This Easter looked a lot different for most of us this year. We may not have gotten dressed up, gone to church, eaten a meal with extended family and friends, BUT the reason we celebrate Easter was still the same. For our online Easter service, I had the opportunity to share the “Resurrection Eggs” with the children. It was my first time hearing/sharing about the Resurrection Eggs but a tradition I think our family will be adopting for years to come. It’s a great way to share the Easter story with kids- colorful, interactive, and tells the best story ever! You can find a set of Resurrection Eggs online or even make a set at home yourself with Easter eggs and collecting the props inside. When you purchase a set, it comes with a booklet that explains each item in the eggs, the Scripture that goes along with it and many details and a narrative about the importance of each part of the story. I encouraged the families to read the whole story together in Matthew 26-28 as well.
1. The Donkey. They donkey reminds us of Christ’s entry into Jerusalem. (Matthew 21:1-9)
2. Three Coins. The coins remind us of the 30 pieces of silver Judas received for betraying Jesus into the hands of the Jewish leaders. (Matthew 26:14-16, 46-50; 27:1-5)
3. The Cup. The cup reminds us of Jesus’ last supper with His disciples before His crucifixion. It was what was used for the wine, which is drunk in memory of Christ’s blood that He shed for us and our sins. (Matthew 26:17-19, Exodus 12:23)
4. Praying Hands. The praying hands remind us of Jesus visiting the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. (Mark 14:32-42)
5. Leather Strip. The leather reminds us of the whip used to give Jesus 29 lashes after His trial by Pilate. (John 19:1-15, Matthew 27:26-31)
6. Crown of Thorns. The crown of thorns reminds us of the crown that the soldiers placed on Jesus’ head while mocking Him, saying “Hail, King of the Jews!” (Matthew 27:29)
7. Three Nails. The three nails remind us of the nails that were driven into Jesus’ hands and feet to nail Him to the cross. (John 19:16-22)
8. One Die. This one die reminds us of the Roman soldiers gambling for Jesus’ robe. (John 19:23-25)
9. The Spear. This item reminds us of the spear that the Roman soldiers used to pierce Jesus’ side when He was on the cross. (John 19:31-37)
10. Linen. The linen reminds us of the cloth used by Joseph of Arimathea to wrap Jesus’ body after He died on the cross. (Matthew 27:57-61)
11. The Stone. The stone reminds us of the tomb and the stone rolled away after three days. (Matthew 28:1-2)
12. The Empty Egg! The empty egg reminds us of the empty tomb and Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. (Matthew 28:5-8)
Why did Jesus have to die? For our sins. The Bible says in Romans 3:23 “All have sinned” and in 6:23 “the wages of sin is death.” We were all born with sin in our hearts, no one had to teach us how to be rude, selfish, prideful, etc. But God is holy and perfect. He lives in Heaven where there can be no sin. Our sin keeps us from living in Heaven with God when we die. But God made a way- God sent His son, Jesus, to live a holy and perfect life and die on the cross so that He could pay the punishment for our sin. He took the punishment for us so that we don’t have to be punished and can live with God forever in Heaven. The rest of Romans 6:23 says “but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” We can accept God’s gift to us, Jesus, by telling Him that we believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and we want to be forgiven. Then we can ask His Holy Spirit to give us the ability to learn to obey God everyday. Anyone who chooses to obey God and believe in Jesus will live forever in Heaven with God! What an amazing gift and a reason to celebrate this Easter! Do you or anyone you know need to hear this story again and accept God’s free gift to us?
~Sarah