2 Peter 3
Explanation and Bible story for toddlers and preschoolers (ages 3-6)
The Explanation
It was quiet in the room. A little lamp was burning.
At the table sat a man. His name was Peter. Peter had grey hair now, and big hands. Once those hands had pulled fishing nets out of the sea.
Peter was writing a letter. He wrote slowly, letter by letter.
He was writing to people he loved very much. "Dear friends," he wrote. "Do you still remember? Do you still remember what Jesus said?"
Because Peter knew something. He knew that Jesus is coming back.
But some people laughed about that. They said, "Coming back? Jesus? Ha! Nothing ever happens. The sun comes up. The sun goes down. And again. And again. Jesus is not coming."
Peter heard them laughing. And Peter kept on writing.
What Does This Mean?
"Listen," wrote Peter. "God is not slow. God is waiting."
Do you know why God is waiting?
Not because He forgot. Not because He is busy. God is waiting because He is patient. He wants to wait for everybody. He wants everybody to come to Him. Even the people who laugh.
For God, one day is like a thousand years. And a thousand years is like one day. God has all the time.
Peter dipped his pen in the ink again. "One day," he wrote, "Jesus will come back. Suddenly. Nobody knows the day."
The Common Thread
And then Peter wrote the most beautiful part.
Because after that day, something new is coming. A new heaven. A new earth.
Think of it. A morning with no crying. Grass with no thorns. Nobody being mean. Nobody scared. No one saying goodbye.
That is what God promised. And God always keeps His promises.
Jesus is coming back to make everything new. Everything, everything new.
Peter smiled a little while he wrote. He was old and tired. But he was happy. Because he knew: Jesus is coming.
For You
Then Peter wrote the very last words of his letter.
"Dear friends," he wrote, "keep growing. Grow closer to Jesus. Get to know Him more and more."
And then Peter put down his pen. He rolled up the letter. He gave it away, so someone could read it out loud, far away, to people who loved Jesus too.
And now the letter is here. In this book. For you.
So you may know it too: Jesus is coming back.
Sometimes waiting takes long, doesn't it? Waiting for your birthday. Waiting until Grandma comes.
But God is waiting too. God is waiting for the very best day.
And while you wait, you can do what Peter said. You can talk to Jesus. You can listen to His stories. You can get to know Him better and better, a little bit every day.
Do you know what you can say? "Come, Lord Jesus. I am waiting for You."
Talk About It
What do you like waiting for the most? Is waiting hard, or is it fun?
What do you think the new earth will look like? What will be there?
Praying Together
Dear God,
Thank You for waiting.
Thank You that Jesus is coming back.
Then everything will be new.
I want to know You better.
Come, Lord Jesus.
Amen.
Questions about 2 Peter 3
Short answers for anyone reading about this for the first time.
What is 2 Peter 3 about?
What does 2 Peter 3 say?
What does 2 Peter 3 teach us about God?
What can toddlers learn from 2 Peter 3?
Why is 2 Peter 3 an important Bible story?
What others discovered
Notice what Peter ties together: mockers come "walking after their own lusts." The scoffing isn't only an argument in the mind. It grows in a heart that would rather no one came back asking questions. Before you answer the mocker, ask yourself quietly: is there a corner of my life that hopes Christ delays?
Peter's opponents said nothing ever changes. He answers with one sentence: "the world that then existed, being overflowed with water, perished." It did change once, completely. Notice he says they forget this willingly. Some things we don't forget by accident. We forget them because remembering would cost us the life we've arranged.
A thief doesn't send warning. He comes on the ordinary night, when the doors are locked and you're finally asleep. "The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night." Peter isn't trying to scare you. He's asking what you're clutching so tightly. The heavens themselves won't survive that day. Will the thing in your hands?
Peter has just described the heavens passing away and the elements melting. You would expect a timetable next. Instead he asks a question: "what kind of people ought you to be in holy living and godliness". The end of the world lands not as information but as a mirror. Not when, but who. What kind of person are you becoming while you wait?
Looking for something for slightly older children?
We also have dedicated versions for elementary age (7-12) and teens (12 and up).
Open in the Children's Bible tool
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