Holidays are often a stressful time for me, and I don’t like to get too busy, but I’ve found that having simple ways to focus on Christ with my kids at Easter time is incredibly meaningful. Here’s a good description of the timeline of Holy Week, which I found helpful for my own study. And following are my 7 simple ideas for a Christ-Centered Easter in the days leading up to Resurrection Sunday.
Palm Sunday
On this day, as we commemorate Christ’s entry to Jerusalem for the Passover, I like to pick branches with new buds from the yard to put in the house. On Palm Sunday, I’ll be outside with my kids, telling them about the care Jesus’ disciples must have taken in picking branches to wave for the Savior and the joy they must have felt watching Him enter Jerusalem. (And trust me, this sounds much more perfect than it will actually be. Likely they’ll be running around before I finish talking.)
Monday
To commemorate Jesus’ cleansing of the temple, we’ll spend some time talking about holy places and their importance in our lives. I’ll be talking to my kids about temples and showing them some pictures of temples. This is a great day to talk about the importance of our homes as sanctuaries from the world. I love the Russian tradition of cleaning up their houses before the Holy Week, and I think Monday is a great time to start getting ready.
Tuesday
To learn more about Jesus’ teaching of Him being the light of the world, and in commemoration of his teaching on Tuesday, I’ll be doing a little object lesson with my kids. We’ll turn the lights off and then slowly turn them on to signify that He came so that we would not have to remain in the dark (John 12:46).
Wednesday
One of my favorite ways to share Jesus Christ with my children is by watching these Bible Videos. We’ll be adding these throughout the week to our Bible study, trying to watch the ones that go along with each day of Holy Week.
Maundy Thursday
We’ll finish our cleaning on this day to prepare for the weekend. We commemorate the Last Supper by sharing a few things that would have been eaten at the time of Jesus, just simple foods I can buy or make easily like grape juice and flat bread. (We typically don’t go very traditional, including sauces, grapes, and fresh veggies. The experience is more important than the food being authentic. I like to serve things I know my kids will eat to keep the experience positive.) We like to light candles and talk about the Last Supper.
Good Friday
I’ll be sharing this song with my kids to help them understand the suffering Jesus endured for us. Music is such a great way to teach and to invite the spirit of God into our lives. We’ll also be talking about the crucifixion and burial of Jesus Christ.
Saturday
I’m excited to try a singing devotional on Saturday night. I’m planning to turn the lights off and give everyone a candle. We’ll sing hymns and light our candles as we go, reminding us of the sadness the disciples of Jesus felt at his death and the joy we all feel in knowing that He lives.