Adventures in Parenting

When I taught the children Sunday School class about what Good Friday meant – that it was the day that Jesus died on the cross, a five-year-old in the class asked, with a crestfallen face, “Is Jesus dead now?”

Explaining Easter to children can be tricky.  We don’t often talk about death, and death is always in the context of sadness. It’s something scary for children (and even for adults).

Yet, in order to understand the good news of the resurrection of Jesus, we have to explain the crucifixion.

I realized that it would have been better if I taught the resurrection first. This can be done using the verses in Luke 24:1-9

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:  “The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ”

Then they remembered his words.  When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others.

We read the verses to our children and teach them this way:

1. The women went to pay respects at Jesus’ grave. But they found the tomb was open, and it was empty. What should have been inside?

2. Then they saw two men that glowed. Who do you think they are? How would you feel if saw people who were very shiny and bright?

3. The two men said that Jesus told them something when they were in Galilee. It was something very important. What did Jesus tell them? [Here we can talk more about the crucifixion, but it is in the context of the good news of the resurrection.]

This will be a good lesson to be taught while having fun dyeing eggs. The eggs represent life, just like Jesus is alive.

I hope that helps to explain Easter to our children without being too scary.

How do you teach your children about Easter?

More about Easter:

Teaching Children About Fasting