Each year we do a 12 day countdown to the resurrection. It's very similar in theory to the 25 day advent countdown done at Christmastime. Each day we do a fun Easter activity.
Five days into this - so beginning on Palm Sunday, each day we read a passage of Scripture associated with what happened to Jesus that day of the week leading up to Easter Sunday. We use resurrection eggs (made by Family Life) and the enclosed book that comes with it for the Bible readings. We just had to make the readings for "Tear Drops Egg" for Monday and "Money Egg" for Tuesday. (I put the readings for those two eggs near the end of this post.)
Five days into this - so beginning on Palm Sunday, each day we read a passage of Scripture associated with what happened to Jesus that day of the week leading up to Easter Sunday. We use resurrection eggs (made by Family Life) and the enclosed book that comes with it for the Bible readings. We just had to make the readings for "Tear Drops Egg" for Monday and "Money Egg" for Tuesday. (I put the readings for those two eggs near the end of this post.)
Our entire family's favorite day is celebrating the Last Supper on Thursday. Abbie has already asked me this month, "When will you and Daddy be washing our feet? When do we get to eat the lamb while we sit on the floor?" It's such a beautiful time. (I put the explanations we share as we eat each item below as well.)
Please feel free to use this countdown with your family!
Wednesday, March 16
This morning we will watch the "Greatest Bible Adventures - Easter Story" movie as we enjoy waffles for breakfast.
Thursday, March 17
Today we will dye Easter eggs.
Friday, March 18
Today we will make Jell-O eggs and watch a “Veggie Tales” Easter movie.
Saturday, March 19
Today we will receive a bouquet of fresh spring flowers & read "The Parable of the Lily."
Palm Sunday, March 20 – Little Donkey Egg
Today we will make Palm Branches and have a "Hosanna" song themed dance party.
Monday, March 21 – Tear Drops Egg
Today we will do the “You, Sin, & Christ” water activity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYQ076BgbGM
Tuesday, March 22 – Money Egg
Today we will make a craft to remind us to be Jesus’ hands and feet to the world.
http://www.craftnhome.com/john-3-verse-16-craft.html
Wednesday, March 23 – Silver Coins Egg
Today we will play the Jellybean Game. We have trivia cards about the Easter story and each time you get a question correct you earn three jelly beans!
Last Supper, Thursday, March 24 – Cup Egg, Praying Hands Egg, Leather Whip Egg & Crown of Thorns Egg
Tonight we will celebrate the Passover/Lord’s Supper. Dad and Mom will wash the children's feet. During dinner as we eat each item we will talk about what the roast lamb, unleavened bread, bitter herbs, fruit/nuts/honey mixture, wine, and broken bread meant for the Israelites and what they mean for us today.
Good Friday, March 25 – Nails Egg, Die Egg, & Spear Egg
Tonight we will attend the Good Friday service at church.
Saturday, March 26 – Linen Cloth Egg
Today we will make and frost cross sugar cookies to share with friends.
Resurrection Sunday, March 27 – Stone Egg & Empty Egg
Today we will make Resurrection Rolls for breakfast, receive Easter baskets, attend church, and go on an Easter egg hunt!
Tear Drops Egg
41 Jesus came near Jerusalem. He saw the city and began to cry for it. 42 Jesus said to Jerusalem, “I wish you knew today what would bring you peace! But you can’t know it, because it is hidden from you. 43 A time is coming when your enemies will build a wall around you and will hold you in on all sides. 44 They will destroy you and all your people. Not one stone of your buildings will be left on another. All this will happen because you did not know the time when God came to save you.”
Luke 19:41-44 (ICB)
What do you find inside the egg? Tear Drops.
After Jesus entered Jerusalem on the donkey, He cried for the people of Jerusalem because He knew they would not recognize that He was the promised Messiah who came to save them. In the same way God wants us to cry and repent over our sin. When we do this God forgives us completely. When Christ is poured into our lives our sinful heart is cleansed. Christ is without sin and when He is inside of us then we are made pure too.
Money Egg
13 But it was almost time for the Jewish Passover Feast. So Jesus went to Jerusalem. 14 In the Temple he found men selling cattle, sheep, and doves. He saw others sitting at tables, exchanging money. 15 Jesus made a whip out of cords. Then he forced all these men, with the sheep and cattle, to leave the Temple. He turned over the tables and scattered the money of the men who were exchanging it. 16 Then he said to those who were selling pigeons, “Take these things out of here! Don’t make my Father’s house a place for buying and selling!”
17 When this happened the followers remembered what was written in the Scriptures: “My strong love for your Temple completely controls me.”
John 2:13-17 (ICB)
What do you find inside the egg? Money
Righteous anger is being angry as what makes God angry. Jesus was angry that there were people selling animals and making money in the temple when that place should have been a quiet area of repentance and prayer, however righteous anger is also grieved by evil. Jesus did flip tables in the temple, but he was deeply saddened over the sin that made it necessary and we know this because the day before he cried over the fact that the people of Jerusalem would reject Him. Let’s be angry and cry over the terribly sad things in the world – like children who are slaves and orphans, like people who don’t have food or clean water, like people who have never heard the name of Jesus Christ, but let’s allow that anger and sadness to motivate us to be Jesus’ hands and feet in this world!
Passover & Lord’s Super Explanations
The Jewish people celebrated Passover each year, as God commanded to help them remember how God had brought them out of Egypt. The Passover food helped the Jews remember the exodus from Egypt. This was the meal that Jesus celebrated with his disciples on Thursday of the week that he died, but on this night Jesus changed the Passover meal into the Lord’s supper. The bread and wine of the Lord’s supper symbolize how Jesus gave his life for us.
Roast Lamb
The roast lamb reminded the Israelites of the lamb’s blood on their doorposts and the roast lamb they ate on the night they left Egypt. It now also reminds us that Jesus was the perfect lamb that was sacrificed to give us eternal life.
Matzo - Unleavened Bread
The unleaved bread reminded the Israelites that they had to hurry when they left Egypt.
Grated Romaine Lettuce - Bitter Herbs
The bitter herbs reminded them of the bitter years in Egypt.
Charoset - Fruit, Nuts, and Honey Mixture
The mixture of fruit, nuts, and honey reminded them of the material that that Israelites used to make bricks in Egypt.
Wine or Grape Juice
The wine is a symbol of Jesus’ blood which was shed on the cross so all our sins could be forgiven.
Broken Bread
The broke bread is a symbol of Jesus’ body which was broken on the cross so that we could be saved.
Please feel free to use this countdown with your family!
Wednesday, March 16
This morning we will watch the "Greatest Bible Adventures - Easter Story" movie as we enjoy waffles for breakfast.
Thursday, March 17
Today we will dye Easter eggs.
Friday, March 18
Today we will make Jell-O eggs and watch a “Veggie Tales” Easter movie.
Saturday, March 19
Today we will receive a bouquet of fresh spring flowers & read "The Parable of the Lily."
Palm Sunday, March 20 – Little Donkey Egg
Today we will make Palm Branches and have a "Hosanna" song themed dance party.
Monday, March 21 – Tear Drops Egg
Today we will do the “You, Sin, & Christ” water activity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYQ076BgbGM
Tuesday, March 22 – Money Egg
Today we will make a craft to remind us to be Jesus’ hands and feet to the world.
http://www.craftnhome.com/john-3-verse-16-craft.html
Wednesday, March 23 – Silver Coins Egg
Today we will play the Jellybean Game. We have trivia cards about the Easter story and each time you get a question correct you earn three jelly beans!
Last Supper, Thursday, March 24 – Cup Egg, Praying Hands Egg, Leather Whip Egg & Crown of Thorns Egg
Tonight we will celebrate the Passover/Lord’s Supper. Dad and Mom will wash the children's feet. During dinner as we eat each item we will talk about what the roast lamb, unleavened bread, bitter herbs, fruit/nuts/honey mixture, wine, and broken bread meant for the Israelites and what they mean for us today.
Good Friday, March 25 – Nails Egg, Die Egg, & Spear Egg
Tonight we will attend the Good Friday service at church.
Saturday, March 26 – Linen Cloth Egg
Today we will make and frost cross sugar cookies to share with friends.
Resurrection Sunday, March 27 – Stone Egg & Empty Egg
Today we will make Resurrection Rolls for breakfast, receive Easter baskets, attend church, and go on an Easter egg hunt!
Tear Drops Egg
41 Jesus came near Jerusalem. He saw the city and began to cry for it. 42 Jesus said to Jerusalem, “I wish you knew today what would bring you peace! But you can’t know it, because it is hidden from you. 43 A time is coming when your enemies will build a wall around you and will hold you in on all sides. 44 They will destroy you and all your people. Not one stone of your buildings will be left on another. All this will happen because you did not know the time when God came to save you.”
Luke 19:41-44 (ICB)
What do you find inside the egg? Tear Drops.
After Jesus entered Jerusalem on the donkey, He cried for the people of Jerusalem because He knew they would not recognize that He was the promised Messiah who came to save them. In the same way God wants us to cry and repent over our sin. When we do this God forgives us completely. When Christ is poured into our lives our sinful heart is cleansed. Christ is without sin and when He is inside of us then we are made pure too.
Money Egg
13 But it was almost time for the Jewish Passover Feast. So Jesus went to Jerusalem. 14 In the Temple he found men selling cattle, sheep, and doves. He saw others sitting at tables, exchanging money. 15 Jesus made a whip out of cords. Then he forced all these men, with the sheep and cattle, to leave the Temple. He turned over the tables and scattered the money of the men who were exchanging it. 16 Then he said to those who were selling pigeons, “Take these things out of here! Don’t make my Father’s house a place for buying and selling!”
17 When this happened the followers remembered what was written in the Scriptures: “My strong love for your Temple completely controls me.”
John 2:13-17 (ICB)
What do you find inside the egg? Money
Righteous anger is being angry as what makes God angry. Jesus was angry that there were people selling animals and making money in the temple when that place should have been a quiet area of repentance and prayer, however righteous anger is also grieved by evil. Jesus did flip tables in the temple, but he was deeply saddened over the sin that made it necessary and we know this because the day before he cried over the fact that the people of Jerusalem would reject Him. Let’s be angry and cry over the terribly sad things in the world – like children who are slaves and orphans, like people who don’t have food or clean water, like people who have never heard the name of Jesus Christ, but let’s allow that anger and sadness to motivate us to be Jesus’ hands and feet in this world!
Passover & Lord’s Super Explanations
The Jewish people celebrated Passover each year, as God commanded to help them remember how God had brought them out of Egypt. The Passover food helped the Jews remember the exodus from Egypt. This was the meal that Jesus celebrated with his disciples on Thursday of the week that he died, but on this night Jesus changed the Passover meal into the Lord’s supper. The bread and wine of the Lord’s supper symbolize how Jesus gave his life for us.
Roast Lamb
The roast lamb reminded the Israelites of the lamb’s blood on their doorposts and the roast lamb they ate on the night they left Egypt. It now also reminds us that Jesus was the perfect lamb that was sacrificed to give us eternal life.
Matzo - Unleavened Bread
The unleaved bread reminded the Israelites that they had to hurry when they left Egypt.
Grated Romaine Lettuce - Bitter Herbs
The bitter herbs reminded them of the bitter years in Egypt.
Charoset - Fruit, Nuts, and Honey Mixture
The mixture of fruit, nuts, and honey reminded them of the material that that Israelites used to make bricks in Egypt.
Wine or Grape Juice
The wine is a symbol of Jesus’ blood which was shed on the cross so all our sins could be forgiven.
Broken Bread
The broke bread is a symbol of Jesus’ body which was broken on the cross so that we could be saved.