Scripture – John 20
Happy Easter! Hope we will see you at church this morning. Remember, we are doing pancakes at 9:00, so come early.
Personal exercise – Visit a cemetery. Take a look at various tombstones, noting the information (date of birth, death, loved ones, etc.). You might even want to jot some notes on a notepad about these people. As walk among the graves, think on two things. First, imagine what it might have been like to visit the cemetery where Jesus was buried on Easter Sunday. What must it have been like to see the stone moved and the grave empty? How hard would it have been to believe? Second, consider the people in these graves. How is their existence affected by the resurrection of Jesus? Spend some time wondering if they will rise again to be with Jesus some day. Finish your time there by thinking about how Jesus resurrection makes a difference in your life.
Family exercise – You are probably planning some sort of Easter egg hunt with the kids. Prepare a few extra eggs for the hunt that you can use at a later time to help teach the Easter story. Put each of the following in separate eggs to hide:
A nail – to represent the nails that put Jesus on the cross
A thorn – like the crown of thorns
A silver coin – representing the silver coins Judas took to betray Jesus
A feather – representing the rooster that crowed after Peter denied he knew Jesus
A picture or sticker with a lamb – representing the Lamb of God
A small pebble – to represent the stone in front of the grave
An empty egg – Just like the tomb on Easter.
You may think of more. Give kids extra prizes for finding the special eggs. Then use those eggs to teach about the cross and resurrection of Jesus, the true meaning of Easter.