Easter Bible Passages: Saved by Grace through Faith

 

When researching Easter bible passages, we also need to consider without the birth of Christ there would be no Easter bible passages. Christmas and Easter go hand-in-hand.

We also need to think about how we are saved by grace through faith.  You can find that passage in Ephesians 2:8-10

Easter Bible Passages:

Now lets’ start researching Easter passages, go back and start with the week before. We refer to that Sunday as Palm Sunday. Why, because Jesus road on a young donkey into the town as they took palm branches and hailed him King.

• John 12:12-13 “The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A huge crowd of Passover visitors took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted, “Praise God! Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hail to the King of Israel!””

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

Now fast forward one week and all had changed for Jesus the Christ.  Jesus shared a meal and communion with his 12 disciples, commonly known as the Last Supper, after which Jesus went into the garden of Gethsemane to pray. Jesus being born of a virgin and raised as a carpenters’ son, was fully aware he was born to die on the cross for our sins; therefore, he chose to retreat to the garden to pray to his heavenly father.

• Matthew 26:36-46 Then Jesus brought them to an olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go on ahead to pray.”  He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he began to be filled with anguish and deep distress. He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and watch with me.” He went on a little farther and fell face down on the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine.” Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you stay awake and watch with me even one hour?  Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you. For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak!” Again he left them and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away until I drink it, your will be done.”  He returned to them again and found them sleeping, for they just couldn’t keep their eyes open. So he went back to pray a third time, saying the same things again. Then he came to the disciples and said, “Still sleeping? Still resting? Look, the time has come. I, the Son of Man, am betrayed into the hands of sinners. Up, let’s be going. See, my betrayer is here!”

Judas Iscariot, one of the 12 disciples, betrayed Jesus in the garden. Not only did he betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, he did it in a prearranged way to the Jewish officials. In order for them to make the arrest of the right man, Judas did it by giving Jesus a kiss.

You can read this story in Matthew 26:46-49

Jesus Arrested

After they arrested Jesus, they tortured and beat him until he was unrecognizable.  They spit in his face and even mocked with a crown of thorns. Recorded in Isaiah 50:6, you can read where they even pulled out his beard.

 

o      Matthew 27: 29; NLT, They made a crown of long, sharp thorns and put it on his head, and they placed a stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery, yelling, “Hail! King of the Jews!”

 

Easter Bible Passages about The Death of Jesus:

 

If you have the impression Jesus, the son of God, did not suffer, you are wrong. He suffered tremendously, he was the son of God yet human just like you and I. The only difference was, he was perfect and he never sinned, yet paid for our sins with his life. 

 

o      Matthew 27: 35-37; NLT, After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. Then they sat around and kept guard as he hung there. A signboard was fastened to the cross above Jesus’ head, announcing the charge against him. It read: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

 

Yes, the Bible states they nailed Jesus to the cross; the soldiers drove stakes into his hands and pierced his side.  To Thomas, often known as doubting Thomas, Jesus directly tells him to touch his hand and side to feel the wounds. 

 

o      John 20: 26-27 “Jesus was standing among them. He said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!””

 

In John 19: 32-37 you can read where they told the soldiers to break his legs, like the thieves, to speed up the death and pierced his side. However, by not breaking his bones it fulfilled the prophecy in, Psalms 34:19-20; KJV. 

 

o      In Luke 23: 44-47 “ It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.”

 

Praise God the story does not end there; the tomb is empty as Jesus rose from the dead and still lives today. He is the only reason for the Easter Bible Passages: Saved by Grace through Faith.

Cheap Homemade Easter Baskets: Recycle and Save

Constructing cheap homemade Easter baskets while recycling and saving is quite simple. Most families have plastic milk or orange juice jugs, coffee cans and cardboard shoe boxes or other usable boxes. With these three items, designing cheap homemade Easter baskets is a success.

Once you decided you want to make an Easter basket, start by looking in the recycling bin to see what you have to use. After all, holiday fun for the children does not mean you have to break the budget.

 

Supplies needed to make cheap homemade Easter baskets:

• 1 Plastic gallon milk or orange juice jugs
• Bunny; paper design of choice
• Glitter
• Glue
• Marker
• Scissors
• 6-8 Cotton balls
• 1 Coffee can
• Paper designed wrap; of choice
• 2 Pipe cleaners

 

Instructions for making a cheap homemade Easter baskets: the bunny design

1. Wash your container removing any labels and residue, ensuring your paper design will stick.
2. Draw on construction paper, or use the computer to print out a bunny design to fit the gallon milk jug or orange juice jug. This can be a whole bunny or just the face.
3. Using the glue and glitter, spice up your bunny’s whiskers or out line the ears.
4. Mark the area on the top of the plastic jug where you want to make your cut. Using the scissors punch a hole and cut the top of the jug off making the opening for the candy.
5. Cut out the bunny design and glue it on the front of the plastic jug letting the ears extend the opening.
6. Spread a spot of glue on the back of the jug, below the handle, and attach the cotton balls for the fluffy bunny tail.
7. The cheap homemade Easter bunny basket is now ready to fill with green plastic grass and candy.

Instructions for making a cheap homemade Easter basket: Veggie Tale Coffee Can

1. Find an empty coffee can.
2. Cut construction paper to fit around the can and tape it together.
3. Poke holes on the sides of the coffee can and twist together two pipe cleaners to make the handle.
4. Cut and glue on the pictures of desired themed characters and sayings.
5. Put in a piece of tissue paper to pad the bottom, you can shred to make look like grass if desired.

 

If your son, daughter and grandchildren are a big fan of Thomas the Train, you can use a shoe box or other cardboard box to make a cheap homemade Easter basket your child will want to keep past the Easter season. You can find the instructions on Mom on Dealz website.

Let your children or grandchildren help you with the design and construction of your cheap homemade Easter baskets, they will have fun while learning to recycle and save.

How to Dye Easter Eggs with Your Children or Grandchildren

Easter is a wonderful part of springtime. It is not just Easter eggs and Easter bunnies; it is when Jesus Christ rose from the grave for us. Why not take the tradition of dyeing Easter eggs and the story of Jesus’ death on the cross and living again and put them together. My grandson and I enjoyed our time and sharing. I will show you how to dye Easter eggs with your grandchildren.
John 20:1 Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.

 Supplies needed to dye Easter eggs with your Grandchildren:

Food Color and Vinegar

• Eggs
• Food color/Egg dye
• Vinegar
• Newspaper
• Paper towels
• Vinyl gloves
• Spoon
• Containers
• Crayon
• Lots of Patience

 Instructions to dye Easter eggs with your grandchildren:

My grandson wrote on the eggs with the crayon

1)    First thing to do is to check to make sure you have everything you will need. You will need eggs, crayons, food color/egg dye, vinegar, spoons and something to guard your table from stains.

2)    Place the eggs in hot water and boil for approximately 5 minutes. Boiling to long will not hurt them any.

3)    Remove the eggs from the stove and pour off the hot water. Run cold water over them to cool off so you can handle them.

4)    It is now time for the vinegar and food color/egg dye. I used measuring cups, I used 1 cup of vinegar and just kept adding drops of food color until I got the color I wanted.

5)    It is VERY important when working with your grandchildren to protect the surface of the working station. Take newspaper and lay it down. Place the cups of Easter egg colors on the newspaper. Still even more protection may be desired, so lay down some paper towel for the Easter eggs to drain on.

6)    If you want to add words or design on your Easter Eggs get a crayon. Your grandchildren may not be a real artist, however, that is OK, it is to be a teaching tool while you are having fun; however, it will take some patience.

7)    Have your child/grandchild wear vinyl gloves to protect their hands. You do not want to have a rainbow colored child. Have them put the egg in the color of their choice.
Let the egg set in the food color for a minute or two to get the desired color. When it is time to come out have them take the spoon and guide the egg to the top of the cup and then they can take the egg off the spoon and put on the paper towel.

8)    Keep repeating step 6 until you have dyed all the Easter eggs.

For best success, explain to grandchild what you are doing before you start and prepare for a mess! Explain to your grandchild that Jesus Lives and that is what Easter is all about, dyeing Easter eggs is simply fun.

For Easter Basket Ideas: Cheap Homemade Easter Baskets: Recycle and Save

Well It is Good Friday

Well it is Good Friday, and for Jesus followers, that is a time for sad yet wonderful memories. Someone sinless took upon himself the sins of everyone else so that we may have eternal life. Wow, for God to send his one and only son, just for us is incredible.

John 3:16-17; KJV, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

According to the Ilumina Bible program,

THE MEANING OF MESSIAH:

“The title of Messiah came from the Hebrew, mashiach, and means "anointed one." Christos, or Christ, refers to an individual who is set apart to serve God.” It continues to say; “Messiah is a title for Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. In the Old Testament, God told how he would send the Messiah to rescue his people, to make everything right, and to destroy evil. The Jews looked forward to the arrival of this Jewish hero but rejected Jesus Christ because they expected someone different. Instead of a soldier, Jesus was a servant. Instead of being a mighty king, Jesus died on a cross. The Jews did not recognize God's plan for Jesus as the Messiah, but Jesus still saved those who believed in him by his death on the cross. He came back from the dead and now rules in heaven above.”

Yes it is Friday, Good Friday, but hang on as Sunday is coming!

                                               

God’s Beautiful Gift of Flowers

Have you ever thought how we use God’s beautiful gift of flowers in so many ways? Who doesn’t love a vase full of fresh cut flowers from the garden setting on the kitchen table? Flowers with meaning tattoos are artistically displayed, on breasts, sides, backs, wrists and legs.

We use flowers types for weddings, whether in the spring, summer, fall or winter.  Flowers for weddings in December incorporate ivy or flocked evergreen as well as your favorite flower. 

Flowers names for kids are quite often used. I myself used Jasmine for my daughter’s name back in 1980 way before it was popular.

Unfortunately, the opposite side of birth is death, and we choose flowers for funeral meaning and the loved one that passed away.

This Easter Sunday many white stargazer lilies or calla lilies will be displayed in churches everywhere.

John 19:30 “When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “it is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

Don’t lose heart, that is NOT the end of the story, Jesus died for us, however, was resurrected on the 3^rd day and ascended to heaven to be seated on the right side of our father.

Flowers with Meaning Tattoos

When thinking of flowers with mean tattoos, for many the image of a women with a rose tattooed on her somewhere comes to mind. Tattoos themselves, can be small or large, black/grey shading or colorful ink. It is all in the discretion of the man or women purchasing the tattoo and of course, the tattoo itself plays a big part in the deciding factor. When the Germans were tattooing identification numbers on the Jews in the concentration camps it doubtfully they were real concerned of the beauty of the tattoo, moreover, the controlling factor of the Jews that were imprisoned. When sailors were getting tattoos of their ships, girlfriend/wife, snakes, knives or anchors, they were primarily grey scale with a tad of color and much more cartoonish than they tattoos the tattoo artists are artistically doing today. Even a flower, such a rose, for a sailor, might be flat lacking the depth and shading.

The definition of a tattoo according to Wikipedia is, “A tattoo is a form of body modification, made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. The first written reference to the word, "tattoo" (or Samoan "Tatau") appears in the journal of Joseph Banks, the naturalist aboard Captain Cook's ship the HMS Endeavour.”

Flowers with meaning tattoos can be a variety of flowers. Roses, Jasmine, Cherry Blossom, Hibiscus, Sunflower, Lily or any flower that represents the person you are.

There is no rule about tattooing it can be a single flower, group of flowers or a flower entwined with vines. Flower tattoos are OK for men too. Many times men will get a tribal tattoo and incorporate a floral design. It is also common practice to have a flower and a cross or dagger design.

Up the Side Tattoo:

With this flowers and meaning tattoos, it is a large tattoo going from breast to hip. For the young woman it means, “I got the roses for their beauty and their strength. It’s a reminder that I’m a strong and beautiful Christian woman. There is a verse from Romans intertwined in the vines. The verse talks about not being quick to anger. I use to have a temper and was quick to anger the verse reminds me to keep my self in control and not to let my anger control me.” 

Tattoos from Wild Streak

Flowers with meaning tattoos, according to this middle-aged woman; “I got my tattoos when I was 30 years old. I was definitely old enough to make that decision and hopefully knew what I was doing. I found out that even as an adult you don’t always make wise decisions. My husband and I went thru a bit of a wild streak and I ended up with 5 tattoos in 2 years. I now go to church but they are ok with the artwork. I don’t regret the tattoos however, I would have made them smaller and I would have picked things that had meaning to me instead of what looked good at the time. My daughters were at least 20 and wanted to get tattoos. I didn't tell them it was a bad idea. I told them that if they were going to get them to at least make them small, make sure that the tattoo had some significant meaning to them, and because they didn't no what there careers were going to be to place the tattoos in places that clothing could cover them if they needed to dress more modest. I am now 16 years older and if I were to do anything different it would be the advice that I gave my daughters”

Shoulder Tattoo

Flowers with meaning tattoos, according to this woman; “It really doesn’t mean anything. I wanted a tattoo, and thought it was pretty and would be neat to have my name in the ribbon. I wished I would have had the boys names added on.”

 

Lower Back Tattoo

Flowers with meaning tattoos for this young woman, who happens to be the author’s daughter; "For me, getting a tattoo was about honoring my name, family, and becoming an adult. I have always loved my unique name. Some how my mom knew at birth that it would suit me perfectly throughout my life. I am fortunate enough to have an artist for a brother, who at the time was also doing tattoo art. So the minute I turned 18 (my mom said no ink before then) we got to it! I love my tattoo and will cherish it, my family, and my name forever."

According to the gardenguides.com Jasmine means, “Use Jasmine as a religious offering or altar decoration. It is the symbol of divine hope in the Hindu religion. The Balinese people plant jasmine in their public and private temples. Also, the Siwaratrikalpa, an ancient Javanese text, states that jasmine should be used as an offering to Ciwa, the native Javanese name for God. A common girl's name, it comes from ancient Persian and means, "gift from God."”

Good Friday and Easter

On Good Friday and Easter keep in mind that we serve a risen savior! Isn't that the best news you could ever hear? It is for me, without Jesus Christ the son of God there is no hope. So while some choose to hang colored eggs from the trees, that supposedly come from bunny's, keep in mind the empty cross and all that it represents. 

• Our sins
• Our pain
• Our shame

 Luke 24:36-44 (NIV)

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

  They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.  He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? ³⁹ Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

  When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence. 

 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”

Linked to: Foodie Friday