Blessed Good Friday to you. Happy Easter to you. Better yet, Happy Resurrection Sunday to you! I hope your family enjoys a rich time contemplating the death and resurrection of our Savior. This week I’ve been reviewing the questions and answers on the death and resurrection of Christ in the Heidelberg Catechism (1563). They provide clear, beautiful, and focused summaries of the very heart of our remembrances and celebrations this week. I encourage you to meditate on questions 37-45 in this ancient catechism. Here are a few select passages.

37.Q. What does it mean that he suffered?
A. That all the time he lived on earth, but especially at the end of his life, he bore, in body and soul, the wrath of God against the sin of the whole human race, in order that by his passion, as the only atoning sacrifice, he might redeem our body and soul from everlasting damnation, and obtain for us the grace of God, righteousness, and eternal life.

40.Q. Why was it necessary for Christ to humble himself even unto death?
A. Because, by reason of the justice and truth of God, satisfaction for our sins could be made no otherwise than by the death of the Son of God.

45.Q. What does the resurrection of Christ profit us?
A. First, by his resurrection he has overcome death, that he might make us partakers of the righteousness which he has obtained for us by his death; second, we also are raised up by his power to a new life; and third, the resurrection of Christ is to us a sure pledge of our blessed resurrection.

These truths are the foundation of Holy Week. They are the foundation of a Christian worldview. And they are the foundation of Christian education –we are fallen and in need of a Savior, God in His love sent His Son to die for us to satisfy His justice and redeem us, and Christ rose again to guarantee for us all of God’s promises. I praise God that each day at Veritas our children are taught in light of these truths. Someone once referred to genuine Christian education as “Cruciform Education” –education shaped and formed by the cross of Christ. Amen!

Two Links for Your Reading and Growth
1) Did you know that the notion of “Learning Styles” (i.e. the auditory learner, kinesthetic learner, etc.) is not true? Here is a short article from Joy Pullman at TheFederalist.com that debunks the myth of “Learning Styles”. While nearly 90 percent of Americans think people have unique learning styles — the best known are labeled auditory, visual, and kinesthetic — cognitive research has steadily debunked the idea over time. To mark Brain Awareness Week this month, 30 internationally respected neuroscientists, psychologists, and educators issued a public letter asking teachers to stop wasting time with it. The issue is interesting because it shows how a concept that is not true can become entrenched in the public’s understanding, and how false assumptions in education (or in any field of study) can be perpetuated by the flow of government research dollars.

2) Eric Metaxas at BreakPoint.org makes a great case for the importance of reading in the lives of adults and children in Readers are Leaders. This is a topic I return to regularly in these emails. Part of our vision at Veritas is to produce lifelong learners. Lifelong learners by definition and by necessity must be lifelong readers. And lifelong readers typically come from homes where books and reading are priority. Metaxas writes, Let me tell you something you already know—reading is critically important—especially for Christian believers. God after all, reveals Himself to us in the written words of Scripture. Think about it—when we read the Word, we place ourselves in the very presence of God . . . In addition to the spiritual, intellectual and relational benefits of reading, reading helps us combat stress and keeps our aging minds sharp. Martin Luther once said, “If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.” I’d add that if you want to change your world, pick up a book and read. So how do we accomplish this in a world of binge-watching, incessant social media, commuting, and a million other distractions? The title of a recent article by Charles Chu at Qz.com sums it up well: “In the time you spend on social media each year, you could read 200 books.”

Happy Reading and Have a Blessed and Holy Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday!