Easter Celebration!

Happy Easter!

This week our activities all center around the Easter celebration.

In your packet this week you have

- a set of watercolor paints and q-tips to paint a white construction paper egg and an egg garland.
- a plaster egg and set of paints to decorate
- directions to make 2 Easter lilies with a handprint and chenile stems
- colored construction paper to practice your scissors cutting
- a bag of jelly beans to graph- sort by color and count
- two white plastic eggs to color - you can use any markers
- Easter slime
- eggs to hide in your yard
- a set of Resurrection Eggs to lead you through the story of the Holy Week

The Bible story enclosed is the story of Jesus crucifixion. Last week we heard the story of Jesus entering Jerusalem. Jesus spent the week in Jerusalem preparing for the Passover. He spent time in the temple and with his disciples. On Thursday night, he and his disciples sat down in a rented room for the Passover meal. Many unusual things happened that night. Jesus acted as a servant and washed his disciples feet. He showed that we should serve others through his actions and put others above ourselves. He instructed his disciples in a new command- Love one another as I have loved you.
He took unleavened bread or bread without yeast and wine and introduced communion to his disciples which we still practice today. He sang a hymn with his disciples and they went to a garden called Gethsemane. While they were there, Jesus went to pray. After he had prayed, he woke his disciples. He knew that his betrayer had come. A group of soldiers met them in the garden with one of his disciples named Judas. Judas came up to Jesus and gave him a kiss. The soldiers than arrested Jesus and brought him first before the Jewish leaders, where they falsely accused him. They then passed him over to the Roman ruler named Pontius Pilate. He condemned Jesus to death based on the charges brought against him. All these things happened because Jesus willingly gave himself up to die. He could have called down any number of angels at anytime to stop what was happening. He was quietly accepting of the punishment that was meant for humankind. On Friday morning, Jesus was given a large cross bar to carry to a hill outside Jerusalem to be crucified on. He was so weak that he couldn't do it. A stranger from Cyrene was enlisted to carry the cross the rest of the way. Once Jesus arrived, he was crucified between two thieves on a hill outside Jerusalem. Above him were printed the words, Jesus of Nazereth, King of the Jews. He spoke only seven times. 1)Father, forgive them, they don't know what they are doing- said about the soldiers who were nailing him to the cross, 2) Today you will be with me in paradise- said to one of the theives who became a believer on the cross, 3)Woman, behold your son, Son, behold your mother- said to his mother and his disciple, John, as they were with him at the foot of the cross. He was making sure his mother would be taken care of. 4)My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? - God the Father had left Jesus alone, he was carrying the sins of the entire world. 5)I thirst- this was said to fulfill an Old Testament prophecy in Psalm 69:21. 6)It is finished- Jesus completed the sacrifice necessary to pay for our sins. 7) Father, into your hands I commit my spirit- Jesus trusted his Father to care for him again.

Just know that Jesus loved us enough to give up his life for us so that we can go to heaven to be with him!

May God bless your Easter celebration!!

Next week, I'll give packets on Tuesday from 11am-3pm and Wednesday from 8-11am so we have Easter Monday off!

We miss you so much!