Easy Easter Lesson for Kids

In the spirit of teaching kids the true meaning of Easter, I wanted to share an easy, quick Easter lesson that my friend Grammy did with us last year for a Family Home Evening lesson while we were visiting her. I asked her if I could share the lesson on my blog and she, being the nice person that she is, said yes (and gave the credit to a Methodist Sunday school teacher).

Speaking of teaching the true meaning of Easter, don't worry about us, it is not a problem this year. Mexicans have not discovered the financial possibilities of commercializing yet another holiday. Or the addictiveness of mini-Cadbury eggs. Or the Easter Bunny. Or all things fluffy, cute and pastel. THERE ARE NO PEEPS HERE FOR PETE'S SAKE. (Does anyone else love peeps that are just a little bit stale?) No Robin Eggs. No baskets shaped like fire trucks or bunnies or anything because there are no baskets! Oh well. Right about now I could really go for my favorite Easter candy: the Reese's Peanut Butter Egg.

I am afraid my kids may be on to us when they see their lame Easter baskets this year. Mexican candy is gross. (Sorry to my Mexican readers (if I have any) for my lack of political correctness, but for someone not accustomed to eating chile on every single thing that enters my system, it is not appealing).

Anyway, here is the activity:

You need 12 plastic eggs; print out the 12 scriptures below and collect the small objects that correspond to the scriptural references.

Place the scripture along with its object in an egg. Keep the eggs in order in an egg carton; open them one at a time starting with #1; share the scripture and let your kids hold the object. You can store the eggs in an egg carton and save them for next year.

#1 "And He went a little further, and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt." Matthew 26:39 (sacrament cup or other small cup)

#2 "Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, and said unto them, 'What will you give me, and I will deliver Him unto you?' And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver." Matthew 26:14-15. (3 dimes)

#3 "When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put Him to death: And when they had bound Him, they led Him away, and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor." Matthew 27:1-2 (knotted twine)

#4 "When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, his blood be on us, and on our children. Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified." Mathew 27:24-26. (chunk of hand soap)

#5 "And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon Him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head." Matthew 27:28-30 (square of red velvet)

#6 "And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear His cross." Matthew 27:31-32 "And he was crucified. . . nailed to the cross" (toothpick cross, tiny nail)

#7 "And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet. . .And sitting down they watched him there" Matthew 27:35-36. (small pair of dice)

#8 "Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;. . .Now when the centurion and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, 'Truly this was the Son of God'." Matthew 27:50-51, 54 (tiny bag of crushed rock or potting soil)

#9 " Joseph... a rich man, went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb which he ad hewn out in the rock" Matthew 27:57-60 (strip of white cloth)

#10 "And he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulcher, and departed. Pilate said unto them (the chief priests and Pharisees), Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they went, and made the sepulcher sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch." Matthew 27:60, 65-66 (a small stone)

#11 "And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary, the mother of James, and Salome, had brought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint Him. And behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. And the angel... said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified." Mark 16:1, Matthew 28:2,5 (bay leaf or other herb)

#12 "He is not here: for he is risen, as he said." Matthew 28:6 (EMPTY)