Easter is a big deal, but it’s sometimes difficult to talk to students about Easter. After all…they’ve heard the Easter story so many times. If you struggle with how to talk about (again and again) Easter with your students, use one (or several) of these discussion starters below.
Easter is the biggie in our faith. Jesus rises from the dead and appears to Mary and then shows up a few more times to His old friends, but Easter is the big day. It is full of bright colors, dancing bunnies and pastel M&Ms. Sometimes we get new church clothes and go out to eat or visit family. It is an incredibly happy day. Most likely, the word Easter comes to us from Eostra who was a fertility goddess. She had an entire month and often is represented by rabbits. Did you know rabbits can get pregnant with a second litter before having the first one?
Bunnies or rabbits do not appear in the Bible except for one verse. The rabbit is listed next to the rock-badger in a list of things not to eat. What do you think the holiday would be like if we had used the rock-badger instead of a fluffy bunny to celebrate Easter?
Is it possible to appreciate Easter fully if we haven’t experienced Good Friday? Can you appreciate dancing if you haven’t crawled through the muck?
Crucifixion is not a death by blood loss. It is a death by suffocation. Hanging by your hands puts enormous pressure on the lungs. It was not uncommon for soldiers to break the legs of those being crucified to hasten the process. It was important for Jesus to die in the worst way possible so His return would be all the more miraculous. What was the most horrific event of your life? What lessons came from it?
Crucifixion is a brutal way to die. Much of the art we see in Bibles and museums doesn’t begin to touch on the violence of the death. Some make it seem more of an inconvenience. Jesus is still in His clean, white tunic looking none the worse for wear.
There is an image that makes the rounds at Christmas time. We see it on Christmas cards and posters (sometimes on those little porcelain statues found at Christian bookstores). The image shows Santa Clause with his hat off kneeling at the manger. What do you think would happen if someone tried to make a card showing the Easter Bunny at the resurrection cave? Why are there no Easter carols?
Take your favorite Christmas Carol and re-imagine it for Easter, keeping the tune but spinning the words so they talk about Jesus coming back.
What is your favorite Easter candy? Why? Do you have a favorite brand? What do you think about eating a chocolate cross? What about a chocolate Jesus? (Don’t laugh. They exist.)
Although there is nothing in our church history that says jelly bean colors have any significance, take some time and write down what you think each color means. Bonus points if you can find a verse to go with each meaning.
Red, Yellow, Green, Purple, White, Orange, Black
Talk about your favorite Easter memory.
Think about the game of hunting Easter eggs. Did you color eggs when you were younger? Do you still? Did the Easter Bunny hide the eggs for you to find? How is life like an Easter egg hunt? How do we keep Easter from becoming a cheaper Christmas?
Theologian Allison Baker once said, “In the history of the universe there has only been one day that Jesus has not been with us.” What is your response to that? Do you agree? Do you think Jesus was part of creation? Jesus said, “I am with you always.” Do you think Jesus meant “from now on” or “since the beginning”?
Mary and the other women went to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body (prepare it for burial). If Jesus said, “I’ll be back,” and they showed up ready to prepare His body according to Jewish custom, does this show a lack of faith?
When Jesus appeared to Mary, He said, “Do not cling to Me.” In movies and Sunday School curriculum, we often see Jesus as a sort of ghost. Yet a few passages later, He told Thomas to place his finger through the hole in Jesus hand. Why do you supposed artists don’t want Mary hugging Jesus? Some translations say “cling” while others say “cleave.” What is the difference?
The earliest written scrolls that contain the Gospel of Mark don’t include some of the final verses. (There were omitted or added later.) What would our religion look like if the story ended with the women simply running away from the empty tomb?
John’s Gospel says there were more appearances of Jesus after His death–too many to list. What if someone found a scroll of those other appearances; what would that do to the Christian faith? If someone found a journal kept by a man in the 1800s indicating Jesus showed up in America, would you believe it? If Jesus showed up at the door of your church, a ratty looking Middle Eastern stonecutter, would you let Him in?
After Jesus’ resurrection, Peter stood up in the town square to preach the good news. He started by quoting from Psalms 16. Read the first 10 or so verses of this psalm. What does this have to do with Easter?
Think about all the Christmas pageants you’ve been a part of. How would an Easter pageant compare?
Back in the ’70s, a singer named Harry Chapin took a book called Cotton Patch Gospel and set to music. The book was a modern adaptation of the story of Jesus. This one set in Gainesville, Georgia. The musical depicted Jesus returning from the dead on the verge of giggles.
How do you think Jesus showed up: laughing, shouting, sneeking up and saying, “Boo!”? In what ways does Jesus show up in your life?
Read Matthew 28:17. This is an important part of the Easter story. Jesus shows up (after being dead for three days) and Scripture tells us some still doubted. Yet these were the people whom Jesus sent out into the world. Have you ever felt as if you weren’t churchy enough to talk about Jesus?
Would you rather get directions from your GPS or from someone who has made the journey and knows it well? How can our faith work like that?
Some of the people who were there with Jesus in the flesh still had doubts, yet Jesus still told them to share what they knew. We don’t have to be perfect in our faith.
The holidays Jesus celebrated were about freedom from captivity and announcement of great joy. Jesus was raised celebrating the chance for new life. Psalms 51 was one of the psalms read at such celebrations. Jesus would have known this one by heart. Look at the first five verses of this psalm. Rewrite it so it’s about today…about this Easter morning.
