Easter
"O Grave, Where is Thy Victory"
Materials: a plastic Easter egg, a real egg, an egg dying kit, hard boiled eggs. Any videos or books you would like to use to tell the story of Easter.
Opening Song: "He Sent His Son" (Children's Songbook, 34)
Opening Prayer:
Scripture: Matthew 28: 1 "He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay."
Attention Activity:
Hold up a plastic Easter egg. What is this? What holiday is coming up on Sunday? Eggs are a symbol of Easter. Hold up the real egg. What is inside this egg? Eggs have new life inside of them; this is why they are symbolic for Easter. At Easter time we celebrate how Jesus was resurrected and made alive again. When you look at Easter eggs, try to remember Jesus and how he was resurrected.
Lesson:
Share the story of Easter with your family starting with the events of the Atonement. You can use a book, a church video (see below), use your own words, or use the simple story I provide below.
Video Links:
"The Lamb of God" video An overarching view of the events of Good Friday and Easter Sunday. This is the video I grew up watching every Easter put out by the Church in 1992. (approx. 26 min)
"He is Risen" Part of the newer "Bible Video" series put out by the Church in 2016. (approx. 7 min)
Easter Story:
On a Thursday night, Jesus had a special feast to celebrate the Jewish holiday of the Passover with His apostles. At the end of their dinner, He took out bread and wine and gave the apostles the first ever Sacrament. Show In Remembrance of Me, by Walter Rane
After the Sacrament, He took Peter, James, and John with Him to the Mount of Olives to a garden called, Gethsemane. When he got there he went off by himself to pray. As He prayed, he suffered for all of our sins and felt all of our pain. This is what we call, the Atonement. Have your family repeat the words "The Atonement". Jesus was in so much pain, He actually bled. After this special prayer, He met back up with the apostles and was approached by Jewish guards. With the help of Judas Iscariot, they arrested Jesus and threw Him in jail. Show O My Father, by Simon Dewey
The next day, Jesus was put on trial and many bad things were done to him. He was whipped, beaten, and had a crown of thorns put on His head. After all this was done to Jesus, the soldiers took him to a hill and nailed his hands and feet to wood shaped like a cross. On the cross Jesus said, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34) Then Jesus died. Show The Crucifixion, by Harry AndersonJesus' body was wrapped in special fabric and his family and disciples put ointments on Him so his body wouldn't stink. They put His body in a tomb, which is a room made to bury the dead. A big stone was rolled in front of the entrance so that no one could get in or out. On Sunday, Mary Magdalene, one of Jesus' disciples, went to visit Jesus' tomb. When she got there, she saw the stone had been rolled away and the tomb was empty. When Mary turned around she saw a man. It was the Savior. He called her by name. Jesus had been resurrected. Mary went and told other disciples that she had seen Christ and spoke with Him. Later, other disciples saw the Savior resurrected and made alive again. Show He is Risen by Greg Olsen
Discussion:
Hold up the plastic egg again and open it. Just like the egg is empty on the inside, the tomb where Jesus was buried was empty after Jesus' resurrection. Sometimes we find hidden things like candy or other treasures inside our Easter eggs. This too is symbolic. Jesus Christ was resurrected and because of his sacrifice, we can all be resurrected too. That means that one day, after we die, we will be resurrected just like the Savior was. This is Heavenly Father's gift to us. The treasure inside our Easter eggs symbolizes the gift of eternal life.
Activity:
Dying Easter Eggs
Easter Eggs were originally died red to remind us of Christ's blood which was shed for us. Now we dye them all sorts of fun colors. Have hard boiled eggs prepared as well as everything you need to decorate them like an egg dying kit from your local store. As you dye your eggs, have your children repeat to your why the egg should remind us of Easter and the Resurrection.
Closing Song: "Did Jesus Really Live Again" (Children's Songbook, 64)
Closing Prayer:
Refreshment:
Resurrection Rolls recipe here These are another fun way to teach your kids via object lesson about the "empty tomb" and Easter.
