Level A and B Lessons - Concordia Publishing House

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LEVEL A
Preparing the Lesson
Triumphal Entry
Luke 19:28–40
Key Point
Jesus is the one true King of heaven and earth, worthy of
praise and worship.
Law/Gospel
In our sin, we fail to see Jesus as He really is when we ask
Him to meet only our temporal needs. Jesus came not as
a conquering king to subdue opposition but to bring
spiritual peace as He overcomes sin and death through
His cross and resurrection.
Context
After His journey from Galilee through Samaria and
Jericho, Jesus prepares to enter Jerusalem as a king. He has
recently related the parable of the ten minas, anticipating
taking His kingship (Luke 19:11–27). In this parable, the king—
besides granting a greater reward to those who had much
and managed it well—punishes those who tried to sabotage
his becoming king.
As Jesus enters triumphantly into Jerusalem on Palm
Sunday, we see many who desired that He be king and many
who did not. More than this, however, no one seems to anticipate the kind of kingship Jesus will exercise—a kingship that
brings destruction to sin, death, and the devil but reward and
spiritual peace to His faithful.
Commentary
Jesus approaches Jerusalem from the east, from Jericho,
so He arrives at the Mount of Olives before Jerusalem. Bethany
is on the east of the mountain, and Bethphage on the mountain itself, only about a mile from Jerusalem. It is unclear if the
disciples acquire the donkey from Bethany or Bethphage.
Jesus directs His disciples according to His divine knowl-
© 2013 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV ®
edge, telling them where they will find a donkey. The owners
of the donkey apparently know Jesus or have heard of Him,
because they do not resist the disciples’ taking the donkey
after they hear it is for Jesus’ use. By riding a donkey, Jesus is
fulfilling Zechariah 9:9, which says, “Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is He, humble and
mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
The donkey was young, a colt, and had never been ridden. In this way, the donkey is considered set apart from
everyday use and has been preserved for this holy use of bearing Jesus into Jerusalem. The people also treat this as a royal
procession, decorating the road with their cloaks. Although
palms are not mentioned in Luke’s Gospel, we know from the
other Gospels that the people also waved palm branches and
strew them before the donkey.
Remembering the miracles Jesus performed, and seeing Him now approach the capital city as a king, the people
acclaim Him with shouts and greetings. “Blessed is the King
who comes in the name of the Lord” (Luke 19:38) is a quote
from Psalm 118:26, a hailing of the Lord’s Christ. Although
Jesus enters Jerusalem as a king, He is not a militaristic,
conquering king (compare 1 Kings 1:33, where Solomon is
proclaimed king, riding on a mule). Rather, Jesus enters with
“peace in heaven” (Luke 19:38).
Jesus affirms His divinity here, noting that creation cannot
help but to praise Him, for He is God made flesh, come to rescue and restore His people. He will complete this task in one
week by dying on the cross and rising again to life. Even if all
people ignore or reject Him, the very stones would cry out in
the praise of God.
Triumphal Entry
Luke 19:28–40
Connections
Bible Words
Hosanna! Blessed is He who
comes in the name of the
Lord! Mark 11:9
Faith Word
Hosanna
Songs and Hymns
We Are in God’s House Today
(LOSP, p. 12)
Hosanna, Hosanna
(SKLS, p. 26)
Hosanna! Hosanna!
(LOSP, p. 94)
Catechism
Apostles’ Creed: Second
Article
Toy animals—include a donkey
Small blocks
(15 minutes)
Welcome Time
What you do: Play a CD with Sunday School songs on it as the children arrive.
Welcome the children by name, mark attendance, and have them put their offerings
in the offering basket.
To provide a connection to what they will learn in the Bible lesson, set out an assortment of toy animals, both wild ones and farm animals, including a donkey. Also have
some small blocks for building pens for the animals.
Ask Which of these animals is your favorite? Which of the animals could you
ride on? Hold up the donkey. What is this animal? How do people use donkeys? (To carry loads, to ride on). In our Bible story today, you will hear about a
little donkey that was in a happy parade.
Use your classroom signal (e.g., flick the lights; sing a song) to let the children
know it is time to clean up.
Resource Page 8
Story bag
Toy donkey
Coats or robes
Rope or desks
Chair
Simple Bible-time costumes
Student Leaflet
Optional: Purchased palm leaves
Palm branches
Toy crown
Story bag
Felt, craft foam, or cardstock
Ribbon
Markers or craft paint
Optional: Activity Page 10; yellow, blue,
green crayons; 12-inch dowels; selfstick foam letters; stickers; glitter glue;
self-stick decorations
Take-home items
© 2013 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV ®
Beginning in God’s Name
What you do: Begin with this opening, or use the one on Resource Page 1.
Sing “We Are in God’s House Today” (LOSP, p. 12)
Say In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Pray Dear God, thank You for all Your blessings, especially Jesus, our Savior.
Help us to thank and praise You for all You do. Amen.
Celebrate Birthdays, Baptism birthdays, and other special occasions
(20 minutes)
What you do: Using green construction paper, make a copy of Resource Page 8 for
each child and one for your story bag. Cut out the leaves and cut on some of the dark
lines.
Option: Purchase palm branches from a local florist.
You will also need some coats or robes, a chair to be the donkey, and some head
coverings for Jesus and the disciples (a square of cloth tied with a scarf works well).
The disciples will also need loose robes.
Lay out a road and have the children stand on each side. Use rope to mark the
road, or arrange the desks to create an open space. You will need three boys—one
to be Jesus and the others for disciples. All the other children will be the crowd. Have
the children do the actions as you tell the story.
Say Hi, boys and girls! Have you ever seen a parade? Allow for responses. What
happens at a parade? (People march; there is music; many people watch and
cheer.) Parades are fun and exciting, aren’t they? I have a clue in my story
bag. It is something that was used long ago at an event like a parade. What
do you think it is? Allow guesses; then take out palm branch. What is this? Yes,
it’s a palm branch. I wonder how a palm branch will help us see God’s love at
work. Let’s find out. Our story today is “The Case of the Dried Palms.”
You can help me act out the story. What animal did we say was going to be in
the parade? Show toy donkey. We can’t have a real donkey in our classroom,
so let’s pretend this chair is the donkey. Point out the chair. Choose three boys
to be Jesus and the disciples, and have them put on head coverings. Have the other
children stand in two rows facing each other with the “road” between them. Some
of them can be wearing coats or robes, and each one has a palm leaf. The donkey is
on the road. Instruct the children to listen carefully and follow your directions.
Jesus and His friends, the disciples, were walking to the big city of Jerusalem.
Jesus and disciples walk in place. Many people followed them. The people
hoped Jesus would be their new king.
When Jesus got close to the city, He told two of His friends, “Go into that village. You will find a donkey there. If anyone asks you why you are taking the
donkey, tell them that I need it. They will let you take it.”
The friends did what Jesus told them. They found the donkey, untied it, and
started to go back to Jesus.
The donkey’s owner asked, “Why are you taking my donkey?”
The friends answered, “The Lord needs it.”
© 2013 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV ®
So the donkey’s owner said, “You may take it then.”
The two friends took the donkey to Jesus. Disciples walk in place. They put
their coats on the donkey’s back. Put robes over the chair seat. Then Jesus got
on the donkey and rode into the city of Jerusalem. Do so.
Jerusalem was full of people. When they heard that Jesus was coming, they
ran to see Him. Men, women, and children stood on each side of the road.
They were so excited that Jesus was coming. Some of the people took off
their coats and put them on the road. Do so. Others cut palm branches and
laid them on the road. Some waved their branches in the air. Do so. The people were so happy.
The crowd began to shout and sing praises. They shouted, “Praise God!
Hosanna, hosanna to the Son of David.” Wave the palms and say, “Hosanna,
hosanna!” They called Jesus a king. It was a very happy day. Show happy face.
Faith Word
hosanna—a Bible word
that means “save, we
pray” or “help, we pray..”
Other people heard the praises and shouting. They asked, “Who is this man?”
Some were not happy. Make a grouchy face. They told Jesus, “Tell these people
to be quiet and not say these things!” Put finger to lips and say “shhh.” These
people did not love Jesus. They did not want others to praise Him.
But Jesus told them, “If they don’t say these things, even the rocks on the
ground will shout, ‘Hosanna!’ “ Wave palms and say, “Hosanna, hosanna.”
Before you continue, have the children sit down. The people sang praise and
called Jesus a king. They knew Jesus could do miracles like healing people,
and they wanted Him to save them from all their troubles. Jesus knew why
the people shouted praises to Him. They wanted Him to save them from all
the bad things that were happening to them.
Jesus is a King. But He isn’t an ordinary king. Jesus is King of everything in
the whole world, because Jesus is God. Very soon, the people who did not
love Jesus were going to put Him on a cross. The little donkey would not
carry Jesus anymore. Instead, Jesus would carry the cross to the hill where He
would die. Make a cross.
Jesus loves us so much. He saves us from things that are worse than being
sick and having troubles. Jesus, our King, died on the cross for us. He saves
us from the worst things of all—sin, death, and the devil. Now, because Jesus
died and came alive again, we will live forever with Him in heaven after we
die. Hosanna to the King! Children say, “Hosanna, hosanna.”
Review
What you do: Distribute Student Leaflet 10 and have the children turn to the Search
& Find activity on pages 2 and 3. The children will also need pencils or crayons.
Ask How did Jesus go into Jerusalem? (He rode on a young donkey.)
What did the people do to welcome Jesus? (They put their coats on the road
and waved palm branches.)
What special word did they use to praise Jesus? (Hosanna.) The people honored Jesus like a king. Jesus is our King and Savior. He loves us and saves us
from our sins.
Direct the children’s attention to the Search & Find activity in the Student Leaflet.
Ask Can you find Jesus in this picture? Jesus is in this picture two times. Look
for Him riding on the donkey. Now let’s find the face of Jesus hidden in this
picture and let’s also find the Bible where we can read this story about Jesus.
© 2013 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV ®
The children may work alone or with a buddy in finding the objects. Give help as
needed.
Bible Words
Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Mark 11:9
Ask What word did the people shout when Jesus rode into Jerusalem?
(Hosanna) They all shouted “Hosanna!” The word Hosanna means “save us!”
It’s kind of like saying, “Hallelujah! or Hooray!”
Open your Bible. In the Book of Mark, we can read what the people shouted.
It says, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” The
people called out to Jesus to save them. They wanted Him to be their king
and save them from all their troubles.
Jesus is our King, and He does save us. He is God’s Son, and He came to take
away the sins of everyone in the whole world. Now all who believe in Jesus
can be saved and praise Him. Let’s say our Bible Words together. Have the
children do the actions as indicated.
Say H
osanna!
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
Wave palm branches.
Hold hands out, palms together.
Hold hands out, palms up.
Hold arms up, palms up.
(20 minutes)
Use these activities to help the children grow in their understanding of what the Bible
story means for their lives. Choose the ones that work best with your class.
Investigation
What you do: Have palm branches, real ones purchased from a florist or paper ones
you’ve made from Resource Page 8. Put a toy crown in your story bag. Option: Make
copies of Activity Page 10 and have a yellow, blue, and green crayon for each child.
Say In our Bible story today, the people were very excited about something.
What was that? Accept answers. You’re right. Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
riding on a donkey. In Jesus’ day, most people walked, but kings rode on
donkeys. Jesus had never come to Jerusalem on a donkey before. He always
walked. So, His riding on a donkey made it even more special. What was our
Bible story clue today? (A palm branch) What did the people do with the palm?
Let kids tell. Yes, they put palm branches and coats on the road in front of
Jesus. They waved palms in the air and praised Him.
I have another clue in my story bag. It tells us why the people were happy to
see Jesus. What do you think it is? Take out crown. It’s a crown. Who wears a
crown? Yes, kings and queens. The people were happy to see Jesus because
they thought He was coming to Jerusalem to be their king. They shouted
“Hosanna,” which means “save us.” They wanted Jesus to be their king and
save them from the bad things that were happening to them.
And Jesus was their King. He wouldn’t sit on a throne in Jerusalem and rule
over them like other kings, though. Jesus is King of heaven and earth. Later
© 2013 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV ®
that week, He would suffer and die on the cross to save them, and all of us,
from the worst trouble of all—sin!
Jesus is our King too. Let’s think about this. What does a king do? Ask for a
volunteer to come up to wear the crown and pretend to be a king (or queen).
Introduce the child, using his or her name and the title king or queen. Talk about
the following points and how Jesus does these things for us as our King.
■ A
king makes rules for his people. What is a rule you will make for your
people, [King Max]? Help child think of a “rule” that the other children have to
obey; for instance, they might have to bow to him. Then talk about how Jesus
has rules for us too. Because we can’t keep Jesus’ rules, He came to earth to keep
the rules for us. Then He suffered and died on the cross for us. When we see
how much Jesus loves us, we want to obey Him. He helps us to love Him and
show His love for others.
■ A
king protects his people. How does [King Max] protect you children? Talk
about how kings have armies to protect the people from enemies. Jesus sends
His angels to protect us. He watches over us and protects us from evil. He saves
us from our enemies of sin, death, and the devil.
■ A
king helps his people. Pretend your people are hungry, [King Max]. How
will you help them? (He might give food or jobs so they can get money for
food.) Jesus helps us by giving us what we need. He helps us get well when
we are sick. He helps us when we have troubles or when we are sad. Best
of all, He forgives our sins.
Jesus is a wonderful King, better than any king on earth. What would you do
if you knew Jesus was going to ride into (name of your town) today? Accept
answers. Would you praise Jesus by saying “Hosanna”? Would you clap and
cheer? Well, you know what? Jesus is our Savior and King! He is right here
with us, just as He promised! He loves us and takes care of us. He hears our
prayers and forgives our sins. He promises to take us to live with Him in
heaven someday. That makes me happy! So let’s give Jesus a great big cheer.
Do so.
Option: Hand out Activity Page 10. Show the children what they are to do by coloring one end of the page and the letter H. Tell them to color the spaces with the +
blue and the spaces with the yellow. They can color the palms green. Give help as
needed. After children have colored the word, talk about what it says.
•
Ask When you colored the spaces, what word did you make? (Hosanna) What
does hosanna mean? (Save us.)
Craft—Praise Pennant
What you do: Gather craft foam, felt, or cardstock; paper for a template; markers
or craft paint; and ribbon, a paper punch, scissors, and tape. Option: Have available
12-inch dowels, smiley-face and crown stickers, glitter glue, self-sticking foam letters,
and other decorating supplies.
To make a pattern for the pennant, cut a piece of paper into an 8½-inch square.
Fold the square in half, and cut on diagonal to make a triangle (8½ × 9 × 9 inches).
For larger or smaller pennants, follow the same procedure, but use bigger or smaller
squares. Use the paper triangle to cut pennants from felt, craft foam, or cardstock.
Each child will need at least one. Write the following phrases on your board for the
children to copy: Hosanna! Jesus is King! Praise God!
© 2013 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV ®
Show you sample pennant.
Say Tell me once again what people shouted when Jesus rode into Jerusalem
on the donkey. (Hosanna) Hosanna is a praise word. When we praise someone, we are letting the person know that we are happy with what he or she is
doing. We are going to make a praise banner today. We praise Jesus because
we are happy that He loves us and died for us. He is our Savior and King.
Give children one or more pennants, and have them copy one of the phrases
onto each pennant, or set out self-stick letters for them to apply to their pennants.
They can decorate their pennants as they choose.
To hang the pennant, give children a 16-inch length of ribbon to glue to the
8½-inch end of their pennant. The ends should extend beyond each side so it can be
hung.
Suggest to the children that they hang the banner in a spot where they can see it
every day. It will remind them that Jesus is our Savior and King; we can praise Him for
His love.
Option: To make a pennant to hold, have children put glue along the edge of the
8½-inch side and lay a 12-inch dowel over it. Fold the felt or paper over the dowel to
make a seam around the dowel. Set a weight on it to hold it in place until the glue is
dry. When it is dry, glue a length of ribbon along that edge for a decorative finish.
Snack
Serve animal crackers
or animal-shaped
fruit snacks. See if the
(5 minutes)
What you do: Gather the children’s take-home items to hand out at dismissal.
Sing “Hosanna! Hosanna!” (LOSP, p. 94) or “Hosanna, Hosanna” (SKLS, p. 26)
Pray Hosanna, Jesus, hosanna! Thank You for coming into the world and dying
on the cross for my sins. Hosanna and praise to You. Amen.
Sing To the refrain of “I Love to Tell the Story”:
I love to spy God’s story of Jesus’ love and glory,
To spy the true, true story of Jesus’ love for me.
Spying God at Word through You
Make a string of pennants that can be hung in the classroom or church hallway.
On each pennant, write just one of the letters in “Hosanna!” or “Praise Jesus.” Consider
making the pennants from different patterns and colors of material. Sew the shorter
ends, side-by-side, to a long length of seam binding or punch two holes in the shorter
end and string onto a long length of seam binding or ribbon.
© 2013 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV ®
children can find a
donkey. Tell them that
when Jesus rode into
Jerusalem, the children sang “Hosanna!”
because Jesus is our
Lord & King.
Find the Hidden Word
Color the spaces:
= yellow
+ = blue
•
Activity Page 10 Growing in Christ® Level A © 2013 Concordia Publishing House. Reproduced by permission.
118
Resource Page 8. Growing in Christ® Level A © 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Reproduced by permission.
LEVEL B
Preparing the Lesson
Triumphal Entry
Luke 19:28–40
Key Point
Jesus is the one true King of heaven and earth, worthy
of praise and worship.
Law/Gospel
In our sin, we fail to see Jesus as He really is when we
ask Him to meet only our temporal needs. Jesus came
not as a conquering king to subdue opposition but to
bring spiritual peace as He overcomes sin and death
through His cross and resurrection.
Context
After His journey from Galilee through Samaria and
Jericho, Jesus prepares to enter Jerusalem as a king. He has
recently related the parable of the ten minas, anticipating
taking His kingship (Luke 19:11–27). In this parable, the
king—besides granting a greater reward to those who had
much and managed it well—punishes those who tried to
sabotage his becoming king.
As Jesus enters triumphantly into Jerusalem on Palm
Sunday, we see many who desired that He be king and
many who did not. More than this, however, no one seems
to anticipate the kind of kingship Jesus will exercise—a
kingship that brings destruction to sin, death, and the devil
but reward and spiritual peace to His faithful.
Commentary
Jesus approaches Jerusalem from the east, from
Jericho, so He arrives at the Mount of Olives before
Jerusalem. Bethany is on the east of the mountain, and
Bethphage on the mountain itself, only about a mile from
Jerusalem. It is unclear if the disciples acquire the donkey
from Bethany or Bethphage.
Jesus directs His disciples according to His divine
knowledge, telling them where they will find a donkey. The
© 2013 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV ®
owners of the donkey apparently know Jesus or have heard
of Him, because they do not resist the disciples’ taking
the donkey after they hear it is for Jesus’ use. By riding a
donkey, Jesus is fulfilling Zechariah 9:9, which says, “Behold,
your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation
is He, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal
of a donkey.”
The donkey was young, a colt, and had never been
ridden. In this way, the donkey is considered set apart from
everyday use and has been preserved for this holy use of
bearing Jesus into Jerusalem. The people also treat this as
a royal procession, decorating the road with their cloaks.
Although palms are not mentioned in Luke’s Gospel, we
know from the other Gospels that the people also waved
palm branches and strew them before the donkey.
Remembering the miracles Jesus performed, and seeing Him now approach the capital city as a king, the people
acclaim Him with shouts and greetings. “Blessed is the King
who comes in the name of the Lord” (Luke 19:38) is a quote
from Psalm 118:26, a hailing of the Lord’s Christ. Although
Jesus enters Jerusalem as a king, He is not a militaristic,
conquering king (compare 1 Kings 1:33, where Solomon
is proclaimed king, riding on a mule). Rather, Jesus enters
with “peace in heaven” (Luke 19:38).
Jesus affirms His divinity here, noting that creation cannot help but to praise Him, for He is God made flesh, come
to rescue and restore His people. He will complete this
task in one week by dying on the cross and rising again to
life. Even if all people ignore or reject Him, the very stones
would cry out in the praise of God.
Triumphal Entry
Luke 19:28–40
Connections
Bible Words
Hosanna! Blessed is He who
comes in the name of the
Lord! Mark 11:9
Faith Word
hosanna
Hymns and Songs
Hosanna, Hallelujah
(SKLS2, p. 28);
Hosanna! Hosanna! (SKLS,
p. 26)
Catechism
Lord’s Prayer: Second
Petition
(10 minutes)
To Prepare: Line palm branches on the floor. If you don’t have real palm branches, download colorful images from the Web and place them in a line.
Say Welcome to Sunday School. Let’s begin with a song.
Sing: “Hosanna, Hallelujah” (SKLS2, p. 28)
Invocation: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
The Investigation Clue
Say This week, we have some dried palm branches on the floor. Let’s find out
how the palms were used in today’s true Bible account, and at the same time,
spy God at work.
Offer Gifts: Encourage the students as they give their offerings. If you are supporting a special mission, report any progress to your children.
Pray Dear Jesus, I praise You for coming to die for me, and for bringing me
into Your kingdom by the gift of faith from the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Celebrate: Recognize student birthdays, Baptism birthdays, and significant family
events in your routine manner.
Palms
2
Activity Page 10
Student Leaflet
Palm images
Stones
Paper plates
Acrylic paints
Brushes
Permanent markers
Palms
Resource Page 9
© 2013 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV ®
(20 minutes)
To Prepare: Be ready to use the Student Leaflets to review the Bible story and
introduce the Bible Words. Provide individual copies of Activity Page 10.
Use Activity Page 10 to guide the Bible study. Organize the children in two
groups. Assign one section of the page to each group. Upon completion, the students will share their information.
Part 1 (Luke 19:28–35)
Where was Jesus planning to go? (To Jerusalem)
What three words in verse 29 make you think Jesus is getting closer to
the temple? (“He drew near.”)
What assignment did He give the two disciples? (To find a colt on which no
one had ridden and bring it to Him)
How were the disciples to answer anyone who asked them questions? (Tell
them “the Lord has need of it” [v. 31].)
Many years before Jesus rode into Jerusalem, the prophet Zechariah wrote
about Jesus. Read Zechariah 9:9. What prophecy was Jesus about to fulfill?
(He was going to ride into Jerusalem on a donkey as their king.)
Part 2 (Luke 19:36–40; John 12:13)
The Cheers
How did the people honor Jesus in Luke’s account? (The disciples rejoiced
and called out, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in
heaven and glory in the highest!” [v. 38].)
How did the people honor Jesus in John’s account? (They took palm
branches and called out, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the
Lord, even the King of Israel” [v. 13].)
Why did Jesus’ disciples rejoice and praise God? (Because of all the mighty
works [miracles] they had seen)
The Boos
What do Jesus’ opponents call Him? (Teacher)
What is He called in Luke 19:38? (He is called King.)
If the people were silent, what objects would praise Jesus? (The stones)
Thank the two groups for presenting the information.
Option: Conduct your own parade. Line up your students. Hand the first person a
Bible open to Luke 19. Ask him or her to read verse 28, pass the Bible to the next person, and walk to the end of the line. The next person reads the next verse and goes to
the end of the line. This pattern continues through verse 40.
© 2013 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV ®
Review
Distribute the Student Leaflets. Have students open their Bibles to Luke 19.
Students may work with a partner and read the paragraph with changes. Others can
point out things students have missed. The words that need to be changed follow.
(1) Jericho to Jerusalem; four to two; goat to colt or donkey
(2) tie to untie; Bethany to here; tying to untying; sing to say
(3) money to cloaks; on earth to in heaven
(4) kings to Pharisees; trees to stones
Bible Words
Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Mark 11:9
The students will recognize the Bible Words are similar to Luke 19:38. Determine
what words are unique to each message of praise. Then define the word hosanna.
First, write the word on the board.
Say Our Faith Word today is hosanna. It means “save, we pray” or “help, we
pray.” When the people chanted hosanna, they understood Jesus was from
God. They believed He was coming into Jerusalem to save them from the
Romans who were ruling them. They did not understand that the mission
God had in mind for Jesus was to save them from their sins. Jesus was entering Jerusalem to suffer the punishment for sins that the people in the crowd
and we had committed. His kingdom is not an earthly kingdom.
(25 minutes)
Use these activities to help the children grow in their understanding of what the
Bible story means for their lives. Choose the ones that work best with your class.
Investigation
To Prepare: Provide a palm leaf picture for each student pair. Download images
from the Web or draw them yourself.
Say In today’s Bible account, the people of Jerusalem were excited to worship
and praise Jesus, whom they acclaimed as their King. Many of them thought
Jesus had come into Jerusalem to take over the government and sit on an
earthly throne. They didn’t realize what would happen later that week. What
did happen? (Jesus died on the cross for the sins of all people. On Easter Sunday, He
rose from the dead. He overcame sin and death through His cross and resurrection.)
In our sin, we also fail to see Jesus as He really is too. Let’s investigate God’s
Word to see what Jesus came to do. Let’s raise our palms to praise Him too.
On the board, write John 1:29; John 10:7–11; Romans 16:20; and 1 John 3:8.
Organize the students to work with a partner and choose a passage to read. Have the
students explain to the group what that passage tells them about Jesus and say the
cheer they have written on their palm paper about Jesus’ work.
■ John 1:29—Jesus came to take away the sin of the world.
■ John 10:7–11—Jesus came to bring abundant life, to lay down His life for us.
■ Romans 16:20—Jesus came to crush Satan and bring peace with God.
© 2013 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV ®
■ 1 John 3:8—Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil.
Display the palm cheers in your room.
Craft
To Prepare: Use smooth rocks, paper plates, acrylic paints, permanent markers,
wipes, and paintbrushes.
Design praise rocks. Place a smooth rock on a paper plate and paint the rock with
the acrylic paints. When the paint dries, students can use permanent markers to write
words of praise for Jesus found in today’s Bible account. They can also add palms.
When the rocks are dry, send them home or use them to decorate a church
entrance or garden. While the children are working, discuss the Lord’s Prayer.
Ask Which part of the Lord’s Prayer talks about God’s kingdom? Together say
the beginning of the Lord’s Prayer, stopping after “Thy kingdom come.” God’s
kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit. For many
of us, that happened at Baptism. At that moment and by God’s grace, we
believed God’s Word.
Say When Jesus was welcomed into Jerusalem, the people anticipated His
reign in an earthly kingdom. Later, they would learn that Jesus is the one
true King of heaven and earth. He is worthy of praise and worship now and
forever.
Snack
Make popcorn and
(5 minutes)
To Prepare: Display the palms or palm pictures. Use individual copies of the top
portion of Resource Page 9 as a responsive reading.
Sing: “Hosanna! Hosanna!” (SKLS, p. 26)
Wave the palms.
Say Not long after many in the crowd welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem, their
cheers changed to tears. On Friday of that week, Jesus died for the sins of the
world. Today, we welcome Jesus, our Savior, who comes to us through His
Word and Sacraments. We see the clues and know that Jesus is the one true
King of heaven and earth. He is worthy of our praise and worship.
Use the responsive reading on Resource Page 9.
Pray King Jesus, thank You for forgiving my sins and making me a part of Your
heavenly kingdom through the Holy Spirit. Rule in me forever. Amen.
Sing the words “I Love to Spy God’s Story” to the tune of the refrain from “I Love
to Tell the Story.”
I love to spy God’s story of Jesus’ love and glory,
To spy the true, true story of Jesus’ love for me.
Spying God at Work through You
Encourage students to make more praise rocks at home this week. Tell them to
share the rocks with their friends and tell them today’s story of salvation. At church,
adopt a flowerbed, keep it weed-free, and dress it up with more rocks.
© 2013 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV ®
share it. The sound
and smell of it will
create excitement.
As Jesus the Messiah
entered Jerusalem, the
exciting news spread
from person to person.
A Tower of Strength
Get Ready,
Get Set, Go!
Get Ready,
Get Set, Go!
(Part 1)
(Part 2)
(Luke 19:28–35)
(Luke 19:36–40;
John 12:13)
Read the Bible verses.
Read the Bible verses.
■ Where was Jesus
planning to go?
■ What three words in
verse 29 make you
think Jesus is getting
closer to the temple?
The Cheers
How did the people honor
Jesus in Luke’s account?
How did the people honor
Jesus in John’s account?
■ What assignment did
Jesus give the two
disciples?
Why did Jesus’ disciples
rejoice and praise God?
■ How were the disciples
to answer anyone who
asked them questions?
The Boos
■ Many years before Jesus
rode into Jerusalem,
the prophet Zechariah
wrote about Jesus. Read
Zechariah 9:9. What
prophecy was Jesus
about to fulfill?
What is He called in Luke
19:38?
What do Jesus’ opponents
call Him?
© Shutterstock.com
If the people were silent,
what objects would praise
Jesus?
Activity Page 10
Growing in Christ® Level B © 2013 Concordia Publishing House. Reproduced by permission.
Who Is Coming?
Reader: The people in Jerusalem look toward the Mount of Olives. What do they see? What
do they hear?
All: (Mouth the words) Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
Reader: The procession is getting closer. They see a man on a donkey in the middle of the
crowd. The crowd is chanting something.
All: (Whisper) Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
Reader: It’s Jesus! Just like the Old Testament prophecy says, their king will come to them
riding on a donkey!
All: (Softly) Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
Reader: The people are throwing their coats and palm branches on the road in front of
Jesus. Everyone is excited that Jesus, who has done so many miracles, is coming for the
Passover celebration!
All: (Regular voices) Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
Reader: Here He is! The promised Messiah is here! God has kept His promise to save us!
All: (Loudly) Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
Thy Will Be Done
Reader: When I want something immediately, Lord, lead me to remember Your words . . .
All: Thy will be done.
Reader: When what I need is really something I just want, Lord, lead me to remember Your
words . . .
All: Thy will be done.
Reader: When the devil tempts me to disobey Your Word, Lord, lead me to remember Your
words . . .
All: Thy will be done.
Resource Page 9
Growing in Christ® Level B © 2013 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: Adapted from ESV®. Reproduced by permission.
Search & Know
facts, detectives.
What really happened? Check the
. Find the mistakes.
Open your Bibles to Luke 19:28–40
set the record straight.
Change the words or phrases to
Pray
Dear God, the people
called “Hosanna”
On the way to Jericho, Jesus sent
four of His disciples to go to the
Triumphal Entry
Luke 19:28–40
would find a goat that no
Holy Spirit, help me
When they drew near to Jerusalem and came to the Mount of Olives,
Jesus sent two disciples. He said, “Go into the village in front of you.
Immediately, you will find a colt tied. No one has ever sat on the colt.
Untie it and bring it to Me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall
say, ‘The Lord needs it.’ Then he will send it at once.”
one had ever sat on before.
always to praise His
This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,
name. In Jesus’ name
“Say to the daughters of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you,
humble and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of
burden.’ ”
when Jesus entered
Jerusalem that day.
village. He told them they
By the power of the
He said, “Tie it and
I pray. Amen.
bring it to Bethany. If anyone
asks you, ‘Why are you tying
The disciples did as Jesus directed them. They found the colt tied at
a door outside in the street, and they untied it. Some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?”
it?’ you shall sing this: ‘The
Lord has need of it.’ ”
The disciples told them, “The Lord has need of it.”
The people let the disciples leave with the animal.
On the way into Jerusalem,
some people threw their
The disciples brought the colt to Jesus.
They put their cloaks on the animal, and
Jesus sat on it.
money on the road as
Jesus passed. As Jesus
Most of the crowd spread their cloaks
on the road. Others cut branches from
the trees and spread them on the
road. The crowds that went before
Jesus and that followed Him were
shouting, “Blessed is the King who
comes in the name of the Lord! Peace
in heaven and glory in the highest!”
got closer to the city,
the crowd started
to praise God loudly.
“Blessed is the King
who comes in the name of
the Lord! Peace on earth and
glor y in the highest!” they said.
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd
said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke Your
disciples.”
d told
Some of the other kings in the crow
. Jesus answered
Jesus to tell the disciples to stop
t, the very trees
them, “I tell you, if these were silen
Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these were
silent, the very stones would cry out.”
would cry out.”
Illustrations by Chris Ellison from That’s
ia Publishing House.
My Colt: An Easter Tale © 2008 Concord
© 2013 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture adapted from ESV®.
© CPH/Kevin McCain
Search & Find
8 palm leaves
7 flowers
5 children
1 dog bone
1 doll
1 Bible
6 stones
2 Roman
soldiers
1 yellow
robe
2 bugs
Jesus’ face
© CPH/Michelle Dorenkamp
I can see two Roman soldiers, three dogs, and a bone; five happy children and six stones. What do you see?
1 man with
Bible Words
red hair
2 pigeons
3 dogs
Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes
in the name of the Lord!
Mark 11:9
Family Faith Talk
Make a praise banner to hang in your home. Use
green markers or crayons to draw a large palm leaf on
a piece of poster board. Add the words “Hosanna! Christ is our King” to the poster.
Add happy faces.
Sing a favorite song to praise Jesus and wave your banners.
© 2013 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture ESV®.