Easter is here and the kids are on holiday and they have probably performed the play and read the story. My daughter is only 16 months but I sometimes wonder how I am going to explain the death and resurrection of Christ to her when the time comes. Luckily we are in Nigeria so I don't have to bother about the her thinking Easter is all about the Easter bunny and Easter eggs like it was for me as a child. The focus is the slightly complicated resurrection story-the TRUE Easter story.
Teaching children about Easter is something we as parents might be tempted to neglect because of the brutality of the crucifixion. Anyone who has studied the events of that Friday before Easter or who has seen the movie "The Passion" knows that it isn't for the weak spirited, but also knows the tremendous sacrifice Jesus made for us.
However, children must begin to understand the events of Easter in order to understand the true worth of salvation and faith in Christ. To do this, we start at the beginning, teaching at the child’s level of understanding.
Choose a time when you and your child can have ‘quiet time’ together. Read together Mark 14:32-41. Notice how Jesus knew what was going to happen and He knew that it would be very hard. He was very close to His Father, God, and He spoke plainly about how He felt. Jesus was very sad but He wanted to do what God wanted Him to do.
Read Mark 14:42-15:15. Talk about how the people and the guards were mean to Jesus. Explain how Jesus had not done anything wrong. This was what God had planned and He was always in control.
Read Mark 15:16-32.
The soldiers hurt Jesus and it was very hard for him, but He did it for us. Jesus could have gotten down off the cross, but He knew that God wanted Him to be there and He always did what God wanted Him to.
Read Mark 15:33-47.
Jesus died. He did it because He loves us and so that we can go to heaven to be with Him. We have to believe in Jesus, and love Him, to go to heaven. His friends who loved Him took His body off the cross and put it in a tomb.
Read Matthew 28:1-10.
As you read, imagine the excitement of the women and their joy at seeing Jesus. God brought Jesus back to life and because Jesus is alive again, everyone who believes in Him will live forever with Jesus. Many people saw Jesus and talked to Him after He came back to life.
This is why we celebrate Easter. - Because of that Sunday morning when God brought Jesus back to life and the promise that He will do the same for us.
Happy Easter to you all !!!!
Ijeoma Olujekun
No comments:
Post a Comment