Children's Easter Devotion: Praise Him

As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.

When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" 

"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"

"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."  Luke 19:36-40

The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.

They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the King of Israel!"

Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written,

"Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey's colt." At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.  John 12:12-16

Bible: read both accounts of Palm Sunday in Luke 19:36-40 and John 12:12-16

Questions: 

Why is it called Palm Sunday?  (the palm branch was a symbol of triumph and victory in the Jewish tradition)

Why did Jesus ride on a donkey? 

What does it mean to fulfill prophecy? 

Why were the people so excited to see Jesus?

What were the people expecting Jesus to do...die for them or rule over them as a Jewish king by conquering Rome?

Why do you think the Pharisees told Jesus to make everyone stop praising Him? 

What did Jesus mean by his reply that "the stones will cry out?"

Final Thought: Jesus deserves our praise and our joy, but not for what he can do for us (like the Jews who praised Him for His miracles and for their hope in His conquering Rome) but for who He is. We can praise Him every day throughout the day, through singing, prayer, talking about who He is and what He has done, reading our Bibles and doing our best to obey Him. We can look forward with excitement to His return to earth some day! 

Prayer: We praise You Lord Jesus for who You are! You are mighty and powerful yet humble and gentle. Thank you for entering our hearts as our Savior. May we love You for who You are!

Songs: 

All Glory, Laud and Honor 

All glory, laud, and honor, 

to thee, Redeemer, King, 

to whom the lips of children 

made sweet hosannas ring. 

1. Thou art the King of Israel, 

thou David's royal Son, 

who in the Lord's name comest, 

the King and Blessed One. 

(Refrain) 

Here is a website for the music: All Glory

Praise Him 

Praise Him, praise Him,

praise Him in the morning, 

praise Him in the noontime.

Praise Him, praise Him,

praise Him when the sun goes down.

Children's Easter Devotion: Trust and Obey

As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them,

"Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it.' "

Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them.

As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?"

They replied, "The Lord needs it."

They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it.  Luke 19:28-35

Bible: read the story in Luke 19:28-35

Questions: 

- What did Jesus tell the disciples to do?

- Do you think this was a strange request...why?

- What did Jesus know about the colt/donkey? 

- Why would Jesus ride on a colt/donkey? (read Zechariah 9:9 - Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. - and discuss how Jesus fulfilled that prophecy)

- Did the disciples obey Him? Do you think they had any questions in their heads about this?

- Why do you think the owners let the disciples take the colt?

Final Thought: Sometimes the Lord calls us to do something. yet we still may worry how it will all work out. The disciples may have worried also. When we worry, we are basically saying to God that we don't trust Him to work in our lives the way He says He will. You see, Jesus knew all about the colt and how His Father in Heaven had prepared that colt for Him. In the same way, when Jesus asks us to do something, He already has everything prepared for us. All we have to do is trust and obey His Word.  

Prayer: Thank the Lord for always preparing the way before us. Ask Him to help us walk in that way, trusting and obeying Him. 

Song: Trust and Obey

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,

What a glory He sheds on our way!

While we do His good will, He abides with us still,

And with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain:

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

But we never can prove

The delights of His love

Until all on the altar we lay;

For the favor He shows,

For the joy He bestows,

Are for them who will trust and obey.

Lord I love you, please help me to

Trust and obey

Then in fellowship sweet

We will sit at His feet,

Or we'll walk by His side in the way;

What He says we will do,

Where He sends we will go;

Never fear, only trust and obey.

Here is a website with the song, sung by Big Daddy Weave - Trust and Obey

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! This day is special for me since my great-great-grandmother was from Ireland and my grandma, Esther, went home to be with Jesus on St. Patrick's Day. But it has also become special to me since I have learned the incredible story of St. Patrick! 

To read the story of St. Patrick to your children, go to:

http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/1Kids/StPatrick.html

After St. Patrick died, Ireland was used greatly by God to keep Christianity alive in Europe during the Middle/Dark Ages. At a time when there was much corruption in the Church in Europe and when very few people knew how to read so that it was difficult to spread the Gospel, the Irish/Celtic Church sent out many missionaries and helped preserve the Christian religion through its monasteries. This early celtic Church flourished with many monks and priests leaving Ireland to begin missions in Europe. In the first two hundred and fifty years after Patrick's death, around five hundred Irish saints were recognized. These missionaries established monasteries in Scotland, England, Switzerland, France, Germany and as far south as Italy.

We have much to be grateful for in the lasting Christian heritage and legacy of Patrick and Ireland!

Children's Easter Devotion: Extravagant love

Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.

Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages." He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

"Leave her alone," Jesus replied. "It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me." John 12:1-8

Bible: read about Mary anointing Jesus' feet in John 12:1-8

Questions: 

- Mary, Martha and Lazarus decided to give a dinner party, possibly celebrating how Lazarus had been raised from the dead. Who was the dinner given to honor?

- How did Mary choose to honor Jesus?

- Why was this so special?

- Who was upset about it and why?

- What did Jesus say to him?

- What can we learn, from Mary's example, about loving Jesus?

Final Thought: Mary was overwhelmed with her love for Jesus. She could have used the perfume for herself, maybe her wedding, or sold it, but she saw Jesus as more important. When she wiped his feet with her hair, she did the job of a servant. But Mary also did something else. Anointing was normally done to kings or very important people. Mary knew that Jesus was important and so, she anointed Him. What is a way that you can show Jesus that He is more important to you than the things you have?

Prayer: Thank Jesus for His incredible love for us, a love that sent Him to the cross. Ask Him to help us love Him more than anything else in the world. 

Song: Lord, You are More Precious than Silver

Lord, You are more precious than silver.

Lord, You are more costly than gold.

Lord, You are more beautiful than diamonds,

And nothing I desire compares to You.

Who can weigh the value of knowing You?

Who can judge the worth of who You are?

Who can count the blessings of loving You?

Who can say just how great You are?

Here is a link for the music: Lord, You are

Children's Easter Devotion: A Changed Life

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.

He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore‑fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' "

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."

Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."  Luke 19:1-10

Bible Story: Read the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10

Questions:

What kind of man was Zacchaeus?

Why do you think he wanted to see Jesus? 

Why do you think Jesus wanted to eat at his home for dinner?

What did the people around Jesus think of His decision to eat with Zacchaeus? Why?

What did Zacchaeus decide to do after being with Jesus?

What lessons can we learn from Zacchaeus?

Final Thought:  Zacchaeus showed his faith in Jesus by what he did. First, he wanted to see Jesus so badly that he climbed a tree. Then, he gladly came down and hosted Jesus for dinner. Jesus didn't tell Zacchaeus to pay back the money he had stolen. Being with Jesus for even a short time caused Zacchaeus to want to do what was right and thus show his love for Jesus. Just an afternoon with Jesus totally changed his heart and his life. When we follow Jesus, we will want to do what is right also.  

Prayer: Thank Jesus for accepting us just as we are but not leaving us like that. Thank Him that the Holy Spirit changes us on the inside once we accept Him as our Savior. 

Song: Just as I Am, without One Plea    (esp. the second verse)

Just as I am, without one plea, 

but that thy blood was shed for me, 

and that thou bidst me come to thee, 

O Lamb of God, I come, I come. 

Just as I am, and waiting not,

  To rid my soul of one dark blot,

  To Thee, Whose blood can cleanse each spot, 

O Lamb of God, I come, I come. 

Here is a music link. Just as I Am

You may also want to sing the children's song: Zacchaeus was a wee little man. Here is a link with music and words: Zacchaeus

Children's Easter Devotion: Bold for Christ

As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by."

He called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?"

"Lord, I want to see," he replied.

Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you."

Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.  Luke 18:35-43

Bible story - Read the story of Jesus healing the blind man (Luke 18:35-43) 

Questions - 

What did the blind man do when he heard that Jesus was passing by?

Why did people rebuke/scold him and tell him to be quiet?

What did he do when they hushed him?  Why?

When Jesus healed him, what did Jesus say had healed him? 

Do you ever get embarrassed to tell others you are a Christian? 

If so, what lesson can you learn from the blind man?

Finally, what was the response of the people, who had previously scolded the blind man, once he was healed by Jesus? 

Do you think your boldness for Jesus can bring praise to Him from other people? 

Final thought: Jesus was not embarrassed by the blind man's loud cries. He loved to see faith like that of the blind man, bold and persistent. It was a faith that 1) didn't care what others thought, 2) directly admitted his need and 3) followed Jesus immediately and gladly with a heart full of praise. 

Prayer: Ask God to help you be more bold for Him and to trust that when you pray to Him, He hears you. 

Song: (I will be recommending some of the great Easter hymns and will include a website with the music when possible) 

Just as I Am, without One Plea    (esp. the fourth verse)

Just as I am, without one plea, 

but that thy blood was shed for me, 

and that thou bidst me come to thee, 

O Lamb of God, I come, I come. 

4. Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind; 

sight, riches, healing of the mind, 

yea, all I need in thee to find, 

O Lamb of God, I come, I come. 

Here is a music link. Just as I Am

For further study: There are many children throughout the world who are very bold in their faith in Christ, especially in nations where it is hard to be a Christian. Sharing their stories can encourage a bolder faith in your children. A wonderful resource is Kids of Courage

Children's Easter Devotion: Jesus Welcomes Children

People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them.

But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."  Luke 18:15-17

Begin the Lenten devotions by asking your child(ren) what Easter means to them, beginning with your youngest child. Each child can then add to what the child before them said. This will give you a good idea of their current understanding of Easter. 

Explain that for the next six weeks until Easter, your family will be spending a few minutes every day talking about Jesus and what Easter means. 

Begin by reading Luke 18:15-17 and then ask the following questions:

 - Why did the disciples rebuke (scold) the parents who were bringing their children to see Jesus?

 - Do you ever feel, as a child, that adults don't have time for you and that you aren't as important as other adults?

 - If you do feel that way sometimes, do you know that Jesus understood how children feel? Remember, He too was a child. He never wanted children around Him to feel that way and so He made sure that His disciples let all the children come to Him. 

- Then, Jesus said a wonderful thing..."the kingdom of God belongs to children." What do you think He meant by that? 

- Jesus wanted the children to know that they were just as special to Him as the adults. 

- He said one more thing: no one will enter the kingdom of God unless they enter like a little child. What do you think that meant? 

- Do you know that children believe easily in Jesus and they trust Him. Jesus wanted the adults to believe easily in Him and trust Him just like children. 

- Are there any other thoughts or questions? 

Say a prayer with your children thanking Jesus that He notices and loves children. 

Sing "Jesus loves the little children"

Easter resources: 

Family Celebrations at Easter by Ann Hibbard

Stories Behind the Traditions and Songs of Easter by Ace Collins