If you are hoping to make the significance of Good Friday settle a little deeper in your children’s hearts this year, try this short family devotional on Good Friday morning.
Supplies needed:
Good Friday Devotional (pdf printable)
Brads
Bible
Devotional:
1) Assemble your children on Good Friday morning.
2) Ask them why they think today is called “Good” Friday. Brainstorm about why it might be called “good.” Was it always considered good? How do they think Jesus’ followers felt on that first Good Friday?
3) Read Matthew 27:1-2; Mark 15:25; Matthew 27:45; Matthew 27:46; and Matthew 27:57-60. Talk about the timeline of that first Good Friday. Talk about their day ahead and what they plan to be doing at those 5 points during their day. Talk about what the day was like for Jesus and his followers and friends. Here’s an overview of Jesus’ day:
8:00 am – Jesus is condemned to death
9:00 am – Jesus is crucified
12:00 pm – Darkness covers the land
3:00 pm – Jesus gives up His life
6:00 pm – Jesus’ body is placed in the tomb
4) Pass out one printable and one brad to each child. Tell the children that you are going to make a small clock. Cut out the circle as well as the hour, minute hands and Bible verse. Help your children affix the hands to the clock and then the verse to the back (gluing or taping only the edges of the verse will allow the hands to move freely). Alternatively, you can attach the hands to the clock face with a pushpin on a bulletin board.
5) Post the clocks somewhere visible or have your children carry their clock with them during the day as a reminder of what Jesus went through on this “good” Friday that was good for us, but not for Him. Remind them to take it out periodically during the day and try to figure out what was happening to Jesus at that particular point in the day.
6) At the end of the day, gather and talk about the thoughts and feelings they may have had during the day. Pray together, using this prayer as a guide:
“Thank you, God, for sending Jesus. And thank you, Jesus, for obeying your Father. Your love for Him is what let you allow others to nail you to a cross – and your love for me is what kept you there. Help me to obey and love like you. Amen.”
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