“But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead!”” Matthew 28:5-7a NKJV

My favorite season of the year is here, spring! I love to be outside in God’s creation and look for all the signs of new life. Violets pop up at the edge of the woods, the trees are beginning to sprout leaves, the grass is turning green again, and tiny oak trees are poking out of the leaves on the forest floor. The sparrows are busy building nests for eggs, all the bugs are buzzing, and tadpoles are swimming in the pond. Spring is all about new life.

Easter Sunday is all about new life, too!

God created people in His image. He gave us life and He loves us. God wants to be close to us. So when God brought His people out of slavery in Egypt, He gave them rules and a plan so that they could follow Him and be close to Him and live good lives. Over time the Pharisees (leaders) added more rules to God’s plan making it very hard for anyone to keep all the rules.

But even from the beginning God knew that He would need a new plan. Because people were not very good at keeping God’s rules or following God’s plan. God’s new plan to give us new life was His Son, Jesus. Jesus came and taught that the only rule people need is love. We are to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind and we are to love others as we love ourselves.

But the leaders of Israel, were angry with Jesus for His teachings and His miracles and because His followers believed He was God’s Son, the promised Messiah. So Jesus was hung on a cross to die by the leaders at that time. (But this was all a part of God’s new plan.) Jesus was buried in a cave tomb and a large stone was rolled across the opening. Our verse above tells what happened on the first ever Easter Sunday!

Women, who were followers of Jesus, came on Sunday morning to give Jesus a proper burial with spices and fragrant oils. But when they arrived, the stone was rolled away, and an angel met them and told them Jesus was risen from the dead! Jesus had beaten death and was alive. God’s new plan had begun! Jesus is the way for us to come close to God. Jesus also offers us forgiveness when we do wrong. Jesus came to earth to fulfill God’s new plan and to save us all by giving us new life, and eternal life with God.

So we celebrate Easter Sunday as the final step in God’s new plan for all people to have new life in Jesus. All we have to do is truly believe and accept Jesus, God’s Son, God’s new plan, to have new life!

This week draw a picture of the empty tomb and Jesus alive! Share your picture with someone and tell them the Easter story of new life for us all.

If you want to share your picture on the Kids Gallery page, ask your parents to send it by Facebook messenger or by email.

Easter blessings!