Bringing the Bible to life for your children is important and can be so much fun! It helps them understand what they’re reading and see it as real and not just stories from a book. We want to help you with this. We have 8 lessons with props (optional) to help illustrate the Bible passage(s) for that day.
You Need:
- 8 plastic Easter eggs
Label each egg 1-8 then place the following inside each egg in order:
- A palm leaf (real or plastic)
- Silver coins (quarters, dimes, nickles or even fake coins)
- A picture of a rooster
- A piece of purple fabric and/or a “crown of thorns” (see image below)
- A nail
- A rock
- A piece of white cloth
- Nothing – leave the egg empty
These eggs are to be opened each day starting Palm Sunday and with the last one to be opened on Easter. Below are Scripture readings and discussion question starter ideas to go with each egg. There are many more scriptures than just the ones given, telling about the death and resurrection of Jesus. Feel free to adjust them or add more according to the age of your child.
Again, these are just ideas for you to adapt to the needs of your family. For some, it might work better to tell the whole story every night. For some you could hide one egg each night and the one who finds it gets to open it. We want to encourage you as parents and grandparents to tell the real story of Easter and what Christ has done for us, to impress it upon your children as you do life together.
(IF YOU HAVE YOUNG CHILDREN these eggs contain sharp and small objects.
Please open them with caution and use them only under your supervision.)
Egg # 1- Palm Sunday
John 12:12-19 (ESV)
12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,
15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!”
16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”
Parent and Child Talk: Do you think the people were happy to see Jesus? Why? Do you think the temple leaders were happy to see Jesus? What do you think they felt? If you read further Jesus goes into the temple What did the Pharisees do after that?
Egg# 2 – Monday
Matt 26:14-24
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.
17 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 18 He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’ ” 19 And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.
20 When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. 21 And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” 23 He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” 25 Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”
Parent Child Talk: What did Judas do to Jesus? Judas was one of the 12 disciples. What was his job? Have you ever been betrayed by someone who was supposed to be your friend? What happened to Judas after he betrayed Jesus? Do you think we ever betray Jesus?
Egg # 3 – Tuesday
Mark 14:29-31
29 Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” 30 And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” 31 But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same.
Mark 14:66-72
66 And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, 67 and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” 68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. 69 And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” 70 But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” 71 But he began to invoke
a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” 72 And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.
Parent Child Talk: Peter loved Jesus so much he never thought he could deny Jesus. But Jesusknew what he was capable of – God knows our heart and our thoughts and our weaknesses better than we do.
Peter loved Jesus, how could he say he didn’t know Jesus? Did Jesus know Peter would do this? (God knows everything about us) Peter was full of fear and that became more important to him than Jesus. Peter was a sinner just like us. (Discuss what a sinner is) Did Jesus get mad at Peter? Read further and you will see God’s grace and forgiveness of Peter.
Egg #4 – Wednesday
Mark 15:16-17
16 And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. 17 And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him.
Parent and Child Talk: What were the soldiers doing when they put the purple robe on him and pierced his head with a crown of thorns? (Mocking who Jesus was.) Who was Jesus really? (The true King, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords). A King is someone who rules over you and cares for you too. He is the most important person in the land. Is He your King? Is He the one you obey? Is He your only ruler or do you let other things rule you (like what other people say is more important than what Jesus says to do?)
Egg # 5 – Thursday
John 19:16-18
16 So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. 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.
Parent Child Talk: What does it mean to be crucified? Jesus is the Son of God, He had never sinned, did He deserve to die? Who deserves the punishment? Evil and sinful men and women. You and me! What did Jesus do for us? He took our punishment and suffered so much for us. Because we are sinful we needed a savior. He could save us from our sins and if we accept Him as our Lord and Savior He will give us life with Him now and forever. Jesus while He was on the cross said “Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing” What does that show? What does that mean?
Egg # 6 – Friday
Mark 15:46
46 And Joseph bought a linen cloth, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.
Parent Child Talk: Why do you think they rolled a rock in front of the tomb? What were the Pharisees afraid of? Who did they ask to stand guard? Why (they were afraid someone would come and take Jesus’s body)?
Egg# 7 – Saturday
Luke 24:1-12
24 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they (the women) went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” 8 And they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.
Parent Child Talk: What was the good news that was told to the women who first went to Jesus’ grave? Who told them? Why was it good news? Did Jesus do what he said he would do? Jesus is ruler over everything even death. The disciples were all together and when Mary ran to tell them the good news they did not quickly believe her. What did Peter and John do? (Ran to the tomb to see for themselves) What did Peter do when he saw the grave clothes? He marveled. What do you think that means?
Egg # 8 – Sunday
John 20: 1-18, Matthew 28:1-15
Parent Child Talk: Why do you think the egg is empty? What does that mean? What does resurrection mean? (Jesus rose from the dead!) God is Powerful he has rule over everything! Can you praise God for sending Jesus to earth to die for us and pay our punishment? Can you praise Him for rising from the dead? Because He rose again we can live – really live! – not just exist! When we believe, He gives us the power to obey Him and He promises to never ever leave us.