Easter, My Favorite Holiday	
What’s your favorite holiday? Many might say Christmas, and I think most children would agree. But what place does Easter hold in your list of favorite holidays? I’d like for you to consider three reasons why Easter should be one of your favorite holidays and ways you can help the kids in your life make it theirs too. 
Christmas may be the time we exchange gifts, and even consider God giving the gift of His Son, Jesus, but the best gifts ever given to each of us came as a result of those critical events surrounding the resurrection. 
The Thursday before Easter, also known as Maundy Thursday, is when Jesus celebrated Passover with His disciples and instituted the Lord’s Supper. It’s when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet —the job only a servant would do. Later in Gethsemane, He fervently prayed to the Father, “Not my will, but yours be done.” The gift of humility is the first reason why Easter should be one of your favorite holidays! 
Maybe humility doesn’t sound appealing to you, but without it we’d be in big trouble. Philippians 2 describes how we should humble ourselves like Jesus, who lowered Himself and became a man, lived as a servant, and willingly died on a cross. As you approach Easter, take time to read about these events starting in Matthew 26 and discuss them with the kids in your life. One way to do this is with Resurrection eggs where each plastic egg contains a symbol that represents a part of Jesus’ story. You can learn more by searching “Resurrection eggs” online.
You can help kids learn humility by planning a service project with them. One year our church home group of four families with young kids volunteered to make decorations and set up for Easter morning breakfast at church. Another year we made cookies and delivered them to older members of the church who lived alone. Kids can find great joy in serving others and it develops in them a willingness to serve that will stick with them into adulthood. 
Good Friday services are often a somber remembrance of Jesus’ death on the cross. The great sacrifice of Jesus provides reason for great rejoicing. It’s the second reason why Easter should be one of your favorite holidays—the gift of forgiveness. 
Do you want to carry the weight of your mistakes and sin with you every day of your life? Forgiveness sets you free from the guilt and shame and even restores relationships. Forgiveness is a precious gift. We were all born separated from God but Jesus came to change that. 
To explain this to kids, take two glass jars, one with bleach and the other with water and liquid food coloring added to make it look dark. Show kids the dark jar and talk about how sin makes their lives unclean before God. Show the jar with bleach and explain that although Jesus lived a perfect life, He willingly died on a cross to take the punishment for sin. Pour bleach into the dark jar so it becomes clear. Explain that when you believe in Jesus as the only way for your sin to be forgiven, you will be made right with God. And since Jesus willingly suffered to bring forgiveness, we should also willingly forgive others. 
Easter Sunday celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection points to the gift of eternal life. That’s the third reason why Easter should be one of your favorite holidays. Only Jesus had the power to come back to life, and He now reigns in heaven as King. The moment you believe in Jesus, you become a child of God and He will help you live for Him. Then after death, you will live forever with God—free from sin, sickness, suffering, and death. You will know perfect love, joy, peace, and goodness. The hope of eternal life provides endurance in this life knowing something far greater will come. 
Whatever brings excitement to the kids in your life. Let them know heaven will be far greater—actually, it’s the greatest destination of all time. And the reason we can go there is all wrapped up in the best gifts ever given because of what Jesus did at Easter time.
To learn more about helping children celebrate Easter, see the article, “Easter, My Favorite Holiday” at cefonline.com.