I’ve expanded on the idea of the Resurrection Eggs, using a longer version of the Easter Story. We plan to use this tomorrow with our extended family, but I thought others might enjoy using it, too.
Using the ‘key’ below, fill the eggs accordingly and hide them along with candy filled eggs in an an Easter Egg Hunt. But tell the kids that if they get an egg with a sticker don’t open it… later they’ll get a chance to open it at the right time during the Easter story.
You could number the eggs, but I think this way will be more fun… they won’t know until they hear the cue in the story, when it’s time to open their egg. (Easter should be suspenseful, don’t you think?)
I hope you have a blessed Easter, and find time to truly reflect upon the significance of the empty tomb!
YELLOW EGG: 30 cents
LAVENDER EGG w/ STRIPED STICKER: hershey’s kiss
ORANGE EGG W/ STRIPED STICKER: plastic sword
GREEN EGG: little running shoe from Kelly doll (or maybe a picture of a stick figure running?)
YELLOW EGG: whip
LARGE GREEN EGG WITH POLKA DOT STICKER: twig from thorny bush
PURPLE EGG WITH POLKA DOTS: soap
TINY ORANGE EGG: nail
BLUE EGG with TWO STICKERS: torn fabric
TINY BLUE EGG: crushed rock
PINK EGG: stone
BLUE EGG WITH 3 STICKERS: empty!
Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?”… (YELLOW EGG) And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. 16 And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.
While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will… (LAVENDER EGG w/ STRIPED STICKER) kiss is the man; seize him.” 49 And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him.50 Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.”<sup value="[f]”>[f] Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him.51 And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and… (ORANGE EGG W/ STRIPED STICKER) drew his sword and struck the servant<sup value="[g]”>[g] of the high priest and cut off his ear. 52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” 55 At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after dayI sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. 56 But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples… (GREEN EGG) left him and fled. (Matt. 27:47-56)
Then Pilate took Jesus and… (YELLOW EGG) flogged him. 2 And the soldiers twisted together… (LARGE GREEN EGG WITH POLKA DOT STICKER) a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. 3 They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. 4 Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” 5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” 6 When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” 7 The Jews<sup value="[a]”>[a] answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.” 8 When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. 9 He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” ButJesus gave him no answer. 10 So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” 11 Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.” (John 19:1-11)
<sup value="(P)”> So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and…. (PURPLE EGG WITH POLKA DOT STICKER) washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood;<sup value="[b]”>[b] see to it yourselves.” 25 And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” 26 Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged<sup value="[c]”>[c]Jesus, delivered him to be… (TINY ORANGE EGG) crucified. (Matt. 27:24-25)
Now from the sixth hour<sup value="[f]”>[f] there was darkness over all the land<sup value="[g]”>[g] until the ninth hour.<sup value="[h]”>[h] 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.
51 And behold, the curtain of the temple… (BLUE EGG with TWO STICKERS) was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were… (TINY BLUE EGG) split. 52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54 When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son<sup value="[i]”>[i] of God!”(Matt. 27:45-46, 50-54)
57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus.58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great …(PINK EGG) stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb. (Matt. 27:57-61)
Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments.
On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they…. (BLUE EGG WITH 3 STICKERS) did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground… (Luke 23:56-24:1-5) …the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he<sup value="[a]”>[a] lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” 8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. (Matt. 28:5-10)
All verses are taken from the English Standard Version of the Bible.