Episode 1/25

@ Rejoicing Over an Empty Cave
Merlin has just received an unexpected gift; a richly decorated egg! Opening it, he is astonished when the egg fills his mind with a series of themed visions!
2021 Egg of Rejoicing
As you receive this special egg you'll have the opportunity to experience the story of the first Easter when history was forever changed bringing new life and rejoicing to all who take the journey!
Rejoicing Over an Empty Cave
Easter, which commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, is foundational to the Christian faith. It has been the source of rejoicing to untold numbers who've embraced this faith for the last 2,000 years. Every year hearts are lifted in hope at this time because if Jesus conquered death, then all difficulties of life are able to be faced with courage and conviction, knowing that an eternally better day is coming!

Episode 2/25

@ Easter and Springtime!
“What an awesome picture!” exclaimed Merlin after shaking paws with iddels, who agreed with him. They both took a moment to admire the amazing image in front of them and to learn more about it.
Easter and Springtime!
Just as God chose to free the Jewish people from hundreds of years of slavery in Egypt, and bring them into a new life at springtime, commemorating it with the Passover holy day; so it is with the Christian faith. It was at the same time of year, spring, and during the same celebration, Passover, that the death and resurrection of Jesus took place, commemorated each year for Christians as Easter.

Episode 3/25

@ Winter Has to Give Way!
“That's incredible, isn't it, Oscar?” murmured Merlin.
“I'm going to read up about it later," affirmed Oscar.
Winter Has to Give Way!
Each year winter, even with all of its harsh winds, cold temperatures, deep snow, and grey colors, has to give way to spring! It can't last forever. It can't stop the warm sunny days with vivid blue skies. It can't stop the trees from budding, the birds from singing nor the flowers from blooming. In a sense, the "death" of winter has to give way to the "new life" of spring!

Episode 4/25

@ An Eternal Springtime!
“This is beautiful, isn't it, Chelsey?” whispered Merlin.
“It's amazing,” said Chelsey. "I wonder what we'll see next?"
An Eternal Springtime!
That's how it is with what Easter commemorates: death ultimately has to give way to life because of Jesus' resurrection! It doesn't have the last word. Easter causes such rejoicing because there is coming a day when the winter of sickness, suffering, sorrow, sin, and death will give way to an eternal time of spring when Jesus returns!

Episode 5/25

@ Our Love for New Life
Merlin and Crocodile Beauty agreed that the variety of environments and images on this Experience was the best ever! Merlin and Crocodile Beauty exchanged opinions on which their favourite thing had been so far.
Our Love for New Life
While babies are born all year round, there's something about springtime that speaks of new life peeping up all around us! There's a "magic" when one sees these little ones - a joy - a hope - because of life's freshness as seen in their eyes and on their feathers. Easter, because of the eternal life in Jesus that it speaks of, occurs at just the perfect time each year!

Episode 6/25

@ Easter Puts a Spring In Our Step
Merlin was very happy to meet Rufus here! They shook paws and then spent some time swapping tales of their experience so far!
Easter Puts a Spring In Our Step
When you combine the joys of the season of spring with the joy of Easter and the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, you can't help but have a spring (or a hop) in your step! There's a freedom that spring brings - free to be outdoors more, free to shed the heavy coats and boots, free from winter's chill. No wonder Easter is a time to rejoice! To rejoice truly at its core means to spring about with joy!

Episode 7/25

@ A Lamb For Life
Merlin and Suzie were entranced at reaching this stopping place and eagerly posed for a picture standing on either side of the new experience!
A Lamb For Life
When Jesus was here on earth in the land of Israel about 2000 years ago, in the beginning of spring, lambs were being born some of which would soon be offered to commemorate Passover for the Jewish people. So with the joy of new life came the awareness that a life would be sacrificed to remember the beginning of new life for the Jewish people. Soon it would be Jesus' turn to sacrifice His life, commemorated every year during Easter weekend on Good Friday.

Episode 8/25

@ The Passover Lamb
“Oh wow!" said Merlin, awestruck. "Isn't that interesting, Radar?"
“Yes, I never knew that before, Merlin," responded Radar.
The Passover Lamb
Easter's season is that of spring; its reason contains elements from Passover. Just as ten-day-old lambs would be set apart for the Jewish people in the beginning of spring to be a memorial of the first Passover sacrifice many years before, so too, in the Christian faith, Jesus would become our "Passover" to set us free from slavery to sin; as well to provide for forgiveness as "the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world."

Episode 9/25

@ A City to Cry For
Merlin and Mulle agreed that the variety of environments and images on this Experience was the best ever! Merlin and Mulle exchanged opinions on which their favourite thing had been so far.
A City to Cry For
Jesus, as He entered into His final week of life before the cross, made His journey to Jerusalem, the capital city of God's people. As He did, He wept over it knowing what was soon to happen to Him there and what would happen to it forty years later when Jerusalem would be destroyed by Titus in 70AD.

Episode 10/25

@ Hitching a Ride
Merlin and Lady Aelfgifu were entranced at reaching this stopping place and eagerly posed for a picture standing on either side of the new experience!
Hitching a Ride
As Jesus' earthly life nears its end, He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, on what the Christian faith refers to as "Palm Sunday," fulfilling a prophecy from the Old Testament, which said Israel's King would come to them doing just such. In fact, Jesus' conception, birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension fulfilled over 300 Old Testament prophecies!

Episode 11/25

@ Not His First Donkey
“This is beautiful, isn't it, Dizzy?” whispered Merlin.
“It's amazing,” said Dizzy. "I wonder what we'll see next?"
Not His First Donkey
While the New Testament doesn't specifically say that Joseph and a very pregnant Mary used a donkey to make the 80-mile journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem for a mandatory census, the custom of the day allows for such. That being said, Jesus, in His mother's womb, rode on a donkey prior to His birth, and could very well have passed through Jerusalem to reach their destination, a "suburb" of the capitol - Bethlehem!

Episode 12/25

@ Green Carpet Treatment
“Oh wow!" said Merlin, awestruck. "Isn't that interesting, iddels?"
“Yes, I never knew that before, Merlin," responded iddels.
Green Carpet Treatment
As Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, which was a sign of "peace" for a "king" to do so, the people cut down branches of trees (leafy branches, palm branches) and laid them on the road as well as waved them in a rejoicing procession, shouting, "Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord!"

Episode 13/25

@ Talk of the Town
Merlin has seen a lot already, but much more lies ahead. The egg isn't done yet! But guess what - the egg gives him a special prize!
Vibrant Green Background
Simple, stunning, vibrant, green.
Talk of the Town
The whole city was a-buzz at this procession as Jesus rode on the streets of Jerusalem towards the temple. The volume of the voices singing and shouting caught everyone's attention as their sounds bounced off of the surrounding stone structures. Some leaders told Jesus to tell His disciples, the people, and even the children to stand down and be quiet, to which He replied, "If these hold their peace, these stones themselves will cry out!"

Episode 14/25

@ Cleaning House
“Oh wow!" said Merlin, awestruck. "Isn't that interesting, Julia?"
“Yes, I never knew that before, Merlin," responded Julia.
Cleaning House
Jesus came to the temple, looked things over, and then went to a nearby town where He would be staying at night during the coming week. The next day He came back into town, and returned to the temple, and proceeded to chase out those who were buying and selling sacrifices and other religious goods, as well as those who were exchanging currencies for the Jewish people who had come from other lands for Passover, saying, "My Father's house is to be a house of prayer for all nations; but you have made it into a den for thieves!"

Episode 15/25

@ Sold-out for Silver
"Wow! Did you know that before, Merlin?" asked Snowball.
"No, I didn't, Snowball," Merlin said. "I'm glad we're doing this experience!"
Sold-out for Silver
The religious leaders became even more upset with Jesus and looked for a way to destroy Him. One of Jesus' disciples, who had been with Jesus for three and half years, hearing His words and seeing His wonders all of this time, agreed to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. He then sought for the right time to have the authorities come and take Jesus without causing an uproar. Judas, who broke bread with Jesus at His last supper, and whose feet Jesus washed prior to that meal, led the authorities to a garden where Jesus was praying later that night.

Episode 16/25

@ Sunrise Sentencing
“That's an amazing image!” said Mousey.
“Yes, it would be great to see it in real life," said Merlin.
Sunrise Sentencing
Jesus was arrested, deserted by His disciples, falsely accused, and stood trial in the middle of the night before the religious authorities, was denied by Peter, was brutally treated and abused, was convicted and sentenced, delivered to the Roman authorities who flogged, spit upon, beat, and crucified Him - all before 9 AM.

Episode 17/25

@ Christ Crucified
Merlin was very happy to meet Océane here! They shook paws and then spent some time swapping tales of their experience so far!
Christ Crucified
Jesus was crucified as a common criminal, in between criminals. He didn't shout insults down at the soldiers who nailed Him to the cross and were now rolling dice for His clothing. He didn't shout back at the religious leaders or people who were hurling insults at Him. In fact, He prayed for all of them, asking for God to forgive them. He cried out words from Psalm 22, another prophecy that He was fulfilling right before their eyes. And He promised one of the thieves, who confessed that he as a thief deserved to be on a cross, but not Jesus Himself; and who called Him "Lord," believing in His coming kingdom, that he would be with Him in paradise.

Episode 18/25

@ A Dark Day
“This is beautiful, isn't it, Sylvantra?” whispered Merlin.
“It's amazing,” said Sylvantra. "I wonder what we'll see next?"
A Dark Day
The Bible says that in the middle of the day, for the last three hours of the six that Jesus was on the cross, that there was darkness over the whole land and that the veil in God's temple was split in two from the top to the bottom. When the time was right, and, as the Christian faith says, all of our sins were placed on Him, Jesus breathed His last. Surprised that He died so "quickly," and needing to be sure that He was truly dead, His side was pierced (fulfilling yet another prophecy), which revealed that He had already diad from a burst heart.

Episode 19/25

@ "Good" Friday?
"Wow! Did you know that before, Merlin?" asked Gray.
"No, I didn't, Gray," Merlin said. "I'm glad we're doing this experience!"
"Good" Friday?
The New Testament accounts of Jesus' death aren't pleasant. After having suffered cruelly at the hands of soldiers and from the hearts of His own people, the eyewitness accounts say that the land became dark during His last three hours on the cross. When He breathed His last, under that foreboding sky, the earth quaked and rocks split. Being late in the day, His followers buried Him in a nearby, borrowed tomb. While tragic, something triumphant was about to happen in just a few days!

Episode 20/25

@ Day of Discovery
“Oh wow!" said Merlin, awestruck. "Isn't that interesting, fiffy?"
“Yes, I never knew that before, Merlin," responded fiffy.
Day of Discovery
The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the foundation of the Christian faith. If it didn't really happen, then the whole faith is null and void. That Sunday morning after Jesus' death and burial, an angel came down, rolled away the stone covering the opening of the tomb being guarded by soldiers, to reveal to the women who came to finish "burying" Jesus properly that He wasn't there - He was risen! Later that day He proved He was alive to His disciples, and He continued to provide such proof again and again for forty days, until He rose up to heaven.

Episode 21/25

@ Fish for Breakfast!
The quiet and serenity of the last scene had made Merlin and lady ciganko feel like they were the only pets left in PnF Land ...
Fish for Breakfast!
One such appearance, of the many, was on a quiet morning along the seashore. Seven of Jesus' disciples, some of them who were fishermen by trade, went fishing all night and had caught nothing. From the shore a figure asked them about how the fishing was, and then encouraged them to cast their net from the other side of the boat. They then caught a boat-load of fish! Peter, now knowing that it was Jesus on the shore, dove into the water and swam to Him. The others sailed to shore, dragging the net completely full of fish, with them. When all of them came to shore, Jesus had already cooked some fish and bread over an open fire for them and invited them to have breakfast with Him.

Episode 22/25

@ From Fish to Sheep
"Wow! Did you know that before, Merlin?" asked Ringo.
"No, I didn't, Ringo," Merlin said. "I'm glad we're doing this experience!"
From Fish to Sheep
After they had breakfast with their risen Lord and Friend, Jesus had a conversation with one of His best friends, Peter, who had denied Him three times when Jesus was arrested and put on trial. Jesus asked Peter if Peter loved Him more than he loved fishing - his life's occupation. He asked this of Peter three times. Peter, each time, affirmed his love for His Master and Savior. Jesus then gave him a new "occupation" - to feed His sheep, His people. He also told Peter that one day Peter would die for being a follower of His. Peter, knowing that there would be dark days ahead, was committed to following the One Who is the Light of the world.

Episode 23/25

@ Contemplating the Cross
“What an awesome picture!” exclaimed Merlin after shaking paws with Zoot, who agreed with him. They both took a moment to admire the amazing image in front of them and to learn more about it.
Contemplating the Cross
Two thousand years later, for the tens of millions who hold to the Christian faith, Easter, much like Passover, is indeed a time to remember: to look back and ponder the events of Jesus' death on the cross on what is traditionally called "Good Friday." Only by knowing the "why" for Jesus to die does the "good" of that Friday truly become real.

Episode 24/25

@ Rejoicing in the Resurrection
Merlin and Butterscotch were so interested in the image before them that they almost forgot to shake paws before moving on to the next stage!
Rejoicing in the Resurrection
The Christian faith conveys a message, not of a dead martyr, but of a risen Savior! It was such a profound event that impacted the lives of His followers as they were eyewitnesses of Jesus being alive, not just on that Sunday morning nor just later that evening, but for forty days following, which radically changed their lives and has since impacted the world in many ways. That's something to remember and to rejoice about!

Episode 25/25

@ From An Empty Tomb to Open Doors
At last the egg ceases to fill Merlin's mind with visions. As the last one fades, the egg disappears. In it's place, Merlin finds he now has a wonderful prize!
Decorated Eggs Cluster (Cool)
Hidden in the grass, waiting to be found, the treasure trove of painted eggs. What mysteries await inside these colourful shells?
From An Empty Tomb to Open Doors
These eyewitnesses, starting with Jesus' disciples and other close friends, spread the news of rejoicing that Jesus was raised from the dead. This good news of His death for our sins and His resurrection for our salvation has been spread around the world ever since! Jesus' empty tomb has led for many to open their hearts to Him and to open the doors of their gatherings to any and all, from the curious to the committed.
Merlin has completed the quest! "Exploring Easter" is now over, but PnF will hold a new event again soon!