 Peter 1:4, cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church §460.
  18. Catechism of the Catholic Church §1067.
  19. Matthew 28:20.
  20. Matthew 18:20.
  21. C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity. This is the classic “Trilemma” argument.
  22. Catechism of the Catholic Church §597.