So how do we talk to our children about Easter?

It is so much easier talking to our children about Christmas, isn’t it? Especially when we rush over the virgin birth part ;) Talking about a little baby, the joy of Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, angels and wise men, is fun. But when we talk about Easter we can’t speak about it without speaking of death and that can be a little more unnerving.

Probably because of that we lose the real significance of Easter. It becomes more about pastel colored eggs, Easter egg hunts and the Easter bunny. Don’t get me wrong, those are all fun, and to be perfectly honest, up until last year, we still had an Easter egg hunt before church at our house!

Here’s the thing, one of the most important responsibilities we have as Christian parents is to teach our children about Jesus.

Deuteronomy 6: 7-9 says, “Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.”

So when the children were little, after our big Easter egg hunt we would talk about the eggs representing new life - like the new life we have in Jesus. That talk was never as engaging as when we made Resurrection buns on Easter morning to illustrate the empty tomb. (I have included the recipe below). These yummy buns were a great way to talk about how the empty tomb was the ultimate victory of the good guys (God/Jesus) over the bad guys (Judas, the priests, Pilate, the soldiers). I would tell that kids that on Good Friday the bad guys thought they had won. They killed Jesus and sealed his body into a guarded tomb. On Easter morning God/Jesus blasted right out of that tomb and proved once and for all that God is more powerful than even the worst of the worst. And then we would cheer "Hooray for Jesus!". Easter is about celebrating that we belong to God who is the most powerful power in the universe!

As we talk about Easter with our children it’s important to remember that Easter is bigger and more complex than any of us can fully understand. We don't have to have all the answers, so pray and then go ahead and talk about it with your children.

I think we probably do more harm when we don’t talk about it for fear that we’ll not get it right. Share the Easter story with your children.

Share your faith with your children!

If you are looking for some resource materials to help you get started, don’t hesitate to contact our Family Ministry Director, Nancy Varga. She will be happy to help you!

As we enter into the Easter story this week, know that this man of power and presence – Jesus the Christ – came not only for those in the crowded streets of Jerusalem, but He came for you and for me.

This Palm Sunday, come with an expectation of being blessed and being a blessing!

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Nancy is inviting all the children meet at 10:45 am in the foyer for a special Palm Sunday activity that will take place at the beginning of the service.

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Resurrection Buns

Ingredients:

Pillsbury Crescent or canned biscuit

butter

sugar

cinnamon

marshmallows

Each child takes a Pillsbury Grand (or other large ) canned biscuit.

They flatten the biscuit out until it's about 5 inches across. They spread melted butter, sugar and cinnamon on it.

We explain that the spices represent the spices used to anoint Jesus' body before His burial.

Then each child gets one large marshmallow. The marshmallow represents Jesus. It is white because it stands for His purity and His sinless life.

They place the marshmallow in the center of the biscuit, then fold the sides around it forming a "tomb". (I help the younger children pinch the sides of their tombs closed and then we place them crease side down on a baking sheet so they will not open while cooking).

Put more butter, cinnamon and sugar on the outside. We talk about the sweet taste of the spices and how Jesus gave us the sweetest gift we will ever receive.

At this point you can go ahead and bake the buns. We wait and bake them in the morning.

They need to bake following the directions on the biscuit package. Then they need a little cooling time because the marshmallow will be very hot.

When the children bite into their buns they will be surprised to find the center empty. The marshmallow has melted. He is not here for He is risen.