(5-8 minutes, easy setup)
Learners will identify the significance of the symbols of Easter.
Provide a sheet of paper and a pen for each group. Also, provide a dry erase board and marker.
Say: When you think about Easter, probably all kinds of symbols for how you’ve celebrated come to mind . . . from your Easter Basket to the empty tomb. Lead learners to call out other symbols of the season, and list these on the board (Examples include Easter eggs, jelly beans, new clothes, the Easter Bunny, chicks, Easter bonnet, dogwood tree, bunnies, palm branches, Easter lilies, the cross). Then, assign each symbol on the board to one or two learners and instruct them to use their smartphones to find out the symbolism behind each item on the board. After a minute or so, lead learners to briefly explain why each item is significant to our understanding of Easter. Ask: What is the overarching theme of these symbols? (New life) Share that in today’s lesson, learners will examine how witnesses who found the empty tomb came to understand the true meaning of new life.