He’s Not Here! An Easter Egg Hunt Devotion

He Is Not Here! Matthew 28:1-8, NLT
Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt Devotion

Introduction

Item(s) Needed: Blown out Egg (For instructions, watch here.)

Say: (Holding egg) In just a few minutes we are going to go outside and hunt for Easter eggs! When I was your age, I loved hunting for eggs every year. Most of the eggs that you will find today will be filled with candy and other treats. But when I was little, we hunted for real eggs like this one (Show the egg in your hand.)

Have you ever seen your mom or dad crack open an egg? What’s inside? That’s right the yoke…that’s the part we eat for breakfast. (As you talk, fumble with the egg and accidentally smash it on the head of one of the older children. Because it is hollow, it will not be messy.) Well I brought this egg from home to show…oh…oh...(Smash egg on child’s head.)

Did I surprise you? My egg was empty wasn’t it? That was fun! The Easter story has so many pieces to it, some are filled with sadness but for me it’s the “empty” part of the story that fills me with so much happiness!

We hear about Jesus whose friends betrayed him. He was beaten. He died on the cross. And He was buried in the ground. Those parts can make us sad. But let me tell you about the empty part that fills me with so much joy! Everybody say “He’s not here!”

He’s Not Here!

Item(s) Needed: Bible, Bible times costumes (if having volunteers act out story)

Say: Let me read to you what I think is one of the most exciting parts of the Easter story.

Read: Matthew 28:1-8, NLT (Consider selecting volunteers to act out the story as it is read.)

Say: Wow! Can you imagine how the two Marys felt that day to see the big stone rolled away. And then to hear the angel say, “He is not here?” Although they came expecting to find the body of Jesus, they found nothing but the special wrapping that had been around His body!

Jesus wasn’t there! His grave was empty! God’s true story found in His Word tells us that God brought Jesus back to life and Jesus is always with God now! And that means He is always with us and will never go away again. Jesus would appear to His friends just after His resurrection and He told them, “Be sure of this, I am with you always!” (Matt. 28:30) Jesus will never go away from us because He said so!

Conclusion

Item(s) Needed: One plastic egg for each child. Each contains a candy treat and one of the following phrases, download here:

• Thank you for loving me so much that you sent Jesus to die for me.
• Thank you for bringing Jesus back to life.
• Thank you that you hear me when I pray.
• Thank you that you make me better when I get sick.
• Thank you that you watch over me at all times.

Say: The tomb is empty. “He wasn’t there!” Our lives are filled with so many wonderful blessings because He is alive! Think about the good things He’s given you!

Today I have your first egg of the egg hunt! Inside are two items. First, there’s a candy treat inside. Second, there’s something written inside your egg that you can be thankful for because the tomb is empty and He’s alive. Come on up, take just one egg, and quickly show your parents what’s inside your egg before we end with a prayer.

(Distribute the eggs and allow time for families to share.)

As we get ready for the egg hunt, I’d like to say a prayer for you! Would you bow your head with me?

Pray: Dear God, we cannot help but wonder what the two Marys and your other followers thought when they found the empty tomb. Thank you for bringing Jesus back to life and thank you that He lives forever and ever and ever. Thank you that He loves us so much and wants to be our Savior. Help us to follow Him every day. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.