{early easter}

Grandy and Grandpa came to Houston for the day yesterday so we had an early Easter and the boys looked so sweet in their little Easter outfits.

The boys had fun easter-egg hunting with Grandy and Grandpa and LOVED their Easter basket goodies too.

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This short, but sweet, Easter lesson was too good not to pass along. You'll need: 5 plastic Easter eggs - blue, purple, yellow, green and orange small photo of a donkey a cracker nails a rock

*Blue egg contents* Let the child hold the donkey. (Use a picture of a donkey printed on your computer to go in the blue egg) Read Matthew 21:1-9 Jesus was coming to Jerusalem for Passover. Some people cut palm branches from trees and handed them out for people to wave. Some people laid their coats on the street like a carpet. Jesus rode into the city on a donkey. “Hosanna! ” the people cheered as they waved their palm branches. Some people cheered, “Hail to our King!” Jesus rode through the town on a donkey because when a king rode on a donkey it meant he would bring peace. God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to set us free and bring us peace.

*Purple egg contents* Let the children eat the piece of cracker. (Use any cracker your child likes) Matthew 26:17-19, 26-30. Jesus and His disciples (the 12 men who helped Jesus tell others about God) celebrated Passover together. They went upstairs to a room in a house in Jerusalem. Jesus washed His disciples’ feet to remind them that they were to care for others. Then Jesus and the disciples shared a special meal. Jesus knew it would be His last meal with His friends. Jesus knew He had to follow God’s plan for His life and die for our sins.

*Yellow egg contents* Let the children hold the nails. (Show them how to make the 2 nails into a cross.) John 19:16-22 Jesus had to be nailed to the cross to die for our sins because it was God’s plan. The people who loved Jesus were very sad. Jesus did not deserve to be punished. He had not done anything. Jesus died so that we could be forgiven. The Bible says in John 3:16,”For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

*Green egg contents* Let the children hold the rock. (Use a rock from your yard) Matthew 28:1-2 After Jesus died one of his followers wrapped Jesus’ body in cloth and put it in a tomb. The tomb was a special tomb cut into the rock in a hillside.. A big stone was rolled in front of the tomb to close the entrance. Guards were posted to guard the tomb. Jesus followers were very sad that Jesus had died.

*Orange egg contents* It is empty. Matthew 28:5-8 Early the next morning a lady named Mary Magdalene went to visit the tomb. When she came to the tomb the big rock had been rolled away. The tomb was empty. It was good news! Jesus was alive! Jesus went to heaven to be with God. Jesus was punished for our sins so that some day we will get to go to heaven to be with God and Jesus.