Easter Egg Hunting and the Resurrection Story

I realize that any attempt to combine egg-hunting (with its roots in pagan fertility rituals) and the resurrection of Jesus is going to be inherently superficial.  But I'm doing it anyway.

Resurrection Eggs are available commercially from Family Life today and there are do-it-yourself versions all over the web.  I used the instructions at cullensabcs as a jumping off point to make my own set of eggs filled with  small symbols that would serve as visual aids for telling the resurrection story.  (I've never seen the commercially available eggs in person, so I don't know how similar they may be.)

Making the Resurrection Story Eggs

To make my resurrection eggs, I started with an empty egg carton, twelve plastic eggs, and collection of small objects and pictures.  I agonized over what to include in each one and I ended up with . . .

1. A palm leaf--to represent the triumphal entry (Matthew 2:1-11)
2. A cotton ball soaked in perfume--to represent Mary pouring perfume on Jesus' feet (John 12:2-8)
3. A piece of Chex cereal--to represent the bread at the last supper (Matthew 26:17-19
4. Three dimes--to represent the money given to Judas to betray Jesus (Matthew 26:17-19)
5. A picture of praying hands--to represent Jesus praying in the garden (Matthew 26:36-46)
6. A sword--to represent Peter drawing his sword at Jesus' arrest (Matthew 26:50-54)
7. A thorn--to represent the crown of thorns placed on Jesus' head (John 19:1-3)
8. A toothpick cross and a nail--to represent Jesus carrying his cross and being nailed to it (John 19:17-18)
9. Sponge--to represent the sponge on which Jesus was given sour wine (Matthew 27:48)
10. Spices and linen--to represent Joseph preparing Jesus' body for burial (Matthew 17:59-60)
11. A small stone--to represent the stone at the entrance of the tomb (Matthew 27:60)
12. An empty egg--to represent the empty tomb (Matthew 28:5-8)

After filling each egg, I used puff paint to number them.

After this dries, if I have time, I'm planning to add some more embellishment with purple puff paint.

Egg Hunting with the Resurrection Eggs
I'm planning to hide these eggs along with some hardboiled eggs and some unembellished plastic eggs (each of the plain eggs with one jelly bean inside).

I'll instruct the kids that if they find a special egg with sparkly paint on it, that they need to bring it back to a very special basket.  I intentionally put the puff paint numbers over the joint in the egg hoping to make it less likely that they are accidentally opened.

After all the eggs have been collected, we will sit together and open the numbered eggs one at a time, recounting the amazing story of God's sacrificial love for us through Christ's death and resurrection.

Thank you, Lord, that you are rich in mercy because of the great love with which you love us, love me--despite my selfishness and constant turning away from you.   Thank you, Lord, for your sacrifice and triumph over sin and death!