Fat Chick Fed Up

 

In college, I had the opportunity to listen to guest lecturer Dr. Richard Allen Farmer. He is an incredible musician and speaker, and hilarious to boot. I remember him saying that he signed all of his correspondence, from professional business letters to personal communication, with the phrase “Glad the tomb is empty.” That was years and years ago but that has always stuck with me.

 

So that’s what I have titled this recipe. I can’t claim credit for the recipe. I heard the idea a few years ago and saw a couple of different recipes floating around on Pinterest this year. Motherhood On a Dime has a great tutorial, linked here, as does Adventures of a DIY Mom.

 

The idea behind the resurrection roll is to teach, in a tangible, hands-on way, the story of Christ’s death and resurrection. Each ingredient is used to symbolize a different component of the of the Easter story. For our family, we have found it to be a powerful tool to use to help our children, especially our youngest ones, understand the story of Easter. It’s amazing how much a 4 year old can really understand.

 

 

Warning: This recipe is completely NOT diet-friendly. Don’t even ask me how many calories one of these contains. What they are is capture-your-child’s-heart friendly, so I’m willing to compromise. You’ve been warned!

 

Ingredients:

1 pkg. crescent rolls

8 large marshmallows

1/4 C Butter

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 C Sugar

 

First, read the story of Jesus’ arrest, trial and crucifixion found in Matthew 26-28. Obviously, parents will want to use their discretion with how much information you give to your young children. I tend to not sugar coat things and read directly from the Scriptures, but you also want to be sensitive to the needs of your own child and maybe just hit the highlights or tell the story in your own words for very young children whose attention spans may not allow for time to read three chapters from the Scripture. Alternatively, you could read the story from a children’s storybook Bible.

 

 

Unroll crescent rolls. Explain to your children that this represents the tomb in which Jesus was buried. Read the following Scripture:

As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.

Matthew 27. 57-61

 

Melt 1/4 C butter in a small bowl. Mix together in another small bowl the sugar and cinnamon. These represent the oils and spices used in Jesus’ burial. Read this Scripture:

The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.

Luke 23. 55-56

 

The marshmallow represents Jesus. Tell your children that white is a symbol of Jesus’ purity and sinlessness. Read Hebrews 4.15:

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.

 

 

Dip the marshmallow in the butter and then roll in the cinnamon/sugar mixture.

 

 

Place the marshmallow onto a crescent roll and seal tightly. Explain to your children that the tomb was sealed tightly. Read the following :

 The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”

 “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

Matthew 27. 62-66

 

Roll the crescent in the cinnamon and sugar. My children asked what this meant and I told them it was to make them even yummier. But then my 7 year old piped up and said it could symbolize that Jesus was covered in our sins and took our sins on Him. Sometimes my kids just rock my world! A corresponding Scripture you could read if you wanted to use that symbolization could be:

But he was pierced for our transgressions,
   he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
   and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
   each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
   the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53.5-6

 

 

Bake as indicated on the crescent roll package. For ours we baked in a oven heated to 350 degrees for 13 minutes. This recipe yields 8. As you can see in the picture at the top of this post, the marshmallow melts so that when you cut into your rolls you see an “empty tomb”.

 

Enjoy your rolls with your children as you explain to them that death did not have the final answer and Jesus was raised from the dead to defeat sin and death once and for all. Read this Scripture from Matthew:

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Matthew 28.1-10

 

Happy Easter everyone! Glad the tomb is empty!