The Tomb Is Empty!

We had a wonderful service this morning at Edgewater Alliance Church! Our pastor is a wonderfully passionate man when it comes to the Word of God! He spoke about the importance of understanding Friday (Death) to fully appreciate Sunday (Life). It was awesome! My children, husband, Pop and I worshipped together at the early service today. Our plans were to come home...find our Resurrection Eggs, share a meal and head for the beach. We have yet to get to the beach but that will happen in a few hours!

The Lord really blessed us today. We came home and a woman came by the house and presented us with a beautiful cake. I could sense that she needed prayer today. We reached Heaven on my front lawn and I could tell the Holy Spirit was at work lifting her burdens. Nothing better than to come boldly before a Living God who is faithful to His Word!

So it is tradition for as long as I've had children to use our Resurrection eggs to review the story of Easter. My children all still get excited about the part they play in telling the story. I'm getting really good at making the hiding spots very challenging too!

Here are my precious arrows! Love these boys!

If you have children or grand children..really these are a wonderful way to tell the Easter Story.

After they locate all the eggs (each boy gets 4 eggs), we sit down and open the eggs in order to tell the story.

Shane started by telling about when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, just before His death and resurrection. Kyle's egg had silver coins in it to represent Judas's decision to accept 30 silver coins for betraying Jesus into the hands of the Jewish leaders. Then there was the passover cup found in another egg. Praying hands in another...reminding us that Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray with His disciples.
Brendan found a leather whip in his egg. After Jesus' trial by Pilate, the Roman soldiers used leather ropes with rocks and metal woven in to whip Jesus leaving 39 deep gases in His skin. Kyle had the crown of thorns in his egg.
Brendan shared that the nails in the cross found his in egg represented the 3 large nails that were driven into Jesus's hands and feet to nail Him to the cross. The next egg was the one with dice for gambling in it. The Roman soldiers used dice to gamble for Jesus's robe. The soldier's spear that was used to pierce Jesus' side when He was on the cross. Then Kyle had the one with linen wrapping in it..which he told us was what Joseph of Arimathea wrapped the body of Jesus in after He died on the cross.
The one above is the Stone at the Tomb...the huge stone that had covered the tomb was found rolled away! Words about the stone being miraculously rolled away and about Jesus's resurrection from the dead are the most encouraging and hope-giving words a Christian could ever have!
Finally egg #12 - it was empty - representing of course, the empty tomb, empty because He rose from the dead and is alive! Just like the tomb, our hearts are empty and lifeless without Jesus. But as we repent, believe, and trust in Jesus's death and resurrection, He fills our hearts with life and the Holy Spirit! Amen!!

Now that is a story worth repeating every single April!! Hope your Resurrection Day was Blessed!