7 Days with the 7 Sayings from the Cross

Suspended between heaven and earth on a rough wooden cross, amidst his agony, Jesus utters seven densely packed sayings. Dying words usually are important, all the more so when, as in this case, it takes colossal effort to hoist your body up to breathe and hence to speak. Each saying is a window on the crucifixion revealing it meaning and significance.

Pastor Mark Loughridge provides a brief reflection on each saying—one for each day of the week in the lead up to Easter. 

Check out these recordings kindly made available by Milford Covenantor Church.

Hot Cross Buns

Hold up a hot cross bun and ask the group if they like to eat these buns at Easter. Say that many people all around the world like to eat these buns at Easter time and those that are Christians are reminded of Jesus death on a cross by the cross we find on the top of the bun.

"Let's think about the ingredients needed to make these buns. What are some of the things you think might be used? Flour? Water? Fruit? One thing that's very important in making hot cross buns is yeast. What do we use yeast for? It helps the bun to rise otherwise they might be called "flat cross buns". The yeast also might remind us that Jesus rose from the grave. He didn't stay dead after he was crucified and put in to the tomb - he rose again. Dried fruits are also added to the mixture in making hot cross buns. These might remind us of the good things that come from Jesus' death. Without his death on the cross we wouldn't be able to enjoy new life.

As you pass around some buttered hot cross buns for the children to eat. Invite everyone just to pause for a few moments and silently thank Jesus for being willing to die a slow and painful death so that we might have eternal life with him.

Just in case you wondered about the history of the hot cross bun : We get the word "bun" from the Teutonic equivalent, "boun", which was an archaic description of a sacrificial ox. The practice of offering animal sacrifices at the vernal equinox became frowned upon. Instead, the goddess in question was honoured with a cake, a sacred ox bun. Imprinted on the cake were the crossed horns of a ox. Christians reinterpreted this as the cross of Christ.

Puppet script from Eliab.com "Hot Cross Buns"

Easter Chant

Easter is...

Easter is a time of joy

For everyone, girls and boys.

Rejoice, be glad, let's all sing,

Jesus is our risen King!

Jesus is living!

Easter Fanfare

An Easter illustration -

A Sunday School teacher had just finished telling her second graders about how Jesus was crucified and placed in a tomb with a great stone sealing the opening. Then, wanting to share the excitement of the resurrection, she asked : "And what do you think were Jesus' first words when He came bursting out of that tomb alive?" A hand shot up into the air from the rear of the classroom from one of the little girls. Leaping out of her chair she shouted out excitedly, "I know, I know!" "Good" said the teacher, "Tell us, what were Jesus first words." And extending her arms into the air she said:: "TA-DA!!"

Jesus' resurrection is the "TA-DA!" of Christianity.