This is a special Easter FHE that you can share with your family. It will help all of you to remember the REAL meaning of Easter. You will want to share this on the Sunday or Monday BEFORE Easter because if you wait until right on Easter day, it will probably get too busy!

Directions:
1-Cut apart the scripture verses into strips
2-Pick an egg carton and 12 plastic Easter eggs to put inside
3-Number each of your eggs with a small 1-12 with a Sharpie
4-Fill each with correct item or picture of item, as well as strip of paper rolled up

1-Palm leaf – Read Matthew 21: 6-11: “And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.”

When Jesus rode on a donkey into Jerusalem, the people laid their coats on the ground before him and waved palm branches (a symbol of triumph and victory), the way they would do to greet a King in that time. This is why the Sunday before Easter is called “Palm Sunday”.

2- Sacrament cup – Read Matthew 26:26-28: “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."

Jesus knew he was going to die, so he gathered his apostles together for his Last Supper. He taught them about the Sacrament. We still eat bread and drink water during our church meeting to remember Him.

Also read Matthew 26:39: “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.”

When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, he suffered for all of our sins and pains we would ever have. He asked Heavenly Father if the “cup” (being the suffering) could pass from him, but if it was His will, Jesus would bear it.

3- Three dimes – Read Matthew 26:14-16: “Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.”

Judas Iscariot was one of Jesus’ beloved 12 apostles. But, he agreed to help the wicked chief priests arrest Jesus if they would pay him 30 pieces of silver.

4- Knotted twine – Read Matthew 27: 1-2: “When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. And when they had bound him, they led him away and delivered him to Pontius Pilate, the governor.”

After a long night of false trials, Jesus was sentenced to die.

5- Soap – Read Matthew 27: 22-24: “Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.”

Pontius Pilate did not think Jesus was guilty, but he could not get the people to change their minds. So, he washed his hands as a symbol that he did not want the deed of crucifying Jesus to be upon his hands.

6- Red cloth – Read Matthew 27:28-31: “And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.”

The people put a red robe on Jesus and made fun of him for claiming to be a King.

7- Wooden cross and nail – Read Matthew 27:31, 38: ”And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.”

The people made Jesus carry his own cross up the hill. They used the worst and most painful punishment by hanging him on the cross with nails through his hands and feet. Press this nail into your hand and see how it must have hurt. The sky began to get dark as Jesus’ spirit finally left his body.

8- Gravel – Read Matthew 27:50-51, 54: “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom, and the earth did quake and the rocks rent. .Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God “

After Jesus died, there were many earthquakes and storms. The earth groaned because of the loss of the Savior of the World.

9- White cloth – Read Matthew 27:57-60: “When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple: He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock...”

Some Jewish leaders secretly believed that Jesus WAS the Messiah. Joseph of Arimathea was a rich man who loved Jesus. He went to Pontius Pilate and asked if he could have the body to put in his own tomb. Joseph wrapped Jesus’ body in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his tomb in a rock.

10- Round stone – Read Matthew 27:60, 65-66: “…and he {Joseph of Arimathea} rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. Pilate said unto them {the chief priests and Pharisees}, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.”

It was a custom to put a big stone over the doorway so no one would steal the things in the tomb. In the case of Jesus, the Pharisees were especially worried that the disciples or other followers would take the body to pretend that Jesus had risen after three days as He had said He would. So Pontius Pilate put the royal seal on the stone and had soldiers guard the tomb.

11- Whole clove – Read Mark 16:1-4: “AND when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.”

On Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene and her friends arrived at the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body with spices and oils. They worried the stone would be too heavy to roll away, but found the stone had been rolled away and guards were not there. Jesus’ body was not there ether. They felt very sad thinking someone had stolen the body.

12- Empty Egg – Read Matthew 28:5-8: “And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.”

Jesus HAD risen, just as he said he would. He visited his disciples and gave them the power of the Holy Ghost to be with them as they continued to guide the church. Jesus’ miraculous resurrection is the reason we celebrate Easter!

A nice treat to make with this lesson are Resurrection Rolls. They are a treat that will help to reinforce this Easter lesson.

Resurrection Rolls

Ingredients:
1 can crescent rolls (8 ct.)
1 T. butter, melted
8 large marshmallows
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 T. sugar

1-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2-Melt butter in a small bowl and mix cinnamon and sugar together in a separate bowl.
3-Give each child a triangle of crescent roll dough (represents the cloth that Jesus* body was wrapped in).
4-Give each child a large marshmallow (represents Jesus' body).
5-Have each child dip the marshmallow in melted butter (representing the oils of embalming) then roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture (representing the sweet spices used to anoint the body).
6-Then have them wrap the coated marshmallow tightly in the roll dough, bringing the sides around to completely seal the marshmallow inside (represents Jesus* body being wrapped in cloth after death).
7-Place each roll, seams down, into a paper liner in a muffin tin.
8-Bake for 11-12 minutes. (The oven represents the tomb).
9-When the rolls have cooled slightly, the children can open their rolls and discover that they are empty inside--just like Jesus' tomb after He was risen!