How to Tell Easter Story Using Resurrection Eggs

Easter is the most important holiday for Christians because it commemorates their belief in the bodily resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth early in the first century A.D. They believe Jesus' suffering and death were necessary to bring people back to God, and that he will return again one day. Secular Americans celebrate Easter with the Easter Bunny and egg hunts. Because eggs at Easter are familiar to children, resurrection egg kits are an easy way to explain the death and resurrection of Jesus. Each plastic egg contains an object that helps to tell a part of the story.

Things You'll Need

• Bible
• Permanent ink pen
• 12 plastic eggs
• Egg carton
• Cotton ball with perfume on it
• 3 dimes
• Plastic donkey or palm leaf
• Tiny cup or loaf of bread
• Plastic praying hands
• Piece of purple cloth
• Cross
• 3 small nails
• Toothpick
• Round rock
• Cloves and pieces of cinnamon

Instructions

1. Assemble the pieces of the kit. Ideally, the 12 plastic eggs will all be different colors. Mark the eggs with the numbers 1 through 12 so that you'll later be able to tell the story with the props in order.

2. Collect the items for the eggs. All of them need to be small enough to fit inside the eggs. It's also best if they are not perishable, so you can store the whole kit and use it again year after year. For the palm, a small plastic Lego-type plant would work. If you can't find a dollhouse cup, use a thimble. A small piece of clay can be fashioned to look like a loaf of bread. In place of praying hands, you can twist a pipe cleaner into a praying figurine. If a small cross isn't available, make one from short craft sticks or toothpicks. Be creative.

3. Write Bible verses down on small pieces of paper to add to the eggs. For Day 1: Matthew 26:6-13. Day 2: Matthew 26: 14-16. Day 3: Matthew 21:1-11. Day 4: Matthew 26:26-29. Day 5: Luke 22:39-46, 54a. Day 6: John 19:1-7. Day 7: John 19:16-17. Day 8: John 19:18. Day 9: John 19:33-35. Day 10: Matthew 27: 57-60. Day 11: Mark 16:1-3. Day 12: John 20:1-8.

4. Assemble the eggs. First, put all the Bible verses into their respective eggs. To the Day 1 egg, add the cotton ball. Day 2: dimes. Day 3: donkey or palm leaf. Day 4: cup or bread. Day 5: praying hands or figure. Day 6: purple cloth. Day 7: cross. Day 8: nails. Day 9: toothpick. Day 10: rock. Day 11: spices.

5. Put the assembled eggs into the carton. To use, bring the kit to a group of children. If the children are old enough to wait their turn to open the eggs, allow them each to select one and hold it. Call for the first egg. Open it and read the Bible verses to start telling the story of Jesus' death and resurrection. Proceed through each egg. The last egg will be empty--as was the tomb.

References

• Easy Fun School: Resurrection Eggs
• Living on a Dime: Resurrection Eggs
• Rainbow Castle: Resurrection Eggs