Easter 2013 {Resurrection Eggs}

Once again, we did Resurrection Eggs and Elianna gained a bit more understanding this year.  She still has a hard time understanding the empty egg.  She is very much a literalist and kept telling us that it (the egg) isn't the empty tomb but an empty egg.  "It's not a tomb it's an egg!"  

We also missed a few days due to different circumstances including the Good Friday service. So please excuse no pictures for eggs #9, 10 & 11.

Egg #1 - Triumphal Entry

Egg #2 - Jesus Washes the Disciples Feet

Egg #3 - Passover

Egg #4 - Jesus Prays in the Garden

Egg #5 - Jesus:  Light in the Darkness

Egg #6 - Peter's Denial

Egg #7 - Judas Returns the Silver

Egg #8 - Jesus Before Pilate

Egg #12 - Resurrection

Easter 2013 {Easter Sunday}

We had a beautiful Easter Sunday here!  After church, we headed to our friends, Nick & Jenn's, house for Easter dinner.  It was fun and sunny and warm and the food was so good!  It was a blessed Easter spent with family and friends.

We tried the hand on the hip deal but it just ended up looking awkward.  :-)

Asleep in the car on the way to Nick & Jenn's for lunch

She also opened a present from Grammy (forgot to take a picture of her opening her present from Oma).  The water coloring book is the best!  It simply uses water to "color" the picture and guess what else?!?  It drys and she can do it all over again! 

Easter 2013 {Good Friday}

The elders came up with a wonderful idea for our Good Friday service this year. We had a Seder Passover "meal" and while we went over different parts, Chris told us the historical (Jewish) significance and then applied it from a believer's standpoint and how it all points to Christ. 

I wanted to share parts of it since it is so interesting and unique (taken from Chris' notes):

...the Biblical Holy Days are not just for Jews. Christians, too, can receive the blessing of these glorious days, what you might call the greatest object lessons in the Bible. God gave each day to teach His people about Him and His relationship to them. Although this is a meal made up of highly symbolic pieces which point to a specific event in Jewish history, it also points forward and has its ultimate significance and meaning in Christ, the Messiah (King of Kings and Lord of Lords).

There is an added dimension of celebration for Jewish and non-Jewish followers of Jesus the Messiah, for Jesus celebrated this meal with His disciples on the evening before His death. Known in Christian faith as the Last Supper, the New Testament records how the Passover elements of the unleavened bread and the juice have become the basis of the Lord's Supper, or Communion.

As Jesus and the disciples celebrated God's redemption of Israel, Jesus foretold how His death would provide redemption from sin. The themes of Passover prepared the nation for the redemption God provides through Jesus' death and resurrection.

Bitter Herbs

Passover (Looking Back)
The bitter herbs (parsley dipped in salt water) remind the Israelites of how the Egyptians embittered the lives of the slaves in Egypt. The bitter herbs are a reminder of the hyssop that was used in applying the blood to the doorposts of the homes of Hebrew slaves. [Exodus 12:7-8]

The Messiah (Looking to Christ)
For believers, the bitter herbs represent how Jesus delivers His people from the bitterness and sorrow of sin and brings joy to our lives. [Romans 5:12-21] We have been liberated because of Christ's work. We are set free.

Morar and Charoset

Passover (Looking Back)
Similarly to the bitter herbs is another herb referred to as the maror (bitter herb) which to further remind them of the bitterness of being in bondage in Egypt. So they would take the matzah and dip it in the maror (horseradish). Also a reminder not so much for the taste but a visual reminder was the Charoset {Recipe below - it's actually very delicious!}. It is usually a mixture of chopped apples, walnuts and cinnamon made with honey and grape juice. It represents the mortar that the Israelites used to make bricks with while they were slaves in Egypt. [Exodus 1:13-14]

Charoset
2 apples, cored and chopped
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon grape juice

Combine and refrigerate until ready to eat.

-Recipe from my friend Lisa

The Messiah (Looking to Christ)
The Bible tells us that all men were born into a similar bondage. A bondage that results in death and ultimately separation from God. This bondage brings with it the sting of death and the bitterness taste of the consequence and punishment of sin. [Ephesians 2:1]

Matzah

Passover (Looking Back)
During the week of Passover, the Jewish community abstains from eating anything containing leaven and eats only unleavened bread, or matzah {Recipe below - the kids loved! the leftover matzah}. [Exodus 12:19-20] It is to remind us of our need for spiritual cleansing and repentance.

Olive Oil Matzah
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup water
Sea salt for sprinkling (optional)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Combine flour and salt; mix. Add in olive oil and water. Mix together well and knead slightly into a ball. Cut ball in half, then in smaller pieces, until you have 12 small pieces of dough. Roll each piece into a ball.

Flatten each piece on a well floured surface and roll out with rolling pin into a 6-8 inch circle. Make sure it is very, very thin (you should be able to see your fingers on the other side when looking through the dough). Place thin circles on ungreased cookie sheet and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake circles for 2 minutes on one side and one minute (or 2) on the other. Keep an extremely close watch - it can burn quickly. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

-Recipe from www.GirlVersusDough.com

The Messiah (Looking to Christ)
Jesus was without sin, meaning without leaven. [2 Corinthians 5:21] Symbolically, Jesus was crucified at the beginning of the Feast of Unleaved Bread.

Blood

Passover (Looking Back)
God redeemed Israel from Egypt through the shedding of blood. When God passed through the land of Egypt, He saw the blood of the lamb on the top and sides of the doorframe; therefore, He passed over the Israelite homes and did not allow the destroyer to take the lives of their firstborn sons. [Exodus 6:6-7]

The Messiah (Looking to Christ)
This is the very picture of redemption - to redeem. Jesus tells us that through His blood, He provides the forgiveness of sin. [Matthew 26:28]

Lamb

Passover (Looking Back)
God redeemed Israel through the sacrifice of a lamb without any defect. [Exodus 12:5]

The Messiah (Looking to Christ)
John describes Jesus as "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world". In the same way as the Passover lamb was without defect, Jesus was without sin. [2 Corinthians 5:7]


If you have stuck with me until now, how unique and interesting is all that? Pretty cool I'd say!  

Easter 2013

We had a super busy but nice Easter weekend.  So busy that a quick picture showing how big this little girl is getting is all I have time for right now.  Hopefully in the next few days, I'll have time to post.  

Happy Easter!