Note to Parents:
This week’s content might feel a little on the heavy side. Talking about death (and lambs dying) might be hard to understand or maybe even seem inappropriate for some of us. But Easter is about death AND resurrection. We can’t understand the Good News of Easter – the coming-back-to-life-part – without talking about and wrestling with the death part. We would encourage you to start this conversation with your kids, even if it’s hard to understand. You might need to tweak it a bit if your kids are younger (for example, focusing on the bigger idea that “Jesus came to rescue us” instead of focusing on the lambs dying). Ask for God’s help in understanding this crucial part of the Bible’s story and for wisdom in helping your kids understand it. And pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to lead your kids into truth and ultimately into relationship with God.
Read this out loud:
This is Easter Week – the week leading up to the most important event to ever happen. Everything in the Bible was pointing to Jesus coming and ultimately dying on a cross. Let’s get ready for Easter by watching a video that helps us understand why Jesus came to be our Rescuer and King.
Talk about it:
1. When we talk about “lambs dying so we don’t have to,” how does that make you feel? What questions do you have after watching that video?
2. John the Baptist, whose job was to get the people ready for Jesus’ coming, said this when he saw Jesus coming toward him one day: John 1:29-31.
Jesus was the lamb that God had promised to send. He would die so we don’t have to be punished for the wrong things we do – Jesus would take the punishment we deserve. It might seem harsh for God to require something or someone to die for our wrong choices. Why do you think God has to punish the wrong choices that people make? What are some of the wrong choices you and I make?
3. Pray: Thank Jesus for coming to show us what God is like and for being the Lamb who died to take the punishment for our wrong choices. Ask God to help each person in your family to understand, in a deeper way, what Easter means.
Bonus Resource: Check out this Playlist from JellyTelly that has a 5 minute devotional for each day of Easter week.