Holy Week cube

On your marks

Here’s a simple craft idea for retelling the story of Holy Week with your children’s group. It involves making a cube from a cross shape.

Get set

You can find a retelling of the story in The Barnabas Children’s Bible (stories 296 to 310).

You will need:

• sheet of thin white card
• scissors
• tape
• pencils and colours
• ruler
• surprise gift for each completed cube – this could be simply a small chocolate egg and/or perhaps a special Bible verse related to the joy of the resurrection.

To create the template for the cube, draw a cross shape on the white card that has four 6-cm squares together at the top above a 12 cm by 6 cm rectangular base. (There are a number of cube templates available on line, if you search for ‘Making a cube’.) Cut out the template neatly. Mark out the six faces of the cube on the card and score the lines to make it easier to fold later.

Go!

Turn the cross around.

Explain that this is the story of the last week of Jesus’ life – symbolised by this cross.

On each of the days of Holy Week, important things happened. Draw an object on each of the six faces to help remember the story.

Side 1: Palm Sunday – Mark 11:1-11

Draw a palm branch and add the word ‘Hosanna’. Hosanna means ‘save us’.

• I wonder what sort of rescuer the people were hoping for.

Side 2: In the temple – Mark 11:15-19

Draw some doves flying and some sheep wandering.

• I wonder why Jesus was so angry with the people in the temple market-place.

Side 3: Teaching – Mark 12:13-17

Draw a coin with the Roman Emperor’s head on it. The authorities were trying to trap Jesus.

• I wonder what sort of things we should be paying to God.

Side 4: At Bethany – Mark 14:3-9

Draw a broken jar with perfume running out of it. Jesus stayed with his friends Mary and Martha outside Jerusalem during Holy Week.

• I wonder why this story was remembered and has been told ‘all over the world’.

Side 5: In the upper room – Mark 14:22-26

Draw a piece of flat bread and a cup of wine. Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with his friends but gave it new meaning.

• I wonder what the bread and the wine help you to remember.

Side 6: At Golgotha – Mark 15:22-47

Draw three crosses on a hill and a sealed cave/tomb below. Jesus allowed them to take him away and crucify him.

• I wonder how this could possibly be the way to rescue the world.

Now fold in the sides to make the cube, making sure the pictures are on the outside. Seal it with clear tape. Before you seal the final side – like the sealing of the tomb – add a secret surprise gift to be ‘found’ on Easter Day.

The cube could be used during Holy Week to help remember the story by turning to a different face each day from Palm Sunday to Good Friday… and re-opening the cube on Easter Sunday to find the ‘gift’ inside.