A Garden of Grace: Passion Week Day 3

               

Today's "I Am" statement from John is "I Am the Vine." Today, I will take my kids outside and take off a branch from a tree and show them that the branch is no longer a part of or gaining life from the tree. It is nothing. So we are nothing apart from the life of Jesus. He has taken the impossible (eternal life with God) and made it possible through His perfect obedience, suffering, death, and resurrection (John 15).  

   Back there in the beginning, we all fell in a garden.

                    And Christ, He falls to the ground in the garden of Gethsemane.

                    And He begins to right our fall.

                   

                    So the kids and I, we put our hands into dirt,

                                 and we remember our garden fall and His garden grace, 

                                 and we make a Grace Garden for Easter. - Ann Voskamp

     The activity for our third day is to start making a Resurrection Garden or a Garden of Grace as we like to call it. This is one of my favorite traditions because of what the garden symbolizes for me and for my family. I am going to read the Parable of the Wicked Tenants since it talks about a garden (vineyard). I will also read and memorize the verses from John about how Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. As you shop for and make this garden from what you have at home, talk about creation and the very good beginning. Talk about the very sad day of the fall and how nothing has been right since. Go to David Helm's The Big Picture Story Bible and read these stories with your children. Read about the very good ending awaiting for those who believe in Jesus as their good and gracious King. Here is a hymn for today.

Our beginning, and our mortal fall, began in a garden. Back there in the beginning, we all fell in a garden. And Christ... He falls to the ground in the garden of Gethsemane. He begins to right that fall in a garden. So the children and I put our hands in the dirt, and we remember our garden fall and His garden of grace. We remember... and we make a Grace Garden. A miniature remembering of the grief of the first beginning. A tangible remembering of the suffering and anguish as Jesus made things right. A new-life remembering as we marvel and rejoice at the garden tomb of the resurrection. A hopeful remembering as we long and look forward to our future all-things new Garden of Heaven with the Tree of Life, the river like crystal, the throne, and our Triumphant Lamb. He is our Snake Crusher, and it is He who brings us back to the Garden - the very good ending - the life we were always meant to have with God. This is our remembrance. This is a picture of hope for me - for my children. I can see it. I can touch it. This is my hope. Jesus is the vine that has made my heart His garden of grace. 

*getting me started: Ann Voskamp

The new Garden, bringing us full circle

  If you are following along Jesus' path to the cross in the readings, you will find tomorrow that the Jewish leaders (Scribes and Chief Priests) continue to try to trap and trick Jesus by asking questions about allegiance to Caesar that would make Him a traitor. Jesus of course answers in a way that silences them - yet again! Next are the Sadducees who object to the resurrection. Again, Jesus answers brilliantly, defending the resurrection by His personal knowledge of heaven and the Old Testament. Jesus ends by asking a question that only the God-man can answer. This is a conflict story and only pushes the Jewish leaders further on edge to kill Jesus.

Readings

Reading: Matthew 22:15-23:39; Mark 12:13-44; Luke 20:19-44; John 12:27-50

The Biggest Story: Chapter 3-4 (43-64)

Memory passage: Matthew 28:1-10 - I am going to begin reviewing the Resurrection passage with my children. We learned the story from Matthew, but you could also work any of the other Gospels. 

Songs for meditation: Starting to focus on songs about the cross like - When I Survey or Hallelujah, What a Savior

Activity: Make a felt banner like this one, or just make a palm branch and donkey and put it up on the wall. This is a Catholic site (fyi) but for you who might want to do hand prints for each day, these are good. Coloring pages that might be good for your little ones. These are just a few things. There are many wonderful ideas out there! 

Meditation: Revelation 21-22