Hello Hope Chest friends!

 

I am pasting in this page from an old issue.  I don't have a whole lot of time, so please be patient with the fonts and spacing.

This issue is devoted to fun and educational ideas for celebrating Christ’s resurrection.  Please note that I have liberally used the word “Easter” in this issue.  I know that it is a pagan name (as are the names of all our weekdays and months) but it is the one most commonly used and easily recognized for this holiday, so please know that there is no offense intended.  I think you will enjoy these activities, by whatever name they are called!   Please let me know which ones are especially helpful to you.

 

In this issue, you will find:

 

• Easter Card Outreach - by Virginia Knowles
• The Jesus Game - by Virginia Knowles
• Easter Book Recommendations - by Virginia Knowles
• Celebrating the Resurrection with Lambs -- by Debbie in New Zealand
• Using Eggs to Teach About the True Meaning of Easter -- contributed by Angie Rangel

• Resurrection Eggs

• History of the Easter Egg

• Easter Eggs Can Tell the Story

• Communicating the Gospel with Colored Eggs

• Teach About the Attributes of Jesus with Easter Eggs

• What is the Real Easter Bunny?  -- contrib by Angie Rangel

• Easter Web Links
• Resurrection Rolls
• Easter Story Cookies

 

 

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EASTER CARD OUTREACH

by Virginia Knowles

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Our family likes to make regular contact with our neighbors to let them know we are thinking about them.  Here is an idea we tried several years ago.

 

Make springtime shapes such as flowers or butterflies from colored paper.  With fine-tip markers, letter a friendly greeting, such as “Jesus is Alive!  Hallelujah!  Happy Easter from....”   Sign your names.  Then deliver these to your neighbors with some cookies or muffins and a Gospel of John booklet.  (You can get these free at www.pocketpower.org)  If your church is having special services for Good Friday or Easter, be sure to tuck an invitation in with your card!  You never know who may come, or what conversations this may open up.

 

Another way to make butterfly decorations is to use coffee filters and either paint or colored water.  Take a coffee filter, hold it with the small end at the bottom, and cut off the two sides.  Open it up, then put small blobs of washable tempera style paint in between the two layers.   Close it back up again so that the paint spreads symmetrically on both sides.  Open it up and let it dry, then cut around the edges to give it a butterfly shape.  OR use medicine droppers to dribble colored water on an opened coffee filter.  For either kind, make a black body and antennas for it and attach it to the middle.

 

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THE JESUS GAME

by Virginia Knowles

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My neighbor Marie often brings over day old baked goods that she picks up for free at a local grocery store.  One year, just before Easter, she brought over a huge sheet cake.  We knew we couldn't eat it all ourselves, so we decided to have an Easter party for about 10 neighbor children, ages 4 to 11.  I decided not to plan anything fancy, just cake, soda pop and the following  game.

 

I gathered up several objects from around the house and hid them in a pillowcase.  I blindfolded each child in turn, and had them try to figure out what I put in their hands.  Each item represented some facet of the story of Christ.  When they said what the "thing" was, I asked everyone, "Why did I choose this item?"  I was pleasantly surprised that even the children who don't usually attend a church knew many of the answers.  They also thought up some extra ones that I hadn't.

 

•  apple -- the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden which has been passed down to all of us
•  3 lb hand weight -- the burden of sin feels heavy on us -- we need someone to lift it away
•  toy lamb -- Passover lamb, sacrifice for sin
•  baby doll -- Jesus came as a baby
•  Band-Aid in wrapper -- Jesus healed people
•  flash light -- Jesus is the light of the world
• hand towel -- King Jesus washed his disciples feet and set the example as a servant  -- this can also represent his burial shroud
• cross -- Jesus died for us
•  nail -- the nails went through his hands and feet
• dice -- the soldiers gambled for his clothing
•  rock -- the angel rolled the stone away from the tomb
• soap -- Jesus washes our sins away
• heart -- Jesus loves us
• small house -- he is preparing a home for us in Heaven
• G, O, and D letter shapes (from a wooden puzzle) -- we can't see God, but he is there!

The game went over very well with our neighbor kids, some of whom had no church background at all.  One 2nd grader commented that it helped him think about Jesus and God, so I know it was worth the small effort on my part!  Last year, I used the same game in the four year old Sunday School class, and they enjoyed it as well.  The class was big, so we split them into three groups, and had the other two groups do other activities.  My daughter Mary (age 17) plans to use the same game when SHE teaches her four year old Sunday School class this Easter Sunday.

 

This reminds me of the Resurrection Egg sets that you can buy, which have tiny little symbols inside of plastic eggs.  We used to do these each year at our former church's Good Friday picnic, and there are instructions for this in one of the following articles.  The benefit of using large objects, though, is that the children can see and handle them more easily, and it lets them guess what each thing is. 

 

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EASTER PICTURE BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

by Virginia Knowles
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 There are many GREAT picture books out there for Easter, but here are two that happen to be on my desk at the moment:

The Parable of the Lily by Liz Curtis Higgs is a very sweet picture book that explains Christ’s death and resurrection in a very simple way for young children.  You will most likely find it in your Christian bookstore. 

 Miz Fannie Mae’s Fine New Easter Hat  by Melissa Milich is a beautiful, sweet and funny picture book based on a true story that happened in an African-American community in the early 1900s.  You can probably find this book in your public library.

 

 

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CELEBRATING THE RESURRECTION WITH LAMBS

By Debbie in New Zealand

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We have decided not to celebrate "Easter" as we feel the world has taken over that word.  We call our weekend celebrations "Resurrection Weekend" and celebrate the Risen Lord.  Every year I buy the children a new "lamb" something - a small soft toy, a pencil with a lamb rubber on top, a finger puppet ...   At the end of the weekend these things are packed away for the year in a box with the other lambs.  And then on the next Good Friday we get the lambs out again to play with for the weekend, while reading the Gospel accounts of Jesus' death and glorious resurrection.  Blessings, Debbie (New Zealand)   [Virginia’s note:  This is so fitting, because New Zealand is sheep country!]

 

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USING EGGS TO TEACH ABOUT THE TRUE MEANING OF EASTER

Contributed by Angie Rangel

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Some of you may do bunnies and eggs and here are some great ways to incorporate them and not lose out on the real meaning of Easter:

 

Resurrection Eggs

Here's a fun way to teach your kids valuable truths about Easter. This "new tradition" is built upon a simple array of easy-to-locate materials - colorful plastic Easter eggs, a cardboard or Styrofoam egg container, and miscellaneous household items like toothpicks and a small piece of cloth.

Sure, you can purchase a pre-made version of this Easter "kit," but making it yourself is a wonderful family time activity, too! This craft is so easy and inexpensive that parents usually wonder why it took them so long to discover and introduce this faith-affirming tradition for the Easter holiday. Whether you buy or build your tray of twelve Resurrection Eggs, be sure to watch your child's face as he/she opens each plastic egg, discovers the hidden surprise and reads about its symbolic relationship to Easter.

If you're making your own, go to a discount store or toy store and purchase a dozen (12) normal size plastic eggs. Be sure to buy several different colors. Then number the eggs on the outside from 1 through 12. Finally, place the following items inside.  The Bible verses can be written on small pieces of paper.

Egg 1:  three dimes /  Matthew 26:14-15: "Then one of the Twelve - the one called Judas Iscariot - went to the chief priests and asked, 'What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you? So they counted out for him thirty silver coins.'"

 

Egg 2:  one communion cup / Matthew 26:39: "Going a little farther, He fell with His face to the ground and prayed. 'My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from  Me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.'"

Egg 3:  twine with knots in it / Matthew 27:1-2: "Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death. They bound Him, led Him away and handed Him over to Pilate, the Governor."

Egg 4:  a piece of soap / Matthew 27:24-26: "When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. 'I am innocent of this man's blood,' he said. 'It is your responsibility!' All the people answered, 'Let His blood be on us and on our children! Then Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to the crucified ."

Egg 5:  square of red fabric / Matthew 27:28-30: "They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him, and twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on His head. They put a staff in His right hand and knelt in front of Him and mocked Him, 'Hail, king of the Jews!' they said. They spit on Him, and took the staff and struck Him on the head again and again."

Egg 6:  a cross made from toothpicks / Matthew 27:31-32: "After they had mocked Him, they took off the robe and put His own clothes on him, then they led Him away to crucify Him. As they were going out they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross."

 

 

Egg 7:  two dice / Matthew 27:35-36: "When they had crucified Him, they divided up His clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watched over him there."

 

Egg 8:  a tiny bag of crushed rock / Matthew 27:50, 51 & 54: "And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He gave up His spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split...When the centurion and those with Him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed 'Surely He was the Son of God!' " 

Egg 9:  strip of white cloth / Matthew 27:58-60: "Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away."

Egg 10:  bayleaf spice / John 19:40  "Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen."

Egg 11:  a stone / Matthew 27:65-66: "Take a guard,' Pilate answered, 'Go make the tomb as secure as you know how.' So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard." 

Egg 12:  an empty egg / Matthew 28:6: "He is not here: HE HAS RISEN, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay."

 

History of the Easter Egg

 

To keep a Christian perspective of Easter in your home, please note the following  research that can help you explain the history of the Easter egg to your children.

 

The earliest Christian history of the Easter egg tradition is found approximately 50 years after Jesus’ resurrection.  Bright red-colored eggs were simply exchanged as gifts as a symbol of continuing life and Christ’s resurrection.  The red color was an intentional Christian tradition commemorating the blood of Christ.  The red Easter eggs in Christian history were originally used when two friends met on Easter day.  They two friends would knock their eggs together and one would greet the other with the words, “Christ is Risen!” and the other would respond, “Christ is Risen Indeed!” Then the eggs were eaten in fellowship.

 

In the Reformation years, the church instituted the custom of breaking the Lenten fast with hard-boiled eggs.  The eggs were brought to the Easter morning service, and the priest blessed them saying, “Lord, bless these eggs as a wholesome substance, eaten in thankfulness on account of the resurrection of our Lord.”

 

Our main focus must always be that our children meet Jesus in a personal way.  If an Easter egg will bring Jesus alive to a child as a symbolic illustration, we should rejoice in the revelation of Jesus and his Resurrection to our children!

Easter Eggs Can Tell the Story

Instead of merely coloring eggs this Easter, why not use the eggs to tell the story of God's love and forgiveness?

 

• Before you hide the eggs or put them in baskets, encircle each one with a colored strip of paper (or place the strip inside plastic eggs) that tells one small part of the Easter story. When the eggs  have been found, the children must unscramble the story and put it in the right order.

 

• Instead of decorating the eggs with dye, or in addition to dying them, write one attribute of Jesus on each egg. You can do this by writing on the egg with a crayon before you put it in the dye. If you are using plastic eggs, you can write with a permanent marker or paint pen.

 

• Send kids on a hunt for the eggs that have Jesus' attributes written on them. Instead of just discovering eggs, they will be discovering the wonderful things that make Jesus so special. If the eggs are plastic, fill them with treats to remember how sweet the life of Jesus really is.

 

• Dye eggs in certain colors and use them to tell the story of salvation. (See below)

Communicating the Gospel with Colored Eggs

Dying eggs in specific colors can be a way to share the truth about Jesus Christ with your own children or with many other kids.

 

• Gold egg - reminds us of heaven. It is a beautiful place with golden streets where no one ever gets sick or dies. It is always daylight, and everything there is perfect. God is there with His Son, Jesus, and He wants us to be there, too. But there is one thing we have that can never go into heaven. (Revelation 21:4, 21,23)

 

• Black egg - reminds us that we are all have sin (doing things our way instead of God's way) that separates us from God. Sin can never enter heaven, but we can't get rid of our own sin. (Romans 3:23 and 6:23a)

 

• Red egg ( or pink) - reminds us that God loves us so much He sent His son, Jesus, to show us how to live and then, even though He was perfect and without any sin, Jesus died for us, taking the punishment for our sin. (Hebrews 9:22, 1 Corinthians 15:3)

 

• White egg - reminds us that we can be cleansed from sin if we will believe that Jesus wiped away our sin when He died on the cross. When we trust Jesus to forgive all our sins, we are no longer separated from God. Heaven is a place where we will one day be welcomed. (John 3:16, Psalm 51:7)

 

• Green egg - reminds us that when we trust Jesus, we begin growing more like Him. The life He gives us will go on forever and ever. (2 Peter 3:18, Romans 6:23b)

Teach About the Attributes of Jesus with Easter Eggs

Give Easter eggs new meaning by decorating them with the attributes of Jesus. If you are dying eggs, write an attribute of Jesus on the egg with a crayon before dipping it. If you are using plastic eggs, use a paint pen or a permanent marker. You can also place Bible verses inside the plastic eggs. Some attributes:

 

• Faithful (1 Corinthians 1:9)
• Righteous (1 John 2:1)
• Holy (1Peter 1:15)
• Forgiving (Psalm 86:5)
• Loving (Romans 8:35-39)
• Merciful (James 5:11)
• All-Knowing or omniscient (John 1:48)
• All-Present or omnipresent (Psalm 139:7-12)
• All-Powerful or omnipotent (Matthew 28:18)
• Eternal (Genesis 21:33)
• Full of Truth (John 14:6)
• Full of Wisdom (Isaiah 11:2)
• Compassionate (Mark 1:41)
• Just (Acts17:31) 
• Long-suffering (1 Timothy 1:16)
• Kind (Ephesians 2:7)
• Gentle (Matthew 21:5)
• Unchanging (Hebrews 13:8)
• Creative (Genesis 1:26)
• Infinite (1 Kings 8:27)
• Sovereign (Jude 4)
• Goodness (John 10:11)
• Trustworthy (Psalm 19:7)
• Generous (2 Corinthians 8:7-9)

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WHAT IS THE REAL EASTER BUNNY?

Contributed by Angie Rangel

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Use a rabbit picture, a stuffed bunny or even a real one (if you are adventurous) to teach some of the characteristics of Jesus that we should all try have. By adding a Bible verse to each quality, you will create a true Easter Bunny.

Real Easter bunnies:

• are white as snow because Jesus takes all sin away (Isaiah 1:18b).
• are gentle, kind-hearted and forgiving (Ephesians 4:32).
• have big ears that are quick to listen (James 1:19).
• have big eyes to look carefully and choose what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
• have no voice for complaining or arguing (Philippians 2:13).
• are quiet in prayer, but hop with thanksgiving and rejoicing (1Thessalonians 5:21).
• have big feet to go tell others about Jesus so they can be like Easter bunnies, too (Matthew 28: 19-20).
• eat what is healthy by filling up on God's word every day (Psalm 119:11).

 

 

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RESURRECTION ROLLS

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Ingredients:

• Crescent roll dough
• Melted Butter
• Large Marshmallows
• Cinnamon
• Sugar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Give each child a triangle of crescent rolls. The crescent roll represents the cloth that Jesus was wrapped in.
3. Give each child a marshmallow, this represents Jesus.
4. Have him dip the marshmallow in melted butter, which represents the oils of embalming.
5. Then dip the buttered marshmallow in the cinnamon and sugar which represents the spices used to anoint the body.
6. Then wrap up the coated marshmallow tightly in the crescent roll (not like a typical crescent roll up...but bring the sides up and seal the marshmallow inside. This represents the wrapping of Jesus' body after death.
7. Place in a 350 degree oven for 10 - 12 minutes (The oven represents the tomb--pretend like it was three days!)
8. When the rolls have cooled slightly, the children can open their rolls (cloth) and discover that Jesus is no longer there, HE IS RISEN! (The marshmallow melts and the crescent roll is puffed up, but empty).

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EASTER STORY COOKIES

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Ingredients:

• 1 c. whole pecans 
• 1 tsp. vinegar
• 3 egg whites
• pinch salt
• 1 c. sugar
• zipper baggie
• wooden spoon
• tape
• Bible

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 300F. Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested he was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.
2. Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30. 
3. Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11. 
4. Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27. 
5. So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 c. sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Ps. 34:8 and John 3:16. 
6. Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isa.1:18 and John 3:1-3. 
7. Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matt. 27:57-60. 
8. Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matt. 27:65-66. 
9. GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22. 
10. On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matt. 28:1-9.

HE HAS RISEN!