Many of us at Smith Mountain Lake grew up thinking Easter was about Easter egg hunts and rabbits that brought candy, chocolate, and pretty colored baskets. Many folks are still similarly celebrating Eastern. Easter Tradition at SML – it’s just what we do.There may be nothing wrong with having an egg hunt at Easter – it’s fun. But there is something wrong when the most amazing love story mankind will ever hear, becomes all about rabbits and chocolate. What we call Easter weekend is representative of three days that changed the entire world forever! A man who was God – was cruelly murdered and then was raised from the dead because of His love for mankind!
On our own, we humans were/are floundering, hopeless, and heading for destruction. But because God loved us, He gave his only Son to die, so that whoever believes in Him will have a real life, forever! This is what Easter is supposed to be about….. remembering this incredible gift from God, honoring Jesus’ suffering for our sake, and awe at the miracle of life after death!
In light of these truths wouldn’t it be wonderful to start some new Easter traditions? Here are a few ideas for making your family’s Easter a marvelous way to experience God and have a great time together…
1. Re-enact (do family plays) various scenes from the Bible leading up to Easter Sunday:
- – Palm Sunday – Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem and read Mark 11:1-11 and Luke 18:29-28.
- – Passover was the last meal together (Mt. 26:17-20). How did Passover come about? Read Exodus 12 as a family and discuss.
- – Read about how and why Jesus washed the disciple’s feet – and do likewise.
2. Watch a children’s Bible video together relaying the meaning of Easter. Discuss the video and compare/contrast it with what you read in Scripture.
3. On Good Friday recount the Passover and the last supper. Jesus was given vinegar to drink; let your children take a dab of vinegar and taste it themselves. Plan your own Passover meal, with roasted lamb, bitter herbs, unleavened bread, and grape juice, and discuss what each of them means.
4. Saturday – Meditate on Jesus being in the tomb. Your children may enjoy being wrapped up as mummies (in toilet paper) as you talk about burial customs of that time. Also, how might Mary and the disciples have felt on this day?
5. Sunday – Celebrate that Jesus is risen and read Luke 24:1-9. He came, died, and rose again because He loved us and wanted us to have new life in Him!