Stories of Jesus for Children 7 - the saddest day
When Jesus let the important people arrest him, they took him into Jerusalem and started telling lies about things he had said and done. When people asked him if these lies were true he stayed quiet, and didn't complain. Then they ordered the soldiers to hurt Jesus, and after that they made him pick up a great big wooden cross and start to carry it through the streets so everyone could laugh at him.
Does that make you feel sad? It is a very sad and shocking thing to happen to anyone. It seems even worse that it happened to our kind and loving Jesus, who helped people and told them about God's love, doesn't it?
You need to know about crosses - they were the way that the worst criminals were punished in those days. Criminals were put onto a cross for people to look at until they died. It's hard to imagine that because we know how wrong it is nowadays, but in those days it didn't seem so unusual - look, there are two other crosses for criminals, as well as for poor Jesus. 
Can you see who has stayed with Jesus? It's his mother, Mary, and the other women who are his friends. The men have mostly run away, because someone might want to put them on a cross too. I'm very glad that some of his family and friends stayed with him, though. They stayed there until he died. Poor Jesus and Mary. 
When he had died, a secret friend decided to be brave - he told the women that they could put the poor body in his own special cave. It was a cave for burials. This is what the cave in the Easter Garden is for. How sad the women were when they put Jesus' poor body in the cave.
Activity: Put a cross made of sticks, or a palm leaf one from church, into your Easter Garden, and find a big stone to put in front of the cave - the important people put a huge stone in front of Jesus' tomb, big and heavy so that no one could go and steal his body away.
Question for younger children: Do you like Hot Cross Buns? See if you can eat one today, because the cross can remind us of Jesus.
Question for older children: Do you remember what Jesus said about the bread and the wine? He said they were his body and his blood. Does that make any sense when you think about Jesus dying on the cross? (You can eat a Hot Cross Bun too!)
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You need to know about crosses - they were the way that the worst criminals were punished in those days. Criminals were put onto a cross for people to look at until they died. It's hard to imagine that because we know how wrong it is nowadays, but in those days it didn't seem so unusual - look, there are two other crosses for criminals, as well as for poor Jesus. 
Can you see who has stayed with Jesus? It's his mother, Mary, and the other women who are his friends. The men have mostly run away, because someone might want to put them on a cross too. I'm very glad that some of his family and friends stayed with him, though. They stayed there until he died. Poor Jesus and Mary. 
When he had died, a secret friend decided to be brave - he told the women that they could put the poor body in his own special cave. It was a cave for burials. This is what the cave in the Easter Garden is for. How sad the women were when they put Jesus' poor body in the cave.
Activity: Put a cross made of sticks, or a palm leaf one from church, into your Easter Garden, and find a big stone to put in front of the cave - the important people put a huge stone in front of Jesus' tomb, big and heavy so that no one could go and steal his body away.
Question for older children: Do you remember what Jesus said about the bread and the wine? He said they were his body and his blood. Does that make any sense when you think about Jesus dying on the cross? (You can eat a Hot Cross Bun too!)
3 comments:
i have been thinking about what Jesus went through, as i do each Easter. it seems the older i get the more it breaks my heart, as does all sufffering in the world. thankfully there is hope in his loving words and example. the displays are very moving Floss, thank you for all your hard work in bringing us this story in such a wonderful, touching and inspiring way.
Dear Floss -
Thankyou for the effort you have put into these posts. My small people have really enjoyed reading hem, and I love the way you have included interactive questions....
I watched The Passion - and since then, have found the crucifiction almost to painful to think about. Just so cruel.
Love Lydia
I haven't commented on these posts up till now. They are really good Floss. I ment to read them to my eldest son over the weekend, but forgot. ....i will over the next few days though. Thank you x
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