The Living Christ: A 30 Day Easter Countdown

Easter is one of the most spiritual and beautiful holidays! To celebrate the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ and what it means in our lives, is truly to reflect on the whole purpose of why we are here and on HE who makes it possible for us to be redeemed from our sins.

In the April 2023 General Conference, Elder Gary E. Stevenson asked this question: “How do we model the teaching and celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Easter story, with the same balance, fulness, and rich religious tradition of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Christmas story?”

He then went on to quote New Testament scholar N. T. Wright: “We should be taking steps to celebrate Easter in creative new ways: in art, literature, children’s games, poetry, music, dance, festivals, bells, special concerts. … This is our greatest festival. Take Christmas away, and in biblical terms you lose two chapters at the front of Matthew and Luke, nothing else. Take Easter away, and you don’t have a New Testament; you don’t have a Christianity.”

To help families be more intentional with their Easter celebration I thought I’d share here a 30 day Easter Countdown that I created in 2012 and shared on my other blog back then. This 30 day countdown to Easter utilizes The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles. Each day focuses on a portion of that document – either a sentence or a paragraph. Many names by which Christ is known are included in The Living Christ, consequently there are also days of the countdown that focus on a name given. Hopefully this will aid in understanding many of the characteristics of Jesus Christ and how we can try to be more like Him in our daily lives.

For 2024 start on March 1st to end the day before Easter or on March 2nd to end on Easter.

As part of our countdown we also did many activities with our children. Links to those activities can be found at the bottom of this post. Not only are there links to activities but there are also links to The Life of Jesus Christ Bible Videos the church has produced. These add greatly to this countdown and are a valuable addition in teaching your children about Jesus Christ.

There are numbered tags with artwork of Jesus Christ for you to hang either on an Easter Tree or as a banner. These tags go along with the certain days of the countdown.

The pdf file is ordered as follows: the days of the countdown with daily devotional ideas, tags to cut out and display on an Easter tree, also included are all of the artwork or paintings first in small scale (for you to create your own tags) and also in large scale (to use as an art study). The paintings and artwork I chose are, for the most part, part of the public domain. Most were found at wikimediacommons.

My hope is that your testimony and those of your children in the Savior, Jesus Christ, will grow as you focus more on Him this Easter season.

Here is an example from the pdf file so you can see what a daily devotional looks like.

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Day Ten: His great atoning sacrifice

From the Living Christ: “He instituted the sacrament as a reminder of His great atoning sacrifice. . . He gave His life to atone for the sins of all mankind. His was a great vicarious gift in behalf of all who would ever live upon the earth.”

Song: To Think about Jesus, Children’s Songbook pg 71 or your favorite Sacrament Hymn

Scripture Reading: Matthew 26:36–46; Mark 14:32–42; Luke 22:39–46; John 3:16; D&C 19:15–18

“In Gethsemane and on Calvary, He worked out the infinite and eternal atonement. It was the greatest single act of love in recorded history. Thus He became our Redeemer—redeeming all of us from physical death, and redeeming those of us from spiritual death who will obey the laws and ordinances of the gospel”
(TheTeachings of Ezra Taft Benson [1988], 14)

Discussion Questions:

Why was Jesus willing to submit to the great suffering he knew he would experience in theGarden of Gethsemane?
What can we learn from the Savior’s prayer in Gethsemane?
How have you been blessed as you have submitted to Heavenly Father’s will?
What did the Savior experience in Gethsemane?
For whom did Jesus suffer in the Garden of Gethsemane?
What is the atonement? (The Atonement—Jesus Christ’s voluntary act of taking upon himself death and the sins and infirmities of all mankind. It is important to remember that the Atonement included the Savior’s suffering both in the garden and on the cross.)

Additional Readings for Teens and Adults: The Mediator by Boyd K. Packer; The Atonement Can Clean,Reclaim, and Sanctify Our Lives by Elder Shayne M. Bowen

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Enjoy a more Christ-centered focus this Easter season! This is a large file so it will take a while to download.

The Living Christ: A 30 Day Easter Countdown pdf file

1 file(s) 11.55 MB

Download

If, for some reason, you can’t download the file you can access a copy of it here: The Living Christ: A 30 Day Easter Countdown.

You’ll notice that several of the tags have the same number. For those days I thought that having two (or three) pictures better clarified the scriptures and doctrinal concepts being taught and discussed.

Additional activities and resources for each day:

Day 1:The Birth of Jesus Christ

The Birth of Jesus Christ
NEW: Nativity Figures and Facts – A matching game with facts about the Nativity.
NEW: Read the poem “Welcome, Jesus” . We can welcome the Savior into our lives by following His example. Have each family member write down ways they have tried to be like Jesus or things they will do to become more like Him. Place the papers in a gift bag and display it where everyone will be reminded to “welcome Jesus” this season.
The Nativity Story – An illustrated retelling of the story of the birth of Jesus Christ.
The Nativity – flannel board figures
Jesus is Born – A retelling of the story of Christ’s birth for small children.
Jesus Christ is Born – coloring page
Bible Video: An Angel Foretells of Christ’s Birth to Mary
Bible Video: Shepherds Learn of the Birth of Christ
Bible Video: Glad Tidings of Great Joy: The Birth of Jesus Christ

Day 2: Jehovah

Stories of Jehovah
Names of Christ Ornaments
Names of Christ Study Booklet

Day 3: Messiah

NEW: Let’s Give Him a Handel – Read a short article then fill in the blanks in these sentences from Handel’s Messiah using Bible verses.
Handel’s Messiah from NPR
Bible Video: Jesus Declares He Is the Messiah
Names of Christ Ornaments
Names of Christ Study Booklet

Day 4: Creator

Salt Dough Earth

NEW: The Earth Was Created for You! – Find the words from each day of the Creation in this word search.

NEW: The Creation – A retelling for young children about the creation of the world.

Video: For the Beauty of the Earth – the Tabernacle Choir Sings this hymn while beautiful scenes from nature are shown
Names of Christ Ornaments
Names of Christ Study Booklet

Day 5: He was the creator of the earth

Activity: He was the creator of the earth – Two projects, one for younger kids, one fore older children, to help them learn the days of creation.
Activity: Jesus Christ Created the Earth for Me – coloring page
Activity: Jesus Christ Created the Earth – coloring page
Activity: I am part of a beautiful world – coloring page
Activity: Enjoy God’s beautiful creations – coloring page
Music Study: Haydn – The Creation {oratorio}

Day 6: The baptism of Jesus Christ.

Activity: Jesus Christ was Baptized
Activity: John Baptizes Jesus – scripture figures
Activity: The Baptism of Jesus – flannel board figures and story
Activity: Jesus Christ is Baptized – coloring page
Article: Jesus was Baptized – A retelling for young children about the baptism of Jesus.
Bible Video: The Baptism of Jesus

Day 7: The Miracles of Christ

Activity: The Miracles of Jesus
Activity: The Miracle – Learn this song about the miracles of Jesus
Activity – Jesus Loves Me – Match the pictures with some of the ways Jesus healed people
Activity – Many Mighty Miracles – Match the scripture references with the pictures of Christ’s miracles. Includes a summary of the story of Jesus and Lazarus.
Activity – Jesus Calms the Tempest – coloring page
Activity – Jesus Heals a Man Taken with Palsy – coloring page
Activity – Jesus Raises the Daughter of Jairus – coloring page
Activity – Jesus Heals Two Blind Men – coloring page
Activity – Jesus Heals the Sick – scripture figures
Article – Jesus Calms the Tempest – Jesus calms a terrible storm. For young readers
Article – Jesus Heals a Sick Man – The story of Christ healing a sick man lowered through the roof by his friends. For young readers.
Bible Video: Jesus Turns Water Into Wine
Bible Video: Jesus Raises the Daughter of Jairus
Bible Video: Jesus Heals a Woman of Faith
Bible Video: Jesus Forgives Sins and Heals a Man Stricken with Palsy
Bible Video: Jesus Heals a Possessed Man

Day 23: His Priesthood and Church are Restored

Activity: Apostasy Cups {teaching about the apostasy and restoration}

Day 24: Joseph Smith’s Testimony; Testimony of the Apostles

Activity: Testimony of the Apostles

Day 25: King of Kings

Names of Christ Ornaments
Names of Christ Study Booklet
Bible Video: The Lord’s Truimphal Entry into Jerusalem

Day 26: Lord of Lords

Names of Christ Ornaments
Names of Christ Study Booklet

Day 27: The Second Coming

Activity: The Second Coming

Day 28: Judgment

Activity: Judgment

Day 29: Immanuel

Names of Christ Ornaments
Names of Christ Study Booklet

Day 30: Jesus is the Living Christ

Bible Video: Jesus is Resurrected

Bible Video: For God So Loved the World
Bible Video: To This End Was I Born