Jesus’ Resurrection Day!!

IT’S SUNDAY MORNING!

“Low in the grave He lay, Jesus my Savior,
waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord!
Vainly they watch his bed, Jesus my Savior,
vainly they seal the dead, Jesus my Lord!
Death cannot keep its prey, Jesus my Savior;
He tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord!”
Up from the grave He arose;
with a mighty triumph o’er his foes;
He arose a victor from the dark domain,
and He lives forever, with His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!”


I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me—that Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, as the Scriptures said.

1 Cor. 15:3-4

Rejoice for this validates everything that Jesus did and said! It also grants us a confirmed hope! We who are alive in Christ will one day be reunited with those who are asleep in Christ!

The sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over us, but all who receive God’s wonderful, gracious gift of righteousness will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:17

Make Easter a family time of worshiping together and thinking about the risen Lord:

  • Start the morning with Resurrection Rolls This link tells you how to use rolls to teach the real reason we celebrate Easter!
  • Watch the sunrise and think on that first Easter sunrise when The Son rose!!
  • Read the Easter story together from Matthew 27-28, Mark 15 – 16, or Luke 23-24.
  • Sing praises together.  Hooray is one song that children really love about the empty tomb.  It is from Every Song a Bible Story from Maranatha Music.

Happy Easter from my family to yours!

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What Was Jesus Doing on Day Seven of Passion Week?

He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.
Matthew 28:6


Read about what was happening on Day Seven of Passion Week. It was a dark day for Jesus’ disciples – they thought He was in the tomb, but they could not imagine what He was actually up to during their darkest moments!!

Emphasize all day that when things look dark in our lives, God is busy at work, taking care of the things that concern us, even though we can’t see it.


Make an empty tomb with just a paper plate cut in half.  Color back side of one half of the plate brown. Color the top side of the other black which will be the inside of the tomb.  Cut a stone out of the brown side.  Staple the two sides together.  You can crumple a piece of brown paper for the stone.

Get complete instructions here to make an Easter Garden.

Tell the Easter Story with this Easter Cookie recipe. This is complete instructions with scriptures to share as you make the cookies.   When done, the cookies are empty just like the tomb.

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What was Jesus Doing on Day Six of Passion Week?

picture from Read and Share Bible

I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me—that Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said.  He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, as the Scriptures said.
1 Cor. 15:3-4

Day Six of Passion Week is the day that Jesus was put on the cross.  It is  the most crucial focal point in history. Think with your children about the agony He went through  – betrayal, arrest, false accusations, abandonment, beatings, harassment, and finally being nailed to a cross. –  all this for someone else’s sins.   It’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming is a video that depicts some of what was happening.

Resurrection Eggs is a wonderful teaching aid for helping your children visualize what Jesus was going through.  Each egg contains a different symbol such as 3 coins, leather strip, crown of thorns, 3 nails, etc.   It comes with a booklet telling the story related to each symbol and can be purchased at most Christian book stores.  Click here for excellent instructions on making your own!

Save your colored egg shells to make a cross like the one in this picture.  Cut a cross out of cardboard; cover it in glue; then sprinkle the crushed egg shells on it.  Share with your children as you are making this that just as these egg shells are broken to make a beautiful picture, Jesus’ body was broken for us to make our lives beautiful and free from the punishment for sin.

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What Was Jesus Doing on Day Five of Passion Week?

“If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”
Mark 9:35

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another”
John 13:34

Read about the full day Jesus had as His impending death was fast approaching on Day Five of Passion Week.

During His Last Supper that evening, His disciples were arguing about who would have the greatest positions.  He settled the argument by washing their feet and demonstrating that the greatest among them truly was the Servant of all.  (We might use this the next time there’s an argument over who gets to sit where, etc.  Say, ‘the one with the servant attitude will have the favor’)

Read the story from a children’s Bible.  This picture is taken from My Awesome God Bible Storybook .

Act out the story.

Follow Jesus’ example. Wash each other’s feet.  All day long talk about and look for ways to serve one another.

Color Eggs. Tell your children you are serving them by boiling the eggs for them to color.  Then as you color them, talk about why eggs are colored at Easter time.

  • Eggs represent new life which can remind us of the new life Christ Jesus gives us by what He did on the Cross for us.   Share this scripture: When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun! – 2 Cor. 5:17 (Living)
  • The colored eggs remind us of how beautiful our world is as the earth comes back to life again with colorful flowers, new leaves, and green grass in the Spring as all creation seems to rejoice that Jesus is alive (Matt. 28:6)! Share these scripture:
    Jesus makes all things new.
    Revelation 21:5
    God gives us all things to enjoy. 1 Tim. 6:17
    All Your works shall praise You, O Lord . . . Psalm 145:10

 

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What Was Jesus Doing on Day Four of Passion Week?

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
John 15:13

Jesus talked a lot about giving on Day Four of Passion Week.  Of course He had every right to do that since He was about to give the ultimate gift of His life on the cross for the sins of the world.

Encourage your children to give today as you talk about how much Jesus gave.  Bake Easter cookies (see recipe below) in the shape of a cross to share with neighbors.   As you make them,  talk about Jesus’ gift to us.  Say:

Everybody has done wrong things such as disobeying, lying, being unkind, etc.   God calls this sin and there must be punishment for it. But Jesus loved us so much that He took the punishment for all the wrong things that were done or would ever be done.  He died on the cross so we would not have to.  All we have to do is accept what He did for us and we can have a happy life forever with God.

In your giving today, don’t forget to give thanks to Jesus for His gift of life to us.  Here’s some simple thankful songs  Make up your own songs together.

My mother’s old-fashioned tea cookies recipe:

3/4 cup crisco or butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 & 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 & 1/2 cup Self-rising flour
Mix all together, roll out, and cut into shapes
(If you don’t have a cross cookie cutter, roll out 2 small ropes & lay one across the other to make a cross.)
Bake at 350 for about 12 minutes.

Ice with butter cream frosting:
1 box confectioner sugar
dash of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup butter

Here’s a fun video about the ultimate Gift 🙂 https://youtu.be/8SoSGDNWT2c

 

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