2021

EASTER
7-day family devotional

Jesus said, "I am..."

Dear parents
Christmas seems to be the most prominent holiday in the Christian calendar. But
Christmas is nothing without Easter. The gospel story goes from the cradle to the
cross. The incredible story of Easter is interwoven with themes of love, betrayal,
sacrifice, pride, and surprise. This devotional is a tool for parents to use with their
children to connect with the amazing power of Christ's death and resurrection.

This year our devotional looks at the seven “I am” statement that Jesus makes in the
Gospel of John. Each day we will look at a different statement, building towards
Sunday: “I am the resurrection and the life”!

Setting up an Easter rhythm

I would encourage you to set aside 15 minutes each day with your family to go
through the day's material. It does not matter when you do it in the day, but try find
a consistent time through the week. The devotional is designed to be interactive, so
involve your children with the prayers, bible readings, and in answering the
questions. I would also encourage you to slip in a couple of questions of your own,
put things into your own language, and follow any interesting points raised by your
kids.

Listen for what God is saying to you through His Word and by the wisdom of your
children (Matt 11:25). There will also be rich opportunities to engage the gospel
themes of forgiveness, sacrifice, perseverance, love, and restoration and to speak
about what it means to repent from sin and trust in Christ as Saviour.

Grant Peers
Scripture Union South Africa,
Western Cape Regional Director
How to use the material
This devotional starts on Monday and runs the seven days through to Easter Sunday.
Each day has an overall theme that guides you through the day. We will follow
Scripture Union's well-worn path of: PRAY - READ - THINK - REMEMBER - PRAY

1. Pray
Ask God to guide you by His Spirit as you seek to hear Him speak to you through the
bible passage and your meditations on the truths you will hear.

2. Read
Read the passage together as a family from a translation that will be
understandable for all who are participating. Share the responsibility by getting
your children to do some of the reading.

3. Think
These thoughts are intended to open our hearts to the passage. There are some
questions that you can use to help your family engage the text. Each day there is a
central illustration or object lesson to help communicate the main point of the
passage. If your children have other pressing questions then (within reason) follow
their interest. If you don’t know the answer simply say so (and then do some
investigation later)! The insights are not designed to be read, but to help you talk well
about the theme for the day. Depending on the age of your children you may need to
adjust the language that you use in your explanations.

4. Remember
Ask each person to share one way in which they feel God is speaking to them through
the devotion.

5. Pray
Close together in prayer, again allowing space for all to participate.

NOTE: although this is a family devotion, parent(s) may go a bit deeper using the
"parents to ponder" thoughts.   Perhaps this would even help to draw in your
teenager!
Jesus is going to leave Monday 29 March

Pray You'll need: road

signs on page 11
Read John 14:1-6
Think
Have you ever felt sad because someone was going away? What made you feel
sad? Jesus told His closest friends that He was going away. They could not
understand, and it made them feel sad and confused. They had grown really close to
Jesus and He was their hero! They could not imagine life without Him.

Where was Jesus going and what was He going to do (14:2-3)? Jesus promises to
do two things: (a) prepare a place, and (b) come back to fetch them so that they could
be with Him again. That sounds amazing! He is going away but only so that He can
get a place ready for us so that we can live where He lives forever.

When you drive in a car (especially on a long trip) you often see the green signs along
the road (page 11). Do you recognise any of the places? What is the furthest
distance on the signs? Road signs tell you where to go and how far you have to
travel.

Have you ever seen a sign showing you the way to heaven? That's a trick
question - there actually isn't a sign that points you to heaven. But there is a person!
What does that mean? Jesus said that He was "the way". Jesus said that He had to
"go away" - which means He had to die on the cross. His death would fix our broken
relationship with God. Jesus would become "the way" that all our sins could be
forgiven (wrong motives, thoughts, and actions). He would heal all the hurt in our
lives. But there is more… if you stay in the story until Sunday there is a HUGE surprise
waiting (maybe you already know what it is!!)

Remember
What do you think God is saying to you today?

Pray
Jesus comforts His disciples, “do not let your hearts be troubled”. There are many
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situations that trouble our hearts today. Jesus’ promise has not changed. He left
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(death, resurrection, and ascension) to become "the way" to the Father. He will
return to take us into perfect union with Him in heaven. The disciples were worried
about a break in relationship (Jesus’ physical presence) but it was only by leaving that
He could give us the gift we really need. For this in-between time He has sent the
Holy Spirit to be our comforter and guide.
Jesus has amazing love Tuesday 30 March

Pray You'll need: a

piece of fruit
Read John 15:5-13
Think
Do you know what this is (hold up the fruit)? That’s right – it’s fruit. Where does
fruit come from? A branch draws life-giving sap from the trunk. It flows up the
branch and produces fruit. Do you know something about gardening: if you want a
tree to grow and produce lots of fruit then you have to trim it back so that new
leaves and fruit will grow. This will cause the rest of the branches to be even more
fruitful. God is like a gardener, Jesus is like the trunk and we are like the branches –
we cannot be healthy unless we are connected to the trunk. The Bible says that when
we draw close to Jesus everyday, like a branch drawing from the trunk, we start to
produce fruit.

What kind of fruit does God want us to produce? Galatians 5:22 tells us about this
fruit. When we rely on the Holy Spirit, He makes us, little by little, more and more like
Jesus. People around us begin to taste the ‘fruit’ of His character. We’re more loving.
We’re more joyful. We’re more peaceful. We do not suddenly become perfectly
loving, joyful and peaceful, but we can learn to walk closer and closer to Jesus, and
we can become more and more fruitful. And the verse goes on to mention six other
fruits: ‘patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.’

How do you show your parents that you love them? Giving hugs is good, but
doing what your parents say is also very important. Later in today’s passage Jesus
connects these things: when we love God we do what He asks us to do and follow His
instructions for life. Jesus also showed how much be loved His Father by being willing
to die on the cross. Jesus has the greatest love of all because He was prepared to
sacrifice His whole life for us.

Remember
What do you think God is saying to you today?

Pray
God wants us to have fruitful lives. We are branches, and God desires that we
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produce the fruit of good character. Who we are in our inner lives will determine
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how we respond to the ups and downs of life. Our fruitfulness is so important that
he will prune us. Pruning is painful – no one enjoys it, but it is God’s goodness to us
so that we can be more fruitful. Any gardener will tell you that if you want to see new
growth and more fruit in the coming season, you have to prune the plant.
Jesus is the door Wednesday 31 March

Pray You'll need:

pictures of houses
Read John 10:7-10
on page 12
Think
Imagine a house that has no door on the outside. How could you enter the
house? It is impossible to get into a house that has no door, right! A door is the
entrance into a house. It allows us to go inside and be safe and warm.

Now imagine a house that has a doorway, but there is no door to close the
doorway. What would happen then? Anyone could come in and go out of the
house whenever they wanted. You would have no way to stop them. The door keeps
out things that are bad or unsafe.

In this passage Jesus is talking about shepherds and sheep. During the day, the
sheep would eat grass in the fields but as the sun started to set the shepherd would
find a cave or a kraal where they could stay the night. The shepherd would sleep with
His own body across the entrance – He was "the door". He would make sure that all
the sheep stayed in for the whole night. He would also protect the sheep from any
harm or danger during the night.

Can you think of ways that Jesus is like a door?

We are like sheep and Jesus is like the door because opens the way for us to come to
God. When Jesus said that He is the door, it was a way of saying that we can go
through Him to the kingdom of God. We can be part of God’s special family by
knowing Jesus. Jesus gave His life for us to show us how much He loves us, and how
much He wants us all to live with Him in God’s kingdom. Jesus also protects us from
trying to build our lives on things that cannot really make us happy. He protects us
by teaching us a better way to live.

Remember
What do you think God is saying to you today?

Pray
Jesus not only gives us entry into salvation, but also protects us from deception. In
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this passage Jesus goes on to promise full, abundant life (10:10). What does that
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mean to you? It certainly includes rest for your soul, spiritual food for your heart,
peace in fearful circumstances, and guidance into His good plans. Sometimes we are
tempted to try find these things in other places – but only God can give them to us in
a truly satisfying way.
Jesus shares a special meal Thursday 1 April

Pray You'll need:

Tenebrae service
Read John 6:35-40
page 13-14
Think
How do you feel when you are hungry? How do you feel when you are full?
Can you imagine eating a meal that made you feel so satisfied that you never needed
to eat again? Jesus said that He is the bread of life and that if you come to Him you
will never be hungry or thirsty again. No more breakfast, lunch, supper or snacks!
Honestly, I am not sure I would never want to eat again - I enjoy the tastes and
flavours too much! How about you?

What do you think Jesus meant in John 6:35? Jesus promises that we can eat a
meal that won't fill up our tummies but our hearts. He can fill us up on the inside so
that the feelings of emptiness and sadness start to disappear. He can make us joyful
on the inside even when bad things happen.

Christians remember Jesus’ death by celebrating the Lord’s Supper /

Communion. Do you know what this meal means? Today we remember a special
supper that Jesus ate with His closest friends. He ate this meal with them on the
night before He gave up His life on the cross. This meal tells the story of what was
going to happen to Him on the cross.

He picked up a piece of bread and broke it and gave it to His friends. He picked up a
cup of wine, thanked God and shared it with them. Jesus told them “My body is like
this bread. It will break” and, “this cup of wine is like my blood. It will pour out”.
What happened to Jesus on the cross tells us how much He loves us: He would break
on the cross so that God’s broken world could heal; His life blood would pour out so
that our sin could be washed away.

Remember
What do you think God is saying to you today?

Pray

People hunger for many things in this life. We sometimes think that
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accomplishments, flashy cars, clothes, fame, experiences or sex will fill them up. But
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after a while we get hungry again! In fact, the hunger grows. We find that what
satisfied us before no longer does. Jesus says that He is the spiritual food that can fill
the whole person. Before Jesus dies on the cross, He tells us to take bread and wine
to remind ourselves that He alone is the true spiritual food of this life.
Jesus laid down his life Friday 2 April

Pray You'll need:

Television adverts
Read John 10:11, 14-15 on page 15
Think
How much do you think your parents love you? Look at the adverts for TVs on
page 15. Which one is the biggest? Which is the most expensive? Some of these TVs
are extremely expensive, right! You would have to save for a looooong time to be
able to buy one of them. Now imagine you are at the shops and you accidentally
knock over and break one of those extremely expensive TVs. Would you be able to
pay for it? Probably not! But your mom or dad, because they are responsible for you
and love you so much, would choose to pay for it on your behalf, even though it was
your fault.

How much do you think Jesus loves you? Your parents paying for the TV is similar
to Jesus dying on the cross to forgive our sin. Except He did not pay with money, He
rather chose to give His life. He did not have to do it, He chose to do it because He
loves us so much. He suffered and died so that our sin could be wiped out forever.
He loves us even more than our parents do!

Jesus is God the Son. He is the only One who could ever save us from our sins. Jesus
wants us to be completely forgiven. Each of us does wrong. We have sinned in
what we have said, thought and done. Can you think examples of the ways that
you have sinned?

What would you say to your parents when they pay for the TV? What would you
say (pray) to Jesus because He “paid” for your sin? Thank you so much. I
appreciate what you have done for me because I could not get out of this problem
without you. Your love for me makes me want to love you back.

Remember
What do you think God is saying to you today?

Pray

Good Friday remembers the day that Jesus laid down His life on the cross for our
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salvation. The Good Shepherd puts the needs of His sheep ahead of His own - a
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purely selfless act. Jesus defeats death by His own death. His life bleeds out so that
we can have true life. He saves our lives by laying down His life. This is love, not that
we love God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to die in our place on the cross (1
John 4:10).
Jesus is the light of the world Saturday 3 April

Pray You'll need:

picture of lights
Read John 1:1-9; 8:12
on page 16
Think
Here is an easy question: what is the main difference between night and day?
Light and dark. There are many things that are difficult to do at night unless you have
a light to help. Look at the three pictures of different kinds of lights on page 16. How
are each of these lights helpful to us? The lighthouse helps to prevent ships from
crashing into the rocks - it warns you of danger. A headlamp helps to show you
where to go when it is dark - it guides you. A traffic light tells you when to stop and
when to go - it helps you relate to cars and people.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world”. How is each of those lights like Jesus?
Lighthouse: Jesus keeps you safe from things that will cause you harm. Headlamp:
Jesus shows you the right way to go. Traffic light: Jesus shows us the things that we
should start doing (green = go) and the things that we should stop doing (red = stop).
The light of Jesus helps people find God the Father and live a full, fun life.

But something crazy had happened - there were people who didn’t like the things
that Jesus said and did. They wanted Him to go away. And the best way to get rid of
Him was to kill Him. Had the light of the world gone out forever?

How would you have felt after Jesus died? His friends ran away and hid (in dark
places or behind closed doors). All their hope and enthusiasm suddenly disappeared.
When Jesus died a dreadful darkness came over the earth (Mark 15:33), even though
it was the middle of the day. They put Jesus’ body into a cold, dark tomb. For them it
did feel like “the light of the world” had gone out. But this is not the end of the story.
God was going to perform the most amazing miracle.

Remember
What do you think God is saying to you today?

Pray
Jesus is both God and man. As God He shines His light (i.e. truth) into every part of
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our lives. There is no hiding or escaping. When we line up our lives with His truth it
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brings freedom (never walk in darkness) and fullness (have the light of life). As man
He understands our weakness and He knows we need grace. His forgiveness flows
to us each day. When we bring things into the light there can be forgiveness and
healing (1John 1:5-9).
Jesus is alive forever Sunday 4 April

Pray You'll need:

"abracadabra" on
Read John 11:25, 40-44
a piece of paper
Think
What is the biggest surprise you have ever had? How did it make you feel? The
biggest surprise that Jesus’ disciples had – even more than when He walked on water
– was His resurrection. It must have been very scary and very exciting all at the same
time. What we learn from our reading is that they should not have been that
surprised because not very long before this one of Jesus’ friends had died. His name
was Lazarus. Jesus came to the tomb of Lazarus and called Him out. Lazarus
was resurrected from the dead. Jesus performed this miracle to get His followers
ready for the even greater miracle of His own resurrection.

Why do you think Jesus had to be resurrected? He showed everyone that God is
stronger than death and sin. It showed everyone that even when we die, we can
come back to life again, and that we can all live forever with God. Jesus' resurrection
is a promise that we can all come alive, have a new relationship with God, and live in
new perfect bodies with Him forever.

Do you know any magic words? "Abracadabra" is a word that magicians often say
when they perform a trick. Well, the bible also has some really important words that
we can say. Romans 10:9 says, "If you say with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe
with your heart God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved". When it says ‘you
will be saved’ it means that God will take us into His family and into His kingdom. But
is there something we must do to be saved? This verse says, 1) we must believe in
our hearts that Jesus is alive – He rose again, and 2) we must say the words, ‘Jesus is
Lord’ – those are the truly magic words! They mean, ‘Jesus is alive and well, large and
in charge’. This is how we become a Christian. It’s also how we grow as a Christian –
once saved, we learn to let Him be alive and in charge of our whole lives.

Remember and Pray

Ask each person if they would like to respond: I believe in you Jesus. I believe
you died and rose again. I believe you paid for my sin. Jesus, you are my Lord!

Today we remember that Jesus rose victorious over the grave. Jesus had already
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called Lazarus out of the grave – an incredible miracle! When God raised Jesus from
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the dead He did something even more amazing – He proved that our ultimate
enemies, sin and death, had been defeated forever. The life that Jesus brings is more
than physical life. Jesus offers a quality of internal spiritual life that satisfies our souls
and gives victory over the sin that would otherwise rob us of our joy and vitality.
Road signs
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Homes and doors
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No door

Open door
Explanation of Tenebrae

A service of gathering darkness1

The word Tenebrae is Latin for "shadows" or "darkness." It can also be translated as
"night" or "death." The Tenebrae service is an ancient tradition in Christian history
that took place on one of the last three days of Holy Week: Maundy Thursday, Good
Friday, or Holy Saturday. The purpose of this service was to remember the sombre
events that occurred in Jesus’ life from the exuberant entrance into Jerusalem on
Palm Sunday through the night of Jesus’ burial on Good Friday.

Communion / the Lord’s Supper is often included in a Tenebrae service.

The most distinctive aspect of the service is the use of seven lit candles. The flames of
these candles are extinguished one by one as Scripture readings are shared to tell
the story of Holy Week. This gradual descent into gloom is a representation of Jesus’
increasing sorrow as the events of Passion Week unfolded. After the last verse is
read, the last candle is put out, and the room is plunged into darkness.

After a minute of quiet meditation one of the candles is relit representing the hope of
the resurrection.

What you will need

7 candles,
matches,
a bible,
a darkened room, torch (depending on how dark the room is),
If you are going to include Communion / the Lord’s Supper then grape
juice/wine and bread/wafers.
You may also want to intersperse the readings with two or three appropriate
songs – sung or MP3s.

1. Explanation and readings takens from GotQuestions and Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
Tenebrae: format and readings

Light all 7 candles

The Shadow of Betrayal:

Mark 14:10-21
Extinguish candle 1

Share Communion / the Lord's Supper

The Shadow of the Agony of the Spirit & Arrest:

Luke 22:39-48, 54
Extinguish candle 2

The Shadow of Denial:

Luke 22:54-62
Extinguish candle 3

The Shadow of Mockery:

Matthew 27:27-31
Extinguish candle 5

The Shadow of Accusation:

Mark 15:1-15
Extinguish candle 4

The Shadow of Crucifixion:

Luke 23:32-43
Extinguish candle 6

The Shadow of Death:

Mark 15:33-39
Extinguish candle 7 (Christ Candle)

The Shadow of Burial:

John 19:38-42
SILENT MEDITATION (approx 2 minutes)
Relight candle 7 (Christ Candle)
Adverts for televisions
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Different kinds of lights
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