Welcome to our Holy Week devotional series! Each day, you can read reflections on the biblical events of Easter week and learn why they matter for us today. Below the Scripture Guide for each day, you’ll find a kids’ version that can be read together as a family, complete with a fun Easter-themed activity. You can also download the full week’s worth of Watermark Kids devotionals here.
Holy Week: Sunday, April 17
It’s Easter morning, and we have reason to celebrate! Today, we are reminded that there is more to the story than Jesus going to the cross on our behalf. There is more to the story than the Savior of the world dying for our sins. We turn the page, and three days later, the tomb was found empty (Matthew 28:6, Mark 26:6, Luke 24:6, John 20:9). Just like He had said, Christ had risen from the dead!
This is outrageously good news. More than that, this “gospel” is truly the best news in all existence. Today, we remember that Jesus did we what could not. Jesus lived the perfect life, died in our place, canceled our debt, and rose to new life. Today, we can confidently declare that our Savior is alive (Revelation 1:18)! He is seated on his throne (Ephesians 1:20, Hebrews 8:1)! He rules over all creation (Psalm 103:19, Ephesians 1:21-22)! And He does all this so that we too might have life (John 3:16).
For the believer, the resurrection of Jesus signifies that death has been defeated (Hebrews 2:14). Our sin has been paid for (1 Peter 3:18). The grave has no victory over us (1 Corinthians 15:55). All that we fear is swallowed up in Him (Isaiah 25:8).
If you trust that Jesus is Lord, confess that He died for your sin, and believe He rose from the dead, this victory is yours (Romans 10:9-10). United with Him in His death and resurrection, believers are truly set free (Romans 6:4-7, 17-18). The chains of sin and death no longer bind us. This is the good news we celebrate on Easter. And it is the news that should shape our whole lives.
If Jesus is our life (Colossians 3:4), we are no longer our own (1 Corinthians 6:10), and we are seated with Him in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6), then everything should change. Every day should be a resurrection day. This doesn’t mean it will be easy, instantaneous, or comfortable. Life in Christ will not change everything the way we ourselves would want it to. In fact, this new life will be filled with difficulty and suffering (John 16:33, 1 Peter 4:12). But, I assure you that this new life will be worth it.
Regardless of what might be going on in your life, you can have hope and joy because of Easter. So, this Easter, share with others the good news that Jesus is risen. Share that His death and resurrection truly change everything. Share the hope that you have. Tell this story from the rooftops and balconies, from front porches and front lawns. Share it on social media and status updates. In a world that desperately needs good news, you have the best news of all.
Holy Week for Kids: Sunday, April 17
Teach your children the story of Easter with these kid-friendly Holy Week devotionals, discussion questions, and fun family activities. You can download the full week’s worth of devotionals below.
Jesus Is Alive
Theme: Life
Scripture: Matthew 28:1-10
Story:
On Sunday, some women who were friends of Jesus went to visit the tomb where He was buried. However, when they got there, the big stone had been rolled away, and the tomb was empty. An angel told the women that Jesus was not there, because He was alive! Jesus had come back to life, just as He promised. Filled with joy, the women ran to tell the disciples the amazing news. Jesus Himself appeared to the women and the disciples and spent more time with them before returning to heaven. Jesus is still alive today. When we believe in Him and trust that He paid for our sins on the cross, we can be forgiven and have eternal life. Jesus promised that one day He will come back, and everyone who trusts Him will be with Him forever!
Questions:
- How did Jesus’s friends react when they saw Him alive on Easter Sunday?
- How can you celebrate Jesus’s resurrection today—or every day?
Activity:
Help your child make a set of resurrection eggs: 12 Easter eggs that tell the story of Jesus’s death and resurrection. You’ll need a dozen empty plastic eggs, which you can number from 1-12 with a marker. Each egg will then be filled with small items representing parts of the Easter story. You can either have a family scavenger hunt to find the items, or print and color these pictures to cut out and put inside the eggs. Once the eggs are filled, you can take turns opening each of them in order and explaining which part of the Easter story that each item represents.
Below are the items for the scavenger hunt, along with their significance to the Easter story and Bible verses you can read for each one:
- Palm branch (a small leaf): When Jesus first came into Jerusalem, people waved palm branches in honor of Him. (John 12:4)
- Bread (a small cracker or piece of bread): Jesus broke bread while sharing the Last Supper with His disciples. (Luke 22:19)
- Coins (three pennies): Judas did a very bad thing and betrayed Jesus for just 30 coins. (Matthew 27:3)
- Rope (yarn or string): After they brought Him to trial, Jesus was whipped with a big rope. (John 19:1)
- Robe (a small piece of fabric): The bad people teased Jesus and put a robe on Him after beating Him up. (Matthew 27:28)
- Crown of thorns (a toothpick or small stick): Because Jesus said He was the King, they took sharp thorns and made a crown. (Matthew 27:29)
- Nail (thumb tack or small nail): Soldiers nailed Jesus to the cross by His hands and feet. (Acts 2:23)
- Cross (two sticks taped together): Jesus was killed on a big cross. (John 19:7)
- Sponge (cotton ball): While Jesus was on the cross, He got very thirsty, and they sent up a sponge of vinegar. (John 19:29)
- Spices (cloves or other spice): When Jesus was buried, they brought spices to put on His body to preserve it, sort of like a mummy. (Luke 24:1)
- Rock (small stone or pebble): When Jesus was buried, a large stone was placed over His tomb so that nobody could come and take His body. (Mark 15:46)
- Nothing (an empty egg): The last egg is empty because the tomb was empty. Jesus is alive! He is risen! (Matthew 28:5-6)
