Sunday Adventures Pt. 1: Easter

on

Easter.

That time of year where we specifically make an effort to remember the grace God gave us.

If you are wondering how to approach this topic with middle-school age Sunday Schools, since many people think of Easter as devoted to the Bunny and the goddess of Spring, then have no fear! I will give you an awesome project to do with your class, and a few ways to explain those last two topics. 




        And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. 
                                                           -Mark 16:12 (KJV)

This verse is one of the reasons Christians celebrate Easter. Jesus died for our sins on the cross, and then three days later He rose again, conquering death itself! How amazing is that? For Sunday Schools, always emphasize this fact and make sure they are able to tell you the basic events of the story.

I usually like to begin this way:

Day 1: Palm Sunday & Judas with the 30 Pieces of Silver

Day 2: The Last Supper (Passover)

Day 3: Garden of Gethsemane, Peter Denying Christ, & Prayer

Day 4: Jesus & Pilate, Self-Control, His Crucifixion

Day 5: The Resurrection

Day 6: What This Story Means



As for those traditions like eggs and bunnies, well...
The Easter Bunny. What is the deal? He is all at once creepy and fluffy. I looked up some reasons we include the Bunny in Easter. 
According to bbc.co.uk, rabbits birthed huged litters of baby "kittens", and that became an image of "new life". 


And the Easter eggs and hunting for them?

According to history.com, people were not allowed to consume eggs during Lent, so the eggs were colored and then "eaten on Easter" to celebrate. 

And the candy? The best part, besides Jesus? Well,this is such a huge topic, historically, visit this site for more fun info: http://mentalfloss.com/article/62597/why-do-we-eat-chocolate-bunnies-easter. 




Now, as for why we call it Easter, well, that gets a bit tricky to explain to a Sunday School. My opinion is to explain it this way:
In Anglo-Saxon times, they had a goddess of fertility named "Eostre"; spring is also a symbol of new life, so the early church probably thought spring was logical, as Brent Landau says in his article:   http://theconversation.com/why-easter-is-called-easter-and-other-little-known-facts-about-the-holiday-75025




Now for the tricky part. How to combine all this into a Sunday School lesson.
Here is my DIY lesson for today.

1. At some point, do a Sunday School Easter Egg Hunt (or scavenger hunt). Give each child up to 5 eggs for sake of time. Fill four with candy/treats, and leave on empty, to represent the empty tomb from when Jesus rose after three days. 

TIP: (Bring enough candy to fill up to twenty small plastic eggs. I have found that jelly beans and Tootsie rolls are great, as well as stickers and those goody bag toys you find at dollar stores). 
Also, use sacks, not baskets, for this project, as these are church kids. 

2. Go through the entire Easter story, to cement the real reason Easter is a big deal.

3. Explain (especially if they ask) why it is called "Easter", and explain that we celebrate Jesus and not the the goddess of spring. This might be tricky, but keep at it, and focus on making Jesus the reason, while explaining the history behind the name.

4. Leave the scavenger hunt for the beginning or end of the Easter lesson cycle. This either leaves them something to look forward to, or gets it out of your way as the teacher. 

5. Give them all a signal clue at the start, so they find their first eggs. Then, give them up to fifteen minutes to search, or ten minutes and then read another clue. 

6. Lastly, have a prayer. Make sure that you pray over the lesson each time. 





Here is a list of the websites used in this blog. I take none of the credit.



Easter Eggs & Candy:








God Bless! Happy Easter, and may you always know that Jesus loves you!
---KatG











All images in this blog are taken by free download from pixabay.com, 













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