My love preached a compelling message yesterday from Matthew 21:1-11. It was the triumphal entry of Christ–the Messiah, the Son of David…and by week’s end, he would be beaten and killed, mockingly hailed the “King of the Jews.” Though we celebrate this event as Palm Sunday, he shared some views on why the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem could have very likely been on a Monday. This one thought has stuck with me since he shared it: The passover lamb, the spotless, unblemished sacrifice was brought into each Jewish home on the Monday of Passover week. Little did they know, the Lamb of God, the perfect, righteous One was entering the “home” of Jerusalem that very Monday, preparing to shed blood that would cover over the sins of all who would believe.
Perhaps you, too, desire that your children know the magnitude of Resurrection Sunday…that it may be significant to them beyond the dying of eggs or consumption of candy. So, on this day, the Monday of Passion Week, I invite you to join our family in the ways we will discover this week in history, and it’s import in our lives today.
1. Read with your kids, the account found in Exodus 11 and 12 of the final plague and the passover lamb. Point out the symbolism in the covering of blood and the sacrifice of an innocent, and precious lamb. Explain how the God’s plan for salvation was being unfolded from the beginning.
2. Check out a book from the library with cute photos of lambs. (Or visit a farm if you have access to one!) Help your children identify with what a Jewish child might have felt, having a lamb in his home all week before it was sacrificed to atone for the family’s sins. A child in that day would have understood how costly a sacrifice was.
3. Read Revelation 19:11-16, the account of the Second Coming of Christ. Ask your children to compare this with the Triumphal entry in the Gospels. Why did Jesus come in meekness? Why does He return in majesty? What is His purpose in the Triumphal entry? What will His purpose be in the Second Coming?
4. Study, as a family, what Jesus did the last week of his life. How did He spend His time? What did He say? How did He feel?
5. Creatively consider what new tradition your family can establish in the Easter celebration, that would bring honor and focus to the death and resurrection of Christ. (I’d love to hear what kinds of things you do as a family to celebrate, so leave a comment and inspire me!)
…and what else? What are the ways you and your family will be looking forward to this Resurrection Sunday.
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Thanks for this Ruth. I’ve been wanting to make Christian holidays, particularly Easter, more meaningful to my kids beyond the typical and often unrelated traditions of the holiday. We will definitely be doing this this week.
Thanks for new ideas!
We have enjoyed celebrating a (semi) traditional Seder meal with our fellowship group over the years….a beautiful Jewish tradition that points to the Exodus passage you mentioned and allows all of us to enter into…and of course points to Christ. We also memorize scripture together…this year the Holy Week passage is from Hebrews 12.
Today my son (4.5 years) made Jesus on the cross with his legos…which gave me the idea to help him make an empty tomb later in the week. Fun to try to meet them where they are at!
Jennie–I never was taught anything about the Seder meal when I was a kid, and now have had the opportunity to share it with our children. It is so neat to have the perspective of a follower of Christ, to see the symbolism and sovereignty!