Josh & Vanessa: Easter Craft: Jesus' Death

When I was thinking back to what I learned in my childhood days about Easter week, I realized that I learned nothing biblical. Back then, Easter was all about the bright-colored, plastic eggs filled with candy. Maybe I'm a bit pessimistic, but I think no matter how well you can explain the significance of a holiday to children, the mere sight of candy throws that all out the window.

When I was teaching preschool, a lot of kids would come in really excited for Easter Sunday. I would ask them, "What do you do on Easter?" Almost all of the kids tell me, "I'm going to the park to go look for some Easter eggs, duh!" Oh silly me, I thought Easter was celebrated at church. Then my next question, "Why are there Easter eggs in the park?" "Well, the Easter bunny likes to hide eggs in the park. AND THERE'S CANDY!"

As I was preparing for the start of Sunday School, our curriculum (Children's Desiring God) mentioned that we need to teach children the whole Bible to children. We can't just pick and choose all the good, fun, and miraculous stories to teach and neglect the "negative," sad ones. If we do, God will seem to be on the same level as all the fictional beings like the Easter bunny. How unfortunate would it be if our kids found out that Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter bunny, etc. were all made up and concluded that God must also be made up!

I grew up not knowing the complete Gospel until I was in college. I had been going to church since I was around 8 years old but I don't think anyone ever explained the Gospel to me. I even got baptized without even knowing what the Gospel was. And that was acceptable to everyone around me at that time. During high school, I started to understand bits and pieces of the Gospel but I didn't hear much about Jesus' death and resurrection.

Finally, a decade after I had become a regular church-attender, I heard the Gospel in it's entirety. I've been exposed to Easter eggs my whole life and they never meant anything more than yummy candy that I had to immediately devour before my parents took them away from me. The Gospel, however, is what has true meaning and has the power to save those who are perishing. I decided to make the Easter crafts focused on the truth of what happens during Jesus' last days and the eternal ramifications of what He has done.

Matthew 27:45-56: Jesus took the punishment for the sins of all

The cross symbolizes Jesus' death and sacrifice for our sins. Jesus' sacrifice is made for everyone in the world who believes in Him. Jesus was perfect and sinless and wholly God and wholly Man at the same time. Only He could take on the sins of the world.

Materials:

Blue construction paper
Ripped pieces of green construction paper
Scissors
Glue
Pipe Cleaner

Instructions:

1. Cut blue construction paper into a circle.

2. Glue ripped pieces of green construction paper on the blue circle. It doesn't matter where the kids glue the little pieces as long as they're on the paper. This will be the world.