Background:  Resurrection Sunday is the most important holiday in the Christian calendar.  It is the day that Jesus was raised from the dead.  Why is this important?  Although many “prophets” died and stay dead, Jesus’ story ends differently.  When he was raised from the dead, he conquered death.  Because he rose from the dead, he can be with us in spirit and we can have new life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”  When a person decides to become a Christian, his/her old life (full of sin and bad choices) dies.  He begins anew, all because of Jesus’ death and resurrection.  That’s reason to celebrate!

Scripture Emphasis:  Matthew 28:1-10, Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-10

Activity:  Below is a recipe for Resurrection Cookies.  On the Saturday prior to Easter, prepare the cookies with your child.  Talk about what each ingredient symbolizes and make the cookies together.  On the morning of Resurrection Sunday, open the oven to see how the cookies turned out.  You will have a big surprise in store!

Prayer:  God, thank you raising Jesus from the dead.  Thank you for the new life we have in Jesus.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Resurrection Cookies

Ingredients: Bible, wax paper, zippered bag, mixing bowl, cookie sheet, wooden spoon, tape, 1 cup whole pecans, 3 egg whites, 1 cup sugar,1 tsp vinegar, pinch of salt

Instructions for Saturday:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Place pecans in the baggy and let the children break them into small pieces with the wooden spoon. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, he was beat up by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3 together. Let your child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. into a mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, the guards gave him vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30. Add egg whites to the vinegar. Eggs represent new life. Explain that Jesus gave his life for us so that we could have new life. Read John 10:10-11. Let your child taste the salt and place the rest into the bowl. Explain that the salt represents the salty tears shed by Jesus’ followers. Read Luke 23:27. So far the ingredients do not taste yummy. Add 1 cup of sugar. Explain

that the sweetest part of this story is that Jesus died because he loves us. He wants us to know him and trust him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16. Beat the ingredients with a mixer on high speed for 11-15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white shows that we are clean inside since Jesus paid for our sins. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3. Fold in the broken nuts. Cover a cookie sheet with wax paper. Drop mounds of the mixture onto the cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid. Read Matthew 27:65-66. Put the cookies in the oven. Close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape to seal the door. Explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66. Go to bed and explain that your child may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus’ followers were very sad when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.

Instructions for Sunday: On Resurrection (Easter) morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie! Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! Just as Jesus was no longer in the tomb on the first Resurrection Day, Jesus’ followers were amazed to find the tomb empty. Jesus was not there since he was risen! Read Matthew 28:1-9.