Helping families shape Easter traditions that are gospel-saturated
For many Christian families, Easter arrives quietly—tucked behind school breaks, springtime outings, and chocolate eggs. Our culture’s celebration of Easter is increasingly detached from the cross and the empty tomb, and even in Christian homes, we may find ourselves grasping for ways to meaningfully mark the most significant event in history: the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
But Easter isn’t just a date in the diary or the happy ending to a sad story. It’s the foundation of our hope (1 Peter 1:3), the climax of redemptive history, and the beginning of God’s new creation. Christ’s resurrection didn’t just undo death—it launched eternal life for all who are united to him. Our homes, therefore, should echo with resurrection rhythms—not only in this season but throughout the year. Here’s how we can shape Easter in our families in ways that are gospel-saturated, hope-filled, and full of longing for resurrection life.
Start with the Story: A Cross-Shaped Holy Week
Holy Week is a precious opportunity to slow down and walk our children through the final days of Jesus’ earthly life—not through empty ritual or borrowed emotion, but by remembering the historical events that changed everything. This is the week when the Lamb of God was slain for sinners, when love bore wrath, and when grace rewrote the future.
Take time each day to read from the gospel accounts—Matthew 26–28, Mark 14–16, Luke 22–24, John 13–21. Trace Jesus’ journey to the cross. Linger over his suffering. Explain the themes of betrayal, atonement, and substitution. Teach children to look at the cross with reverent awe—not as a tragic end, but as the moment Christ drank the cup of wrath to the dregs for our salvation.
Good Friday is not just solemn—it’s sacred. Jesus was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities (Isaiah 53:5). Take time as a family to remember the cost of our redemption. Whether through simple Scripture reading, reflective silence, or even a simple family meal, help your children feel the weight—and the wonder—of that dark afternoon when the sky turned black and the curtain tore.
And then comes Holy Saturday—sometimes called Black Saturday. It’s the day between death and life. A day of silence. Stillness. Waiting. For the first disciples, it was a day of confusion and grief. But even in the silence, God was not absent. The cross had done its work, and the grave would soon give up its prisoner. Holy Saturday teaches our families that God is still at work when the world seems quiet. We may sit in sorrow—but resurrection is coming.
Resurrection Rhythms: Easter Weekend in the Home
Imagine a home where Easter Sunday is the most joy-filled day of the year—not because of sugar and baskets, but because of the risen King. What if our homes pulsed with the same joy the women felt as they ran from the tomb? What if our celebrations said to our children, “This is the day everything changed”?
Let Easter Sunday be a feast. Hang decorations. Bake something extravagant. Read Scripture. Sing boldly. Let the whole day echo the victory cry: “He is risen indeed!”
Let it be all the more glorious because your family has walked through the shadows of Friday and the silence of Saturday. Joy becomes deeper when it comes after tears. The light shines brighter when we’ve truly felt the dark.
Simple ideas to help make it special:
- Before church, read Luke 24:1–12 and shout: “He is risen!” “He is risen indeed!”
- Around the table, share what each person is thankful for because Jesus rose.
- Sing rich resurrection hymns—God Showed Us His Love, Jesus When You Died or See, What A Morning
- Display resurrection verses around the house.
Train Their Hearts to Long for Resurrection Life
Christian parenting is not just about explaining the resurrection—it’s about raising children who long for resurrection life. This life, this world, is not the end. Because Jesus rose, we await a world with no more sin, no more sorrow, and no more death (Revelation 21:4). Easter is not only history—it is destiny.
But our children are bombarded with false stories: that comfort is king, that death is the end, or that their best life is now. The resurrection reorders all of that. It reminds them that the Christian life is one of hope in suffering, joy in sorrow, and a glorious future with Christ in real, resurrected bodies.
Practical ways to disciple this hope:
- Talk often about the new creation—not as clouds and harps, but as real life with Jesus, where broken things are made whole.
- Explain that Easter is the start of everything new—not the end of the gospel but the beginning of God’s forever plan.
- Memorise resurrection-rich Scriptures like 1 Corinthians 15:20–22 and Philippians 3:20–21.
Make Resurrection the Heartbeat of Every Season
Easter must not stay in April. Resurrection is the air we breathe as Christians. It’s what gives us courage when life is hard, patience in parenting, compassion in ministry, and joy in sorrow. Our hope is living, because our Saviour lives.
So let Easter be more than a weekend. Let it be the foundation on which your family life is built. Tell your children, again and again, that Jesus is alive. And one day soon, he will return—and every tear will be wiped away, and we will see him face to face.
He is risen. He is risen indeed. Let your home rise with that truth. Build resurrection roots that will anchor your children not only for Easter—but for eternity.
