The Resurrection Tree

 This year we combined two ideas for the days leading up to Easter. The girls still have their (Christmas) tree up in their room as they requested. Yes, I think at this point it may just stay up till Christmas 2016 and we will just decorate it for family events and holidays along the way. So in decorating their tree for Resurrection Sunday, we have been making ornaments over the past week similar to what we would do at Advent.

 We had four different ornaments that we made and as we decorated their tree each ornament had a verse that we paired with it.

With their butterflies, we read 2 Corinthians 5:17
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

With the cross they painted, we read 1 Peter 2:24
"who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. "

With their lambs, we read John 1:29
 ^" The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"
                            

With the tomb with stone rolled away that they made, we will read Matthew 28:1-10

"Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.  And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.  His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.  And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.

 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, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”
 So they went out quickly from quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.
 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me."
 
 Mimi and Pop sent them some butterflies for their Resurrection tree as well. Here is Bekah adding those to the tree. Thanks, Mimi and Pop, for their butterflies!

 Here is Rachel reading one of our verses with our ornaments as they added them to their tree. Here is Brent reading to them from the Bible about Jesus dying on the cross for us. 

 Here is their Resurrection tree as we celebrate Good Friday and all that Jesus did for us by taking our place on the cross and dying for us so that we could be forgiven of all the wrong we have done when we placed our trust wholly and only in Him. I think it is so amazing that Jesus who made all things even made the tree that one day he would carry as a cross and die upon for me!

 Thankful also that we serve a Savior that not only died for us but rose again conquering death forever so that we might have life forever in Him!

Looking forward to celebrating Jesus and His Resurrection this weekend with these three little blessings and Brent too. Because "It's Friday, but Sunday is Coming!"