Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Making Easter Matter


I want my kids to understand Easter is Jesus' grandest story. That story -- The Story -- involves God sending his son to live on earth, testify of the kingdom coming, die a brutal death, and shock the world by rising from the grave. Our new life is possible because of Jesus' willingness to lay down his life for us out of obedience to his Father. So it is our story too. It's one about grace. And life. And forgiveness. And hope.

Jesus is alive. The stone was rolled away.

That's an exciting story. One that's way better than bunnies and chicks in a basket of pretend grass that shows up in random places for months to come. With the truth in mind, their "Easter basket," yes, singular, has looked liked this in the past:


  • Jelly beans :: Each color represents elements of The Story. Red is for the blood he gave, green for the grass he made, yellow for the sun so bright, orange is for the edge of night, black is for the sins we made, white is for grace he gave, purple is for the hour of sorrow, and pink is for the new tomorrow.
  • Chocolate coins :: The edible money is a reminder of Judas' betrayal
  • Candy rocks :: Sweet symbols of the stone that was rolled away! I couldn't find actual candy rocks this year, so I got Peanut M&Ms ... close, right?
  • Lamb :: One year I gave them each a stuffed one, another year I used smaller party favors, but, regardless, this reminds them Jesus is the Lamb of God. 

Other ways to make Easter meaningful ...


RESURRECTION ROLLS :: I'm sure there are many recipes out there, but this is the one we've used the past few years. {Thanks to Jennifer Schmidt of Balancing Beauty and Bedlam sharing it at incourage.me!} And it's worked well, which, really, is the most important thing when you're expecting a marshmallow to disappear. {See our original experience from 2011.}

JESUS STORYBOOK BIBLE :: My favorite children's Bible is a great Easter resource. Erin at Home With the Boys has outlined what to read through this week leading up to Easter. {Erin's printable is here.}

RESURRECTION EGGS :: These eggs are another fun way to tell the story of Jesus' crucifixion, burial and rising from the grave.

How do you celebrate Easter?
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2 comments:

  1. Love the basket ideas! Too bad I already bought stuff for ours.... :/ But still, I might add a couple of these ideas.... where did you get the jelly bean cards that tell what they mean?

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  2. KristinHillTaylor4/16/2014 10:53 AM

    I got the jelly bean card at our local Christian bookstore a couple years ago, but yesterday I Googled "Jelly Bean Prayer" and got several printables with the same information.

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