Easter Devotion for Children (Day 37): A Glimpse of Heaven

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.

And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."

All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,

saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"

Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes--who are they, and where did they come from?"

I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.

Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.

For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." Revelation 7:9-17

Questions:

- What is the book of Revelation about? (a vision John sees about the events going on in Heaven and on earth - some in the present, some in the future); these events seem to be taking place right now, pointing to the ongoing worship of Jesus Christ that occurs in Heaven

- How do you think John must have felt to see this worship of Christ after he had seen His crucifixion years earlier?

- How is the multitude described? Who are they?

- Who is the Lamb?

- Describe some of the things that John and we can learn about Heaven from these verses.

- What does it mean that the Lamb is their Shepherd?

Thoughts: 

Here, in Revelation, we can catch a small glimpse of what Heaven is like right now and what we can expect to see and do when we get there. It is centered on the worship of the Trinity (God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit) as we celebrate the Lamb. This will be beyond any wonderful experience we have ever had on earth because each of us was created specifically to worship God. In Heaven, we will be able to fully and completely carry out all that we were created to be. And Jesus will be at the center of it all. This is why we should do our best today, on earth, to make Jesus the center of our life. To ask Him to sit on the throne of our heart and to worship Him daily. This will bring both joy to us and to the Lord and prepare us for eternity in Heaven. Is He sitting on the throne of your life today?

Prayer: 

Lord Jesus, we so look forward to one day being in Heaven with You, worshipping You around the throne and entering ultimate joy and peace. Thank You for making a way for us. While we are here on earth, may we worship You with our lives. Show us how to do this Lord. We love You so much!

Song: Salvation Belongs to our God

Salvation belongs to our God

Who sits upon the throne

And unto the Lamb

Praise and glory, wisdom and thanks

Honor and power and strength

Be to our God forever and ever

Be to our God forever and ever

Be to our God forever and ever, Amen

And we, the redeemed shall be strong

In purpose and unity

Declaring aloud

Praise and glory, wisdom and thanks

Honor and power and strength

Here is a link with the music: Salvation belongs to our God

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

* Some of the content of this blog is based on the book Family Celebrations at Easter by Ann Hibbard.*

Easter Devotion for Children (Day 36): Free in Jesus

Bible: read 2 Corinthians 5:21 and 8:9 first and then go to the questions

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.  2 Corinthians 5:21

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.  2 Corinthians 8:9

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!

For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.  Romans 5:6-11

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin--because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.

The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.  Romans 6:6-11

Questions:

- What did God make Jesus become for us? What do you think that means?

- What is righteousness? (right living, living a life that is pleasing to God)

- What does it mean that we will become the righteousness of God? (we can't earn righteousness, it is a gift of God through Christ)

- Read Romans 5:6-11

- What were we when Christ died for us? So did we do anything to earn His forgiveness?

- Will Jesus forgive everything we do if we ask Him?

- Read Romans 6:6-11

- What are we no longer slaves to? What does that mean?

- Will Jesus ever have to die again for our sins?

- What does it mean to be dead to sin but alive to God?

Thoughts: 

Our sin was destroyed on the cross. All the wrong things we have done or will do in the future have been destroyed. Instead of being clothed in our sin, we are clothed in Jesus' white robes of righteousness. That means that when God looks at us, He no longer sees our sin. Instead, He see Jesus' goodness. We cannot do anything to earn it. This has already been done for us. All we have to do is receive God's perfect gift.

Prayer: 

Lord Jesus, I praise You and thank You for what You did on the cross. You became my sin. All the times I have been mean, or hateful, or cruel, or unloving, the times I've lied or disobeyed, You took all that sin away. Now I don't have to live under its weight but I am free to live in righteousness through You. I love You Jesus.

Song: Crucified with Christ

As I look back on what I thought was living

I'm amazed at the price I choose to pay

And to think I ignored what really mattered

Cause I thought the sacrifice would be too great

But when I finally reached the point of giving in

I found the cross was calling even then

And even though it took dying to survive

I've never felt so much alive.

Chorus

For I am crucified with Christ and yet I live

Not I but Christ that lives within me

His Cross will never ask for more than I can give

For it's not my strength but His

There's no greater sacrifice

For I am crucified with Christ and yet I live

As I hear the Savior call for daily dying

I will bow beneath the weight of Calvary

Let my hands surrender to His piercing purpose

That holds me to the cross but sets me free

I will glory in the power of the cross

The things I thought were gain I count as loss

And with His suffering I identify

And by His resurrection power I am alive

Chorus

Bridge

And I will offer all I have

So that His cross is not in vain

For I found to live is Christ

And to die is truly gain

Here is a link with the music and words: Crucified with Christ

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

* Some of the content of this blog is based on the book Family Celebrations at Easter by Ann Hibbard.*

Easter Devotion for Children (Day 35): We are Pardoned, He was Condemned

Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him.

Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death.

Therefore, I will punish him and then release him."

With one voice they cried out, "Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!"

(Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)

Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again.

But they kept shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!"

For the third time he spoke to them: "Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him."

But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed.

So Pilate decided to grant their demand.

He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.  Luke 23:13-25

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.  Isaiah 53:5-6

Questions:

- Who deserved to be punished? What had he done?

- Who was punished instead? What had Jesus done wrong?

- How was Jesus a substitute for Barabbas?

- How do you think Barabbas felt when he realized that he was free and someone else would die in his place.

- What can we learn from this? (read Isaiah 53:5-6)

Thoughts: 

We are all like Barabbas. We have all committed sin that has condemned us to an eternity of punishment. "All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." Romans 3:12  We can't earn a pardon/salvation anymore than Barabbas could do anything himself to be released. All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. Isaiah 64:6 Yet, just as with Barabbas, Jesus stepped in and took our punishment. We are pardoned and He was condemned.

Prayer: 

Lord Jesus, how can we thank You enough for what You did for us? You took our punishment, our sins, and got rid of them on the cross. We love You and want You to be our Lord and Savior. Praise You Jesus.

Song: Amazing Love

I'm forgiven because you were forsaken

I'm accepted, You were condemned

I'm alive and well

Your spirit is within me

Because you died and rose again

Amazing love, how can it be?

That you, my king. would die for me

Amazing love, I know it's true

And it's my joy to honor you

Amazing love how can it be?

That my king would die for me

Amazing love I know it's true

And it's my joy to honor you

In all I do

I honor you

You are my king

You are my king

Jesus, You are my king

Jesus, You are my king

Here is a link to the song with words: Amazing Love

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

* Some of the content of this blog is based on the book Family Celebrations at Easter by Ann Hibbard.*

Easter Devotion for Children: Happy Palm Sunday

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

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.  
Zechariah 9:9

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. 
They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.
And they cried out in a loud voice: 
"Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."
All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: 
"Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God forever and ever. Amen!"  Revelation 7:9-12

Questions:
- Why was there a great crowd in Jerusalem? (they were there to celebrate the Feast of the Passover which would be that following weekend)
- What is Passover? (Passover is about how God had the Israelites put the blood of a lamb on their doorposts so that the Angel of Death would pass by them and not kill them)
- What part of Passover did Jesus represent?
- What part of the Old Testament did Jesus fulfill when He came riding into Jerusalem on a donkey? (read Zechariah 9:9)
- What is this special day called by the Christian Church today? (Palm Sunday) Why?
- Read Revelation 7:9-12...What similarities do you see between when Jesus came riding into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and when we, some day in Heaven, will gather around Jesus and worship Him?
(great crowd/multitude, carrying palm branches, praising Jesus)
- How is the crowd different? (in Jerusalem - mostly Jews; in Heaven - people of every nation, tribe, people and language)

Thoughts:
As we celebrate Palm Sunday today, we should not only look back into the past, when Jesus rode into Jerusalem; but we should look forward to a day, in the future, when all those who have believed in Jesus as their Savior, throughout all of history, will stand around His throne and worship Him. But this time, there will be no Gethsemane or trials before Pilate or whippings or a cross waiting for Jesus. Instead, there will be year after year, century after century of enjoying life with our Lord and God. And praise God that there will be people in Heaven from every nation, tribe, language and people! What a joyous day that will be. May it come quickly!

Prayer:
We love you Jesus. Today, in our hearts, may we lift up palm branches and say to You:
"Hosanna!"
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"

Song: Salvation Belongs to our God

Salvation belongs to our God
Who sits upon the throne
And unto the Lamb
Praise and glory, wisdom and thanks
Honor and power and strength

Be to our God forever and ever
Be to our God forever and ever
Be to our God forever and ever, Amen

And we, the redeemed shall be strong
In purpose and unity
Declaring aloud
Praise and glory, wisdom and thanks
Honor and power and strength

Here is a link with the music: Salvation Belongs to our God

Easter Devotion for Children (Day 34): Would They Have Died for a Lie?

The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”
“Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.  
Matthew 27:62-66

Questions:
- Who was worried about Jesus' body being stolen? Why?
- What did they ask Pilate to do and how did he respond?
- How would a report that Jesus was raised from the dead be worse for the Jewish leaders than the things Jesus said and did before His crucifixion?
- Where were the disciples at this point? (They had all run away terrified and were hiding in an upper room somewhere in Jerusalem)
- Do you think they had the courage to steal Jesus' body and then claim He had risen from the dead?
- If they had stolen His body, somehow making it past a Roman guard and a sealed tomb, would they have been willing to die for a lie that they had spread? (Every single disciple, except John, died a horrible death because they continued to preach Jesus' resurrection)

Thoughts:
Even these fearful actions taken by Jesus' enemies were part of God's wonderful plan. The sealed tomb and the Roman guard are evidence that when the tomb was found empty, it was not because the disciples stole the body. We learn in the next chapter that the guards saw the angel who rolled away the stone. The guards fainted, then later reported to the chief priests and accepted a bribe from them to keep quiet about it. Obviously that didn't happen since we know about this today.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, how wonderful You are. Even the evil of men works out for Your good purposes. As we look at a sinful world around us, help us to remember that You are always in charge.

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

* Some of the content of this blog is based on the book Family Celebrations at Easter by Ann Hibbard.*

Easter Devotion for Children (Day 33): Boldness in Action

Following Jesus' crucifixion:
Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid.  It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.
The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment. Luke 23:50-56

He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
    and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
    nor was any deceit in his mouth.  Isaiah 53:9

Questions:
- (This Joseph was not the same as Jesus' adoptive father. His adoptive father died at some point before Jesus' public ministry.) What do we learn about this Joseph?
- What did Joseph ask of Pilate?
- How do you think the Jewish council would view Joseph's request and action?
- What did he do to Jesus' body? (If he had not done this, Jesus' body would have been thrown into a pit with the other common criminals and it would not have been possible for the disciples and others to witness the empty tomb)
- What did the women do? Why?
- What prophecy did Jesus' burial fulfill (read Isaiah 53:9)?

Thoughts:
We find in Joseph a man of moral courage. Mark 14:53 says: Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body, and Matthew 27:57 tells us: there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus.  He believed in Jesus despite what those around him were saying. He was most likely not present at the secret trial the night before. When he found out about Jesus' murder, he must have been stricken with grief. Doing the only thing he could think of, he bravely approached Pilate for Jesus' body in order to show his love for and belief in Jesus.  Pilate, after a centurion confirmed the death, allowed Joseph's request. Joseph immediately purchased fine linen (Mark 15:46) and proceeded to Golgotha to take the body of Jesus down from the cross. There, according to John 19:39, Joseph and Nicodemus took the body, wrapped it in the fine linen, and applied the myrrh and aloes Nicodemus had brought. The disciples then placed Jesus' body in Joseph's own tomb, a man-made cave hewn from rock in the garden of his house nearby.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, Your love gives us courage. Courage to go against what others may say, courage to follow You and show our love for You, courage to walk through whatever trials You have allowed in our lives. Help us to be bold for You. We love You Jesus.

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

* Some of the content of this blog is based on the book Family Celebrations at Easter by Ann Hibbard.*

Easter Devotion for Children (Day 32): The Meaning of the Passover Meal

Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”
“Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked.
He replied, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there.”
They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.
Luke 22:7-13

The celebration for which Jesus and His disciples were preparing was the Passover meal. This reminded the Jewish people of how God had saved them from slavery in Egypt and how the Angel of Death had "passed over" their homes the night before they were freed from slavery.
All over the world Jewish people still celebrate the Passover. In the meal, each part of it has special meaning.
Karpar - parsley or another green vegetable symbolizes the coming of spring. Sometimes it is dipped in salt water, which represents the tears of the Jewish people when they were slaves.
Maror - Bitter herbs, usually horseradish, represent the bitterness of slavery.
Roasted Lamb - the Z'roa is the one part of the Seder plate that is not eaten during the dinner. Instead, it serves as a visual reminder of the special Passover sacrificial lamb offered at the temple in Jerusalem before its destruction.
Matzah - unleavened bread is eaten to remember how the Israelites had to flea Egypt before their bread had a chance to rise
Egg - Beitzah, often eaten with salt water, hard-boiled eggs are a symbol of life. It is also said to represent the second offerings presented at the temple in Jerusalem, sorrow at its destruction, and the hope that it will be rebuilt.
Charoseth - A sweet mixture of roughly chopped apples, walnuts, cinnamon and red wine, charoset represents the mortar that was used to construct the store houses by the Jewish people when they were slaves in ancient Egypt.
Elijah's Cup - One of five cups, this one symbolizing the belief that Elijah's arrival will announce the coming of the Jewish Messiah.

Questions:
- Think about the Passover Meal - what preparations needed to be made?
- How did the disciples know where to prepare for the meal?
- What do we learn about Jesus from these verses?
- Has Elijah already come? (The Bible explains that John the Baptist came in the "spirit of Elijah - he was like Elijah; "He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Luke 1:16-17)

Thoughts:
Every Christian home can be enriched by celebrating Passover, just as our Lord did. For Jesus, Passover was the most significant of holy days. Because of Jesus' death and resurrection, we too can join in this special holy day. In fact, for Christians, Passover is even more significant because it finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. It was no accident that Jesus was crucified at Passover. He became the once for all sacrifice which allows God's judgement to "pass over" us.
Here is a wonderful website that helps you celebrate the Passover from a Christian perspective:
 A Christian Seder Meal    http://www.aholyexperience.com/2011/04/why-a-christian-family-may-celebrate-passover-a-messianic-seder/

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, we worship You and love You so very much. Enter into our thoughts and actions throughout this Easter season. Help us see You in the Passover meal. Thank You for being our sacrifice. We love You.

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

* Some of the content of this blog is based on the book Family Celebrations at Easter by Ann Hibbard.*