Easter in Eggs Family Tradition

When Snow and I were first married my mother-in-law sent us this great family tradition and I thought I would share it with you. I love Easter candy as much as the next person (quick confession: I ate a whole family size of cadbury mini eggs myself this week), but I think it is really important to take some time to focus on the what we are really supposed to be celebrating--the resurrection of our Savior. So here is what my family likes to do: get 12 plastic Easter eggs and number them 1-12. Print out the scriptures and explanation and then get the 11 household objects together. Put each numbered slip of paper and corresponding object inside each egg (i.e. in egg number 1 you put in slip of paper number 1 and a sacrament cup). You can have a FHE where you do an actual egg hunt and then open each egg in order, read the scriptures together or, for younger kids, tell the story using the description. You could also use it as Family Scripture Study for the 12 days preceding Easter. Anyway, I hope you like it!

1. Luke 22: 40-44 Jesus went to Gethsemane to pray and atone for the sins of the world. He asked Heavenly Father to bless him. He did not want to suffer. He said to Heavenly Father: “If it be possible, let this cup pass from me.” But Jesus wanted to obey Heavenly Father and he loved each of Heavenly Father’s children. He would suffer for all the people who repented of their sins. (Object: Sacrament cup)

2. Matt 26:14-16, 47-50 One of Jesus’ 12 apostles, Judas Iscariot, made a deal with some wicked Jewish rulers who wanted to hurt Jesus. They said they would give Judas 30 pieces of silver (the cost of a slave) if he would show them where Jesus was. (Object 3 dimes)

3. Matt 27:1-2 The wicked men took Jesus to the Caiaphas the High Priest. They held an illegal trial against him (Matt 26:57-68) and found him guilty of blasphemy. The next morning they tied him up and took him to Pontius Pilate the Roman leader who had the authority to put criminals to death. (Object: piece of rope)

4. Matt 27:22-25 Pilate asked Jesus many questions (John 18:29-38), then told the Jewish rulers that Jesus had done nothing wrong. Pilate sent Jesus to Herod, the vassal ruler of Galilee. Jesus did not speak to Herod and he was sent back to Pilate. Pilate wanted to let Jesus go, but the chief priests and elders hated Jesus. They mingled among the multitude (Matt 27:20) and encouraged them to ask Pilate to “Crucify him!” Pilate didn’t want trouble with the Jews, so he washed his hands in front of the people, saying, “I am free of the blood of this just person.” Pilate let the Roman soldiers take Jesus away and crucify him. (Object: Piece of Soap)

5. Mark 15:15-20 The Roman soldiers took Jesus, removed his outer clothes, and put a purple robe on him. They put a crown of thorns on his head and a reed in his hand. They called him names, spit on him, hit him, and scourged him. (Object: piece purple cloth)

6. John 19:16-19; 3 Nephi 11:4 After doing all of these terrible things to Jesus, they made him carry a wooden cross to Calvary’s hill. They nailed his hands and feet to the cross, and then raised it. (Object cross made out of trimmed matchsticks and hot glue and a nail)


7. John 19:23-24 As Jesus hung on the cross he prayed for Heavenly Father to forgive the people who had hurt him because they didn’t realize that he was the Savior. The soldiers took Jesus’ clothes and played a game called “casting lots” to see who would win them. (Object: Dice)

8. Matt 27: 46, 50-54 Jesus’ mother, friends, and followers were very sad. Jesus suffered on the cross for many hours. Once he had completed his atoning sacrifice, he voluntarily allowed his spirit to leave his body and died. The sky was dark, there were earthquakes in Jerusalem and in the Americas. Rocks broke into pieces and the veil in the temple was torn. Many people were afraid. (Object: Small rocks like gravel)

9. Matt 27:57-59 A follower of Jesus named Joseph asked Pilate for Jesus’ body. He wrapped it in clean cloth. (Object: white cloth)

10. Matt 27:60-66 Joseph then laid Jesus’ body in his own tomb and rolled a great stone in front of the door. At the request of the Jewish rulers, Pilate placed soldiers to watch the tomb to make sure nothing happened to the body. (Object large rock)

11. Luke 23:55-56, 24:1 Jesus’ body was in the tomb for 3 days (Friday afternoon, Saturday, Sunday morning). Mary Magdalene and some other women came to the tomb to finish anointing Jesus’ body with spices (a tradition the Jews had for taking care of their dead before they were buried). (Object: Some kind of spice --I use a piece of a cinnamon stick)

12. Luke 24:2-8; John 20:11-16 When the women got to the tomb the stone was rolled away from the door and the soldiers sent to watch the tomb were gone. They looked inside and Jesus’ body was not there. They saw an angel who told them “Jesus is not here, for he is risen as he said” Jesus was resurrected—his perfected body was reunited with his spirit and he would never die again. Jesus appeared to Mary, to many of his followers, and to the Nephites in America. Jesus promised that we too will be resurrected as a special gift from him. Every Easter we celebrate that Sunday morning when Jesus Christ was resurrected. (Empty egg)