Today we went to my mom's church for an Easter tour. Her church puts on the self-guided tour on Good Friday each year. It is free to attend. It goes from 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
When you arrive, you stop at a table and pick up a booklet to read. There are booklets for adults and children. There were coloring booklets for the small children.
The first station was a hand washing station. The hand washing symbolized how the priest had to completely clean before they went before God.
The next station was the last supper. While sitting in chairs in front of the table, we read about the last supper. There was a description of what happened at the last supper and what they ate. There were sample of the unleavened bread to eat. The bowl and towel where there to remind us how Jesus washed his disciples feet.
The next table had 30 pieces of silver symbolizing what Judas accepted as payment to betray Jesus.
Next you would walk through the garden where Jesus prayed. This was my son's favorite sections. With each station you would read scriptures, a description of what happened, questions to ask your children or self, and then a prayer.
The next table held some wood to symbolize the cross Jesus had to carry to Skull Hill.
The next table held the crown of thorns, huge nails and a mallet.
The nails were really big and it's hard to really comprehend what Jesus went through for me.
Next we headed to the temple where the curtain was torn in two because of Jesus had died. You could enter in through the curtain and see the temple inside.
The next to last station was a table filled with incense, frankincense, myrrh, and hyssop. All the spices that were used on Jesus when he was buried in the tomb. It was very fragrant.
The very last station was neat. There was a table set us with hammers, nails, and little black pieces of paper. You wrote down your sins that Jesus died for and nailed them to a cross. Of course my son was worried he wouldn't be able to get the nail into the cross, but the wood was soft.
It was such a neat way to tell the story of the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins. He died for each one of us. No one person worse or better than another. Each of us a sinner. He died for us.
Then three day later, he rose again.
"Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again."
