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. Make plans to join us at one of our Easter Services!
Holy Week: Saturday, April 9
In John 12:9-11, many believed in Jesus after Lazarus’ resurrection. As a result, the Jews plot to kill them both. We see that while Lazarus’ resurrection caused some to believe, others were prompted to oppose and even to kill. In these three short verses, we are reminded of several principles applicable to the new life Jesus offers us all today.
Just as Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, He also offers new life and resurrection power to ALL who believe. Trusting in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection means we not only have life after death, but also new life and new power for today. Romans 6-8 teaches us that as believers, we no longer have to obey our flesh (the pull of our sinful desires like lust, fear, pride, defensiveness, etc.), because the Holy Spirit empowers us to obey Christ. If you were to die today, how sure are you that you would be resurrected to eternal life? If you are sure, are you living your new life in the Spirit’s power or in fear, pride, and self-reliance?
Just as the crowd noticed Lazarus, our new life in Christ should be noticed by others. When we surrender to God, our lives show evidence of God’s power in our day-to-day countenance and behavior. Galatians 5:22 reminds us that the result of new life in Christ is the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Are others noticing the peace, hope, and selflessness that are a result of your new life in Christ?
Just as Lazarus’ resurrection resulted in a plot to kill, our new life in Christ will also bring opposition. In John 16:33 Jesus says, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” Therefore, as believers with new life in Christ, we should also expect opposition and trouble. We have a very real enemy who has come to “steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10) and wants nothing more than to discourage us and thwart the purposes of the Lord. However, we can rest assured that our enemy will not ultimately succeed. We can say with confidence, “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1). In the midst of the trouble surrounding you, what passages of Scripture remind you that God is good, present, and can be trusted?
Just as Lazarus’ resurrection caused many to believe, those with new life in Christ should also encourage others to believe. Believers are God’s “Plan A” for growing His Church. He gives us the privilege of telling others about His great rescue plan and helping them take their next step of faithfulness toward new life in Christ. Jesus invites us into this mission in Matthew 28:19-20 when He says, “Go… and make disciples of all nations… teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” We are called to be people who help others believe by sharing what we are learning about God and what He is doing in our lives!
How are you doing at engaging with others? Are you prepared to share the story of God’s grace in your life? Be ready to joyfully participate in God’s mission and help others walk in the new life that Jesus offers!
Holy Week for Kids: Saturday, April 9
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 Anointed
Theme: Gifts
Scripture: John 12:1-11
Story:
Mary, along with her sister Martha and brother Lazarus, were friends of Jesus. Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead, and many people believed in Jesus because of that amazing miracle (John 11). Mary liked to sit at Jesus’s feet and listen to Him teach (Luke 10:38-42). With just a few days left before Jesus’s death, she sat and poured special perfume on His feet and wiped them with her hair. She wanted to worship and honor Jesus with everything she had. The perfume cost a lot of money; it was an expensive gift. But Jesus freely gives us everything. He gave the most expensive gift ever. He offered Himself as a sacrifice so that we can have eternal life. Jesus is worthy of any gift or praise we can offer Him.
Questions:
- What are some gifts God has given you?
- How can you use those gifts to serve Him?
Activity:
Help your child create an Easter mobile using a coat hanger, pieces of string, and various items that represent the events of Holy Week. You can get creative with how and when you make it, using different items or adding one thing to the mobile each day.
- Start with a coat hanger, which you can hang from a doorknob, a hook on the wall, or a ceiling fan pull chain—whatever makes sense for your family.
- Write “Easter” on a piece of paper and decorate it with crayons. Tape this paper across the middle part of the hanger.
- Make (or find) different Holy Week symbols and attach them to the coat hanger using yarn or string. Items can include:
- A palm branch for Palm Sunday. You can simply draw and cut one out of green construction paper, or use a leaf or small branch from outside.
- A small paper plate and cup for the Last Supper. Decorate the plate and cup, and punch holes in them for the string to run through.
- A cross for Good Friday. You can cut one out of brown construction paper, glue two popsicle sticks together, or find two sticks from outside and tie them together into the shape of a cross.
- A stone to represent the sealed tomb. You can make a lightweight stone by crumpling paper or aluminum foil into a ball.
- A cloud to represent Jesus’s ascension to heaven after His resurrection. Cut a cloud shape out of white paper and glue cotton balls to it.
