April 10th, 2012 by Kim

After KPM, we cruised right into celebrating Easter here in Slovakia. Since we are a Catholic State, we are off from school from the Wednesday prior and return the Wednesday after. God gave us just the rest we needed and MORE.

I researched a bit and found this great “simple seder” or ritual meal (http://www.chrysaliscafe.com/2007/03/practical-life-easy-christian-seder.html) that I prepared on Thursday in remembrance of the last supper. It had simple foods all that were very symbolic of the Jews in Egypt and the Passover, Christ’s death and resurrection. It was basically 6 things:

Unleaven bread– This symbolizes the bread that the Israelites took with them from Egypt. In their hasty exit, they did not have time to let it rise. The bread that Jesus broke at the Last Supper was without yeast or unleavened. Yeast stands for sin. Jesus said the bread represents his body. He was without sin. His body was broken for us.

Haroset (apples, honey, cinnamin, nuts)-The Haroset is eaten as a symbol of hope. Jesus is the hope of the world. He is sweeter than the honey in the honeycomb.

Fresh horseradish– This is a reminder of the bitterness the Israelites experienced while they were slaves in Egypt. We remember how bitter our lives are when we are slaves to sin.

Wine/grape juice– Jesus said this cup of wine was a sign of his blood poured out for us on the cross. Whenever we drink it, we should drink it to remember Him.

Dip Parsley into Salt Water – This reminds us of the tears that were shed in Egypt. The parsley is a symbol of new life. We are reminded of the sorrow we feel when we think of Jesus dying on the cross. But the green reminds us of the new life that we have in Him.

Lamb– The Lamb was killed so that the blood could mark the doorposts of the houses of the Israelites. When the angel of death saw the blood on the doorpost he would pass over that house and not kill the first born child. Jesus is our Lamb of God who was killed so that judgement would pass over us now.

The kids really enjoyed hearing all the meaning to the foods and didn’t mind trying new things. They really LOVED the haroset. In addition, I made hummus since it was a combination of the fresh herbs and food that was probably eaten during Jesus’ day.

The next day we watched the Visual Bible’s “John”. It was a great account and like it says, a visual way to read the account of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. In the past, we have watched the same series, but instead, “Matthew”. Our “Matthew” version is VHS and didn’t survive the last house move. So this year we opted for the DVD of “John”. It is for sure a differrent account and got these kids a little roused at some of the things he “left out”. We really liked the actor who played Jesus in the Matthew series, so it was a transition to see a
“different” Jesus. Overall, it is was a very good DVD that I would recommend.

Hampton was sitting next to me when it was close to the part about Jesus’ death. I heard him repeating, “Jesus had to die, Jesus had to die. He had to die so that everyone else can live”. As you can imagine, I sat there in awe, beside him, contemplating Jesus’ words: “childlike faith”. There was no greater example of that sitting next to me. He was definitely nervous about what was about to happen in the movie, and yet he was comforting himself with the truth. Jesus had to die, so that everyone else could live. AMAZING! Thank you God for revealing such truths even to the little children.

We went to bed early so that we could get up at sunrise and visit the “tomb” we had made in our garden. It was a first for our family (a sunrise service). The boys popped right up, whereas the girls were a dragging a bit (but not too much behind the boys). It was snowing, so we all bundled up in our coats and blankets and visited the “empty” tomb, thanked our God for his life and took communion as a family. It couldn’t have been more meaningful.

It didn’t stop there however. Our church family all came over for an Easter celebration here in our home and garden. We showed a portion of the “John” video, individually went to the “tomb” for communion, and Zac gave a very good Easter meaning reminder as well as the gospel, for a few non-believers who were present. In all, there were more than 30 people here for Easter, which included a meal.

Thank you God for this house you have given to us. Thank you that it is large enough for many people, for the beautiful garden, for the new kitchen to feed people.

Today I worship and glorify you for your GREATNESS, for you POWER. Thank you that you OWN everything and give us not just what we NEED, but so much MORE. You are an AWESOME God, WORTHY of our praise.