Resurrection Eggs

As a mom it's very important to me that my kids know the real meaning of Easter.  So I spend a lot of time thinking about how I can make it more meaningful for them, you know, on their level.  Obviously we will attend church the day of, their is a wonderful program at our church called 'Eggcited for Jesus' on Saturday morning, and my husband is contemplating a family communion for us.  But I wanted something they could get their hands on, even play with. 

At Christmas time we break out a box labeled 'What God Wants for Christmas'.  It's an amazing tool that tells the story of the manger with a fold-up manger and little boxes that each contain a person that plays a part in the story.  At the end of the story Gabriel the Angel explains that what God really wants for Christmas is 'you!'  I cry every time and can hardly get through the story, but my kids love it (the story not the crying : )  Anyway, I wanted something like that.  The kids try to talk every person that comes over into reading it to them and it becomes a reminder to almost all who enter our house. (BTW, we picked this up at Walmart for $10 a few years ago)

So, I remembered Resurrection Eggs.  It's an egg carton filled with plastic eggs.  The plastic eggs each have an item inside that tells part of the story of the crucifixion.  All except one that represents the empty tomb.  You can use almost any 11 items, but this is what we used...


1. Bread - “While they were eating Jesus took a piece of bread, gave a prayer of thanks, broke it, and gave it to His disciples.  “Take and eat it,” He said, “This is My body.” Matthew 26:26

2. Silver coin - “Then one of the twelve disciples, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and asked, “What will you give me if I betray Jesus to you?” They counted out thirty silver coins and gave them to him.” Matthew 26:14-15

3. Purple cloth - “They put a purple robe on Jesus…” Mark 15:17

4. Thorns (we use a cutting from our bush)- “Then they made a crown out of thorny branches and placed it on His head, and put a stick on His right hand; then they knelt before Him and made fun of Him. “Long live the King, of the Jews!” they said.” Matthew 27:29

5. Piece of rope, twine, or thick string (a scourge) - “Pilate wanted to please the crowd, so he set Barabbas free for them. Then he had Jesus whipped and handed Him over to be crucified.” Mark 15:15

6. Cross (I use a cross from a necklace with a broken chain, but you could also make one out of toothpicks) - “He went out, carrying His cross, and came to “The Place of the Skull,” as it is called. (In Hebrew it is called “Galgotha.”) There they crucified Him.” John 19: 17-18a

7. Nails - “Thomas said to them, “Unless I see the scars of the nails in His hands and put my finger on those scars and my hand in His side, I will not believe.” John 20:25b

8. Sign (I use a small square of laminated paper) - “Above Him were written these words: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.” Luke 23:38

9. Sponge - “One of them ran up at once, took a sponge, soaked it in cheap wine, put it on the end of a stick, and tried to make Him drink it.” Matthew 27:48

10. Spear (my husband whittled a small piece of wood to a point) - “One of the soldiers plunged his spear into Jesus’ side, and at once blood and water poured out.” John 19:34

11. Rock - “Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a new linen sheet, and placed it in his own new tomb, which he had just recently dug out of solid rock. Then he rolled a large stone across the entrance to the tomb and went away.” Matthew 27:59-60

12. Nothing (the tomb is empty) - “He is not here. He has risen just as He said.” Matthew 28:6

 

Also, my dautghter's wonderful Wednesday night teacher got this off of Pinterest and it's looking wonderful!!

If you look closely you can see the empty tomb behind the grass.