I don’t know about you, but this week (and the few before it) have been a little crazy. Easter season is high stress for those of us in Children’s Ministry. We have egg hunts, special crafts and events, lesson to prepare and rooms to prep and polish. All of this on top of our normal week to week duties. Yet even with all the stress I get so much joy out of this season. I’ve been reading the She Reads Truth  Lent study on Exodus and it has been so impactful for my walk with the Lord. God has revealed so much of who He is to me as well as  continuing to burden my heart for those He has called me to minister to. I pray for rest and renewal for you this week and that we could all bring great glory to His name this Easter.

Today I’m sharing a lesson I wrote a couple of years ago that took Holy Week and made it hands on for my grade school kiddos. It’s one big game that serves to teach our kids the truth of Easter and what Jesus experienced in his death, burial and resurrection. I like to think of it as deconstructed “Resurrection Eggs”. All the elements or symbols are placed in a box as well as Easter grass, eggs and candy. Children mist sift through the “distractions” of Easter and find the real truth to the Easter story. Using a sheet of clues and scripture verses they determine the object they are searching for. After all groups find the 12 objects the large group teacher goes over the object and how they connect with the journey Jesus faced.

This takes a bit of prep and searching, but it’s such an interactive and hands-on way for children to get a small visual of what Jesus experienced. I found most items at Michael’s Craft Store and the Dollar Tree. Please comment or email me with any questions. I hope this lesson works well for your group. As always, all printables are located at the bottom of the post.

Opening Activity:

“What is your favorite thing about Easter?”

Have kids place their answers in the Easter basket set out. Question on a card.

Large Group Lesson

Introduction:

Go over answers to favorite things about Easter.

There seems to be a lot of distractions to the true meaning of Easter. Nobody put “going to the good friday service” in the basket. We like all the fun things, and God wants us to enjoy those things. I love Easter egg hunting! And I also love Santa at Christmas, but we know that’s not the most important story. Sometimes we have to “hunt” for the truth!

Today we are going to do just that. This lesson is really one big game today. We are going to “hunt” for clues and then put together a timeline of all the events around Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

Divide groups into 4-5 teams. Choose the oldest children to be the leaders of each team (mix ages). Explain that the handout with 12 boxes and the Bible will help them determine the object they are searching for. When they have all 12 objects they win!

Lesson & Recap:

Box 1: Perfume

So let’s talk about what that week looked like in Jesus’ life. The first thing we see is  

Mary pouring perfume on Jesus’ feet.  

“Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” John 12: 3 (also in Mark 14, Luke 7)

This was all Mary had and she used to anoint Jesus’ feet. This is similar to a thing that happened in the Old Testament when Samuel anointed a young boy who would be king of Israel, King David. Which leads us to the next box and object on our list, the Palm Branches.

Box 2: Palm Branches

Jesus comes into Jerusalem and instructs his disciples to retrieve a donkey and colt for him.

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” Matthew 21:6-9 (also in John 12)

Jesus came into Jerusalem in a way that was like welcoming a King. Have you ever seen on TV the Queen of England driving through town? People line the streets with british flags, waving them in her honor. These people did the same thing, they were welcoming their King! But that would soon change as one of his very close followers was getting ready to betray him and Jesus knew it.

Box #3: Silver Coin

That’s when the silver coin comes in Judas betrays Jesus.

14 Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. 16 And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him. Matthew 26: 14-16

Jesus knew this was going to happen He knew it all, in fact he even tells his disciples at their Passover meal, or as we call the Last Supper.

Box #4: Bread/Cracker

26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” Matthew 26: 26-29 (Mark 14, John 13-14)

Jesus was telling his disciples that he would soon die on a cross and be raised from the dead. It was soon after this that Judas did betray Jesus and that led to his arrest and crucifixion. Did Jesus do anything wrong? No! People didn’t understand that he was the Prince of Life, the King of heaven and earth who came to rescue them.

Box #5: Crown of Thorns (pipe cleaner)

And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. John 19: 2. He was beaten and had to carry his own cross.

Box #6 & #7: Cross & Nails

So they took Jesus, 17 and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. (John 19: 17-18).

Box #8: Dice

And there they nailed him to the cross. While he hung there in so much pain, soldiers played games for his clothes:

23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. John 19: 23

And as he hung on the Cross he forgave them, he forgave everyone who placed him there.

Box #9: Sponge

Now our sponge…before Jesus died on the cross, he was thirsty. The bible says…

28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture),“I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

John 19: 28-30

Box #10: Spices

Jesus’ friends took his body and used to spices to prepare it for burial.

…they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. John 19:40

They laid him in a tomb and in front of it rolled a huge stone, so no one could come in or out. And his friends thought that was it. Jesus, the true King, was gone. But we know that’s not the end of the story. We know that a silly rock can’t stop God. Three days later, everything changed.

Box #11: Rock

In John 20, Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb, but something’s off…The stone has been rolled away and Jesus’ body is gone! All that’s left is the burial cloths he was wrapped in.

Box #12: Linen Cloth

She thinks someone has stolen him, but that’s not true is it? Angels are even sitting there asking her why she’s crying and then Jesus appears to her and guess what, he’s not dead!! Jesus is alive! So she runs off to tell the other followers.

Phew! That’s a lot to happen in one week. Sometimes I feel like I have a busy week, but nothing like that! Jesus’ life changed dramatically that week and so did ours. Because we are sinners and if you remember, that separates us from God. But Jesus died on a cross for you and for me, so that one day we could be forever with God. He did all that, had that terrible, crazy week and ROSE AGAIN for you. For all of us. And all you have to do is choose to follow Him, to hear his call and answer it.

***Great time to share a your story of faith here.***

Did you know that there are kids today that made the choice to follow Him and are now telling everybody about it by being baptized right now! If you feel like God is telling you to accept his free gift of forgiveness, talk to a leader, to me, a pastor or your parents today! Because he did all this for you and loves you so much!

Close in prayer.

Printable Resources

Discovering Easter Lesson

Game Board & Opening Question

Thanks for letting me share,