The Passover Lamb

When my children were little I was looking for something to do with them to teach them about the real meaning of Easter. I wanted them to experience, learn and understand the picture of Jesus as the Passover lamb - how his death was foretold in the old testament, how the Passover lamb was a picture of Jesus, the Lamb of God. I wanted them to have a tangible experience of what God did for us – of forgiveness. I came up with the Passover lamb - a weeklong celebration of Easter.

Every night for a week starting the Sunday before Easter and ending Easter morning we have a little bible lesson with our kids. We go through the Passover what it means, how Jesus was the Passover lamb, we make unleavened bread, we pray for and anoint our house like the children of Israel had to anoint their doors when the last plague came over Egypt, we talk about sin and forgiveness. Each day we attach a sin to our little stuffed lamb and on Good Friday we take our sins and put them on a cross, Saturday we cover the cross and our sins. On Sunday morning the sins are gone and have been replaced with gifts, which represent our gift from God – eternal life through the power of the resurrection.

 

This has been a wonderful experience with our family so I decided to pass it along to others. The time spent with our children in the Word is the most valuable time ever spent with anyone. My prayer is that you will learn and be blessed with your children as I have by doing this with my children.

 

God bless you as you train up your children!

 

 

“For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:”

Psalm 78:5-7

Materials:

White Stuffed Lamb for each child

Easter basket

Children’s Bible

Masking tape

Marker

Cross (we use a 2-1/2' cross made from a 2x4)

Unleavened Bread Recipe 

Crayons

Grape Juice (for Communion)

Anointing Oil

Easter Gifts

 

Sunday Before Easter: The Passover Lamb

• Pray

• Sing a song about Jesus.

• Tell the story of Moses and the 10 Plagues of Egypt

• Read Exodus 12:1-14. Talk about it.

• Give lamb as gift.  Name the “Passover Lamb”.  Take good care of this Lamb.  Take it with you wherever you go.  It is like part of the family.

• Confess one sin.  Write it down on masking tape and attach it to the Passover Lamb. Put it to bed in the Easter basket.

• End in Prayer.

 

Monday: Unleavened Bread

• Pray

• Sing a song about Jesus.

• Read Exodus 12:15-20, I Corinthians 5:6-8. Talk about it.

• Eat Unleavened Bread, or make unleavened bread and leavened bread, see the difference

• Confess one sin.  Write it down on masking tape and attach it to the Passover Lamb. Put it to bed in the Easter basket.

• End in Prayer

 

Tuesday: Cross at the Door (Make Cross)

• Pray

• Sing a song about Jesus.

• Read Exodus 12:21-28. Talk about it.

• Anoint the doors of your home with oil in the same way the children of Israel did.  Remain reverent before God. Notice if you connect the dots of oil it will be in the symbol of a cross.  Make a cross out of hard paper and put it up in the living room or on your bedroom door.

• Confess one sin.  Write it down on masking tape and attach it to the Passover Lamb. Put it to bed in the Easter basket.

• End in Prayer

 

Wednesday: Pray for the enemy (make witness/easter card)

• Pray

• Sing a song about Jesus.

• Read Exodus 12:29-36. Talk about it.

• Pharaoh asked for a blessing.  Pray for those who have hurt you, forgive them and ask God to forgive them too. 

• Make an easter card for someone who doesn’t know Jesus.  Let them know what easter means to you.

• Confess one sin.  Write it down on masking tape and attach it to the Passover Lamb. Put it to bed in the Easter basket.

• End in prayer

Thursday: Last Supper (take communion)

• Pray

• Sing a song about Jesus.

• Read about Last Supper. Talk about it.

• Take Communion

• Confess one sin.  Write it down on masking tape and attach it to the Passover Lamb. Put it to bed in the Easter basket.

• End in prayer

 

Friday: Crucifixion (Lamb is gone, put sins on cross)

• Pray

• Sing a song about Jesus.

• Read John 19. Talk about it.

o Talk about how the disciples must have missed Jesus.  Do we know any loved ones we missed when they died.

• Take Lamb away (save for next year or give on Sunday Morning) & attach sins to the cross.

• Confess one sin.  Write it down and attach it to the cross.

• End in prayer

 

Saturday: Jesus is the Passover Lamb/Forgiveness (Sins away)

• Pray

• Sing a song about Jesus.

• Read John 1:29. Jesus the Lamb of God takes away the sins of the world.

• Read Isaiah 52:13-53:12.  Talk about it.

o Because of Jesus’ sacrifice our sins are forgiven.  Wednesday we prayed and forgave people that hurt us.  Our sins have hurt God.  When we accept Jesus’ sacrifice God no longer sees the sins that hurt Him and he forgives us.

• Cover the cross (and baskets) with a blanket or something so that they can be replaced tomorrow with the gift.

• End in prayer

• Make Easter cookies (recipe at end)

 

Sunday Morning:  HE IS RISEN

• Pray

• Sing a song about Jesus.

• Read John 20.

• Eat Easter cookies

• Give Gifts/unveil filled Easter baskets that will be where the cross was under the blanket.

• Talk about Easter and what we did this week.

• End in Prayer

Unleavened Bread

http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/213682/matzah/?page=0

Easter Cookies

I got this recipe over 10 years ago and don't remember where I got it from so I can't give the person credit. :( This is not my own recipe but we love it. 

 

1- cup whole pecans

1-teaspoon vinegar

3 egg whites

pinch of salt

1-cup sugar

zipper baggie

wooden spoon

tape

Bible

 

1. Preheat the oven to 300 (this is important-don't wait 'til you're half-done with the recipe)

 

2. Place the pecans in the baggie and let the kids beat them with the wooden spoon to break them into pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3

 

3. Put the vinegar into a mixing bowl. Let each child smell the vinegar. Explain that when Jesus was on the cross and he became thirsty, He was offered vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30

 

4. Add the egg whites to the vinegar. The eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life so that we could have life.Read John 10:10-11

 

5. Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand and let them taste it. Put the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27

 

6. So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup of sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story ids that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16

 

7. Beat the egg whites with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes, until stiff peaks form. Explain that the color white represents the purity in god's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isa. 1:18 and John 3:1-3

 

8. Fold in the broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto a wax paper cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus body was laid to rest. Read Matt. 27:57-60

 

9. Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven off.

 

10. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the door. Explain that Jesus tomb was sealed. Read Matt. 27:65-66

 

11. Go to bed. Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight and that Jesus followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20-22

 

12. On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. the cookies are hollow! ON THE FIRST EASTER Jesus followers were amazed to find His tomb empty. Read Matt. 28: 1-9

Bittersweet Success

I let my oldest son cry it out and regret it. My second son and first daughter were great sleepers so I didn't even need to try that. My youngest is the worst sleeper. I nursed her to sleep until I weaned her at 18 months which was about 6 weeks ago. To get her to sleep after that, we had our routine which ended with me laying down with her in my bed until she fell asleep and then I'd transfer her to her crib. I just can't bear the screaming when it sounds like she's terrified. I personally don't like being afraid so I don't want her to be if I can help it. 

I have been trying to get her to fall asleep on her own without crying. I've read that routines help so every night we change her diaper, get her into jammies, brush her teeth, pick out three stories to read in mommys bed, when the stories are done I pick her up and walk her to the light switch while I pray with her and then I turn off the light. We go back to my bed and lay quietly until she falls asleep. Then I transfer her to her crib. 

It all was working fine until she started crying when I laid her down in her crib. I decided to switch it up a bit and try reading the last story to her while she was in her crib to kind of prepare her and inform her that she was supposed to sleep there and it was a safe place. Since doing that we added singing "twinkle" after the last story. It seems to calm her. She usually whimpers cries when I leave but not for more than 5 minutes (and she doesn't sound terrified so I'm ok with it). Needless to say, I dread bedtime every night because I never know how bad the crying will be, how terrified she make look, and how long it might take. But, I figure just like weaning is easier when it's gradual maybe falling asleep on her own will be easier when it's gradual.

Well, this week, after her routine, I lay her in her crib to read another story and sing to her and she pointed to the door and said "all done". I didn't understand what she was trying to say so I started reading her book to her. Then she said, "bye bye" and pointed to the door. I got the point. She wanted me to leave! I asked her, "Do you want me to leave?" And she nodded her head "yes!" So since Monday I have a very big brave girl who can fall asleep on her own without crying! 

I sure miss those early days of nursing her to sleep and all the cuddles. I knew those days would end and they would fly by fast. I cherished each moment and I'm proud of my big girl. Now to get her to sleep through the night...