Easter Week Family Time
by Lori Niles
• Monday-Read aloud Mark 11:15-18. Tell your children that this area of temple was the place non-Jews could come to pray, but it had become a dirty, noisy, un-worship place. Together, decorate a worshipful space in your home for Easter Week. Include a Bible, candles, and an area to display the items you’ll use this week. You can review these items at the beginning of each devotion time. A small, bare tree branch laced with white Christmas lights makes a nice back-drop. Light the candles or turn on the lights only during devotions to keep it special and meaningful.
• Tuesday-Read aloud Mark 14:3-9. This woman gave Jesus a gift that was very precious. We can give gifts that come from the heart, too. As each child shares something he or she can do to honor Jesus, spray perfume into the air or on the child. Beautifully decorate a piece of paper and form a cylinder around the perfume bottle for display at your family worship space.
• Wednesday-Read Matthew 26:14-16. You’ll need 30 dimes. Tell Kids that Judas betrayed Jesus for about 120 day’s wages. Let the kids count the dimes and place them at your family worship space. Ask, “Was Jesus’ life on earth worth morn than 30 pieces of silver? Why or why not? What was the true value of Jesus’ life to our family?”
• Thursday-Read aloud John 13:1-5. Jesus washed feet to show this love. Have a bowl, a bar of soap, and paper towels ready. Take turns washing each other’s hands and feet and drying them as you express love to each other. Display the soap at your family worship space.
• Friday-Read aloud Mark 15:21-39. You’ll need two horseshoe or carpenter’s nails, light gauge wire, and a shoelace for each child. Help children lay their nails across each other like a cross, then start wrapping the wire around the point where the nails intersect to bind the nails into a cross. Crisscross the wire in the center. Have the kids recall an event of the crucifixion with each wrap. Wrap more wire around the top and make a loop to hold the shoelace.
• Saturday-Read aloud Mark 15:42-47. Take turns wrapping each other in toilet paper just as Jesus may’ve looked when prepared for burial. Talk about how the disciples might’ve felt when all their hopes seemed destroyed when Jesus died. Ask,”How would you have felt if you had been there when Jesus died? What would you have done?” Talk about how the burial isn’t the end of the story, but that it was a very sad day for Jesus’ friends.
• Sunday-Read aloud Luke 24:11-9. You’ll need cupcakes and a trick re-lighting candle. Light it and talk about how Jesus came to be the light of the world. On Saturday, it looked like the light had been blown out. Blow out the candle and wait in silence while the flame is gone. When the flame comes back, celebrate! Point out that nothing can ever snuff out Jesus, the Light of the World.
• Tuesday-Read aloud Mark 14:3-9. This woman gave Jesus a gift that was very precious. We can give gifts that come from the heart, too. As each child shares something he or she can do to honor Jesus, spray perfume into the air or on the child. Beautifully decorate a piece of paper and form a cylinder around the perfume bottle for display at your family worship space.
• Wednesday-Read Matthew 26:14-16. You’ll need 30 dimes. Tell Kids that Judas betrayed Jesus for about 120 day’s wages. Let the kids count the dimes and place them at your family worship space. Ask, “Was Jesus’ life on earth worth morn than 30 pieces of silver? Why or why not? What was the true value of Jesus’ life to our family?”
• Thursday-Read aloud John 13:1-5. Jesus washed feet to show this love. Have a bowl, a bar of soap, and paper towels ready. Take turns washing each other’s hands and feet and drying them as you express love to each other. Display the soap at your family worship space.
• Friday-Read aloud Mark 15:21-39. You’ll need two horseshoe or carpenter’s nails, light gauge wire, and a shoelace for each child. Help children lay their nails across each other like a cross, then start wrapping the wire around the point where the nails intersect to bind the nails into a cross. Crisscross the wire in the center. Have the kids recall an event of the crucifixion with each wrap. Wrap more wire around the top and make a loop to hold the shoelace.
• Saturday-Read aloud Mark 15:42-47. Take turns wrapping each other in toilet paper just as Jesus may’ve looked when prepared for burial. Talk about how the disciples might’ve felt when all their hopes seemed destroyed when Jesus died. Ask,”How would you have felt if you had been there when Jesus died? What would you have done?” Talk about how the burial isn’t the end of the story, but that it was a very sad day for Jesus’ friends.
• Sunday-Read aloud Luke 24:11-9. You’ll need cupcakes and a trick re-lighting candle. Light it and talk about how Jesus came to be the light of the world. On Saturday, it looked like the light had been blown out. Blow out the candle and wait in silence while the flame is gone. When the flame comes back, celebrate! Point out that nothing can ever snuff out Jesus, the Light of the World.