Easter is a glorious day when we celebrate together the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Children get excited on Easter, but sometimes they don’t always understand what Easter is about. Read below about five ways that we can prepare children for Easter.
1. Explain Why Jesus Came to Earth
First of all, children won’t truly appreciate Easter until they understand the reason Christ came to earth in the first place. The whole point of Jesus living on the earth was so that He could save us by dying on the cross. Spend time with your children talking about why Jesus came to earth, and how His sacrifice made it possible for us to be saved from our sin. Depending on the ages of your children, you may want to discuss further what sin is and why we need to be saved. By helping them understand the need for His sacrifice, they will begin to understand why the resurrection is so important.
2. Describe Victory Over Death
Death is a scary thing for many people, including children. When we talk about Jesus’ death and resurrection, we need to take time to talk to our children about how we don’t need to be scared of death, thanks to Jesus! He showed His victory over death, and tells us that we can have eternal life with Him if we follow Him. Explaining to children that we don’t need to be afraid of death, thanks to Jesus, will help them realize more that Easter is a celebration and thanksgiving for what Christ has done for us as we worship Him for who He is.
3. Communicate the Significance of Communion
Another way that you can prepare children for Easter is to explain to them the significance of communion. Share with them about what communion is and why Christians do it. When children see us partake in communion regularly, they are seeing us remember Christ and express our gratitude for what He has done. If your children don’t understand communion, take time to explain it to them and share how Christians reflect regularly on what Christ has done. This will help them understand that Christians don’t just remember Christ’s sacrifice on Easter, but also throughout the whole year!
4. Read the Story of the Resurrection
Each of the last few things listed are ways that you can help your children understand that Easter is much more than just one day of celebration and thanksgiving. When it comes to actually preparing them for Easter (possibly the week or month before), take the time to read the story of the resurrection to your children. Read each of the witness’ accounts of the resurrected Jesus and the angels at the tomb. Many of our children have heard the Easter story, but have never actually heard the Biblical account. Take time to read the story to your children before Easter and answer any questions that come up.
5. Go Over the Gospel
If you want to truly prepare your children for Easter, sit down together as a family and share the Gospel with them. Start with the story of creation, explain man’s need for a Savior, and then share about Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Nothing could prepare your children more for an Easter celebration than the power of the Gospel!
What Is Easter? Book and Gospels DVD
Experience the Gospel in a whole new way in “Jesus Is The Good News!” then learn how bunnies and eggs remind us of the new life we have in Jesus!
Steven Knight has been serving in children’s ministry for over 10 years and is an experienced speaker, author, and workshop presenter. He is blessed to be married to his college sweetheart, Katie. His passion is two-fold: to evangelize and disciple children, and to train and equip children’s ministry leaders, all for the glory of God. He loves to share relevant articles and ministry tools with others on his blog, KidminTools.com.
