Lesson Learned: Jesus enters Jerusalem for the last time before His death.
Materials Needed: printer, paper, scissors, green paper, glue (thinned with water), paintbrush
Bible Verse:
Matthew 21:1-11
1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5 “Say to Daughter Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Talking Points: We are starting the celebration of a very special week, called Holy Week. Holy Week is a time that we can celebrate Jesus’ life and death and resurrection (when Jesus is brought back to life) as we get ready to celebrate Easter. God had a plan for Jesus, and that plan was that Jesus would come down from Heaven and save all those who believe in Him. In these verses, we see Jesus entering Jerusalem for the very last time. Jesus’ friends and Jesus traveled a long way to get to Jerusalem, and when they get there, Jesus tells his friends to find him a baby donkey so that He can ride it into town. The friends listen to Jesus, find the donkey, and bring it to Him. Jesus rides the donkey into town and the people rejoice and wave palm branches at Him when they see Him. God always wants us to rejoice when we think of Him and His Son, Jesus. Jesus is the reason we can go to Heaven and that is why He died on the cross and was brought back to life later. Hosanna!
Questions: What kind of animal did Jesus ride into town? Have you ever ridden a horse or donkey? Were the crowds excited to see Him? Why do you think they were excited to see Him?
Activity:
Print off this template of a palm branch (or draw your own).
http://www.dltk-bible.com/t.asp?b=m&t=http://www.dltk-bible.com/crafts/images/bpalmcollage.gif
Cut out the template. Have the child rip up small pieces of green paper. Then, spread a thin layer of glue on the template you cut out. Let the child place the green strips onto the leaf. Let it dry and then wave the branch around saying: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we are so grateful that You sent Your Son to show us the way to Heaven. Lay Your words in our hearts and minds as we celebrate Holy Week and Easter. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Amen!