3/24/19 Lesson 4 Bible Passage: Matthew 21:1 11 (The Triumphal Entry) Jesus Is King Remember Verse

Transcription

1 3/24/19 Lesson 4 Bible Passage: Matthew 21:1 11 (The Triumphal Entry) Jesus Is King Remember Verse I will sing of the LORD s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. Psalm 89: LEADER PREP Each week you ll find encouraging articles that help you prepare your heart to present the lesson. Inspire Shares personal stories from fellow ministry leaders about how God has worked in their lives Billy Graham is a preacher from North Carolina. He has spoken in hundreds of stadiums packed with thousands of people who pour down the aisles at the invitation to accept Christ. Viewers watching from home kneel in front of their TVs and ask Jesus into their hearts. He has told God s story of redemption to more than 215 million people around the world. He has advised presidents, prime ministers, and kings. He has written dozens of books, and he is quoted in hundreds more. He stands in the public eye as an example of a righteous man. My one purpose in life is to help people find a personal relationship with God, which, I believe, comes through knowing Christ, he said. That is his role in The Big God Story. I m not Billy Graham. Ninety-nine point nine percent of Americans have no idea who I am. I have influence in a much smaller and different way. I m a teacher, mother, daughter, and friend. I want to awaken a generation to the wonders of a life lived in communion with God. That s the part God has for me in His story. You might think that Billy Graham s part in God s story is bigger and more important. But that s not how God sees it. Your part and my part and Billy s part are each unique and important. Together, we get to spread the good news that Jesus is King. Janet Lee Tru team Equip Offers perspective and context to the lesson s Bible passage Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9) The triumphal entry of King Jesus took place the Sunday before the crucifixion, shortly after He raised Lazarus from the dead. There s little doubt that news of the resurrection of Lazarus preceded Jesus to Jerusalem, adding to the number *see Resources 2018 David C Cook. TruResources are developed in partnership with ROCKHARBOR Church and a national network of family and children s ministry leaders. All rights reserved. Reproducible for church use only.

2 of people looking to Jesus for leadership. The account of Palm Sunday appears in all four gospels, and they each link this event to the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9. The prophet Zechariah was among the 50,000 or so Jews who returned in the first wave of Hebrews from the Babylonian captivity in 526 B.C. He wrote about five centuries before the birth of Jesus. In his declaration that the king is coming, Zechariah uses a verb tense that indicates the Messiah was in the process of coming even as he wrote, five hundred years before Jesus rode into Jerusalem that day. He arrived exactly when God had planned and when the set time had fully come (Galatians 4:4). Even though Jesus entry into Jerusalem was foretold by the prophets and pointed to the coming of the Messiah King, the manner in which He came was unexpected by the Jewish people of His day. As in the Old Testament with Saul, they were crying for a king and wanted to prescribe to God what that king should be like. They wanted a warrior, but the Son of God made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:7 8). But there will come a day when Jesus will again ride into Jerusalem. On that day He will be clothed in regal splendor, riding on a white horse, and will enter victorious into the city as the King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:11 16). Jesus is King. Support Provides reflection and assessment through encouragement, prayer, and time in God s Word Psalm 10:16 says: The LORD is King for ever and ever. When we think about forever, we often focus on the future. This verse reminds us that Jesus has always been, is now, and forever will be King. On that first Palm Sunday, God s people had already been anticipating the coming King for centuries. They were desperate for Him to come. At His appearance, their joy was uncontainable, and it spilled out in shouts of praise. At this time of year, we can celebrate the first appearance of our King while joyfully anticipating His return. Take some time this week to think about joy. What is it, and why is it important? Read John 15:9 13 and ask God to restore your joy if you ve lost it. If you have His joy, pray that it will remain. Expect God to fill you up with His joy until you can t contain it. And then let it flow out to those around you. Children engage in fun, creative activities designed to pique their curiosity about the day s portion of The Big God Story. Clothes for a Donkey Jesus was not the type of king the crowds were expecting. They wanted a king who would come like a military leader and use might to set them free from the rule of Rome. Instead, Jesus came as the Prince of Peace and offered them freedom from sin. Donkey template (see Resources) Cloth or paper scraps Glue sticks Crayons or markers PREPARE AHEAD Print one copy of the Donkey template for each child. SET UP Place the materials on the table. As children enter, direct them to the table and give them a donkey to color. When they re finished coloring, encourage them to select scraps of cloth or paper to glue onto the donkey s back and on the ground beneath the donkey s feet. As they re working, engage them in conversation. What kind of animal is this? Have you ever seen a donkey? Why do

3 you think we re putting coats on the donkey? What kind of animal would you like to ride? Children participate in discovering God s Word through Bible verse memorization, interactive storytelling techniques, and worship as response. Ponder Point: Jesus Is King Chloe s Rules Host/Worship Leader Chloe s Rules videos Welcome children as they re entering the large group meeting area. Tech: Cue Chloe s Rules video. The theme song will play as the Worship Leader/Host enters and makes his way up front, welcoming and greeting children along the way. This should be a high-energy entrance. Tech: Cue preschool program theme song. Choose and play two upbeat worship songs of your choice from a worship album that complements the theme and focus of the lesson. Mail Time Host/Worship Leader Mail Time intro image (see Resources) Remember Verse image (see Resources) Remember Verse cards (see Resources) Mail Time envelope art (see Resources) Bibles (your personal and large children s) Mailbox PREPARE AHEAD Print or copy one Remember Verse card and put it inside the envelope. Tech: Cue the Mail Time intro clip and image. Choose one volunteer to hide the mail and another to find the mail. Have the Seeker close her eyes while the Hider finds a good place to hide the Remember Verse. Once the mail has been hidden, the Seeker will begin to look for the mail while children give clues to its whereabouts by calling out hot and cold. Once the Seeker finds the mail, the Host invites her to pull out the enclosed Remember Verse. Next, the Host should find the Remember Verse in his Bible and read the words aloud. Talk about the meaning of the verse while interacting with children. Lead children in reciting the Remember Verse several times together using a variety of engaging methods. Hand motions, different voices, various speeds, and character integration are all great ways to help commit the Scripture to memory. For longer verses, approach the verse one section at a time, increasing what the children repeat back each week. Remember Verse I will sing of the LORD s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. Psalm 89:1 REMEMBER VERSE DEFINITIONS Faithfulness: believing God is with us and does everything He says He will do; we can trust Him

4 Generations: different ages of people REMEMBER VERSE MOTIONS I will sing: Place hands in fists at sides of mouth, move hands away from face while spreading fingers. of the Lord s: Point with both index fingers up to sky. great love forever: Cross arms over chest. with my mouth: Point to mouth. I will make your faithfulness known: Make fist and repeat pounding motion on left palm. through all generations: Put right index finger at left side of waist, point multiple times while moving finger toward right side. Wardrobe of Wonder Storyteller/Host/Worship Leader Wardrobe of Wonder intro image (see Resources) What sit: Palm Branch (see optional image in Resources) Wardrobe of Wonder Small stools or chairs (2) What sit: Palm Branch Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey fulfilled prophecy about the coming of the Messiah King. As the crowd waved palm branches and tossed coats and branches onto the road in front of His donkey, they shouted, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest! (Matthew 21:9). Tech: Cue the Wardrobe of Wonder intro clip and image. Invite a child volunteer to spy on the What sit by peeking into the wardrobe. Each time the wardrobe door opens, cue the Wardrobe of Wonder sound effect. Have him whisper the identity of the What sit in your ear to ensure he knows what it is. Invite your assistant to sit on the stools with you. Then lead the group in asking the assistant yes-or-no questions about the What sit. Once the children have guessed correctly, ask your assistant to retrieve the What sit from the wardrobe and bring it to you. Thank your volunteer and encourage him to sit with his small group. ASK What did we find in the Wardrobe of Wonder? Children answer. Do you know what kind of branch this is? Yes, it s a palm branch! We were working with these earlier, weren t we? Do palm trees grow in our area? I wonder how this fits into today s portion of The Big God Story. Let s find out, because do you know what time it is? The Big God Story Matthew 21:1 11 Jesus Is King Storytelling Technique: Storyboard The Big God Story intro clip and image (see Resources) Images: Jesus Raising Lazarus, Groups of People #1 #3, Jesus, Two Disciples, Donkey, Cloaks #1 #3, Jesus Riding on Donkey, Palm Branch, Crown (see Resources) Magnetic storyboard Magnets Scissors PREPARE AHEAD Print the images and cut them out. Display the magnetic storyboard in the storytelling area. Tech: Cue The Big God Story intro clip and image. I m so glad you re here today. I love being with you and talking together about God and His big story. You know, no matter how old you are, there s always something new to learn about God. So let s pray and invite God to be the one to teach us. Lead children in a Prayer of Release to

5 pause, be still, and ask the Holy Spirit to quiet their hearts and minds. Each part of The Big God Story helps us know more about God and just how much He loves us. Today we re going to look at a part of The Big God Story in the New Testament that talks about when Jesus was on earth. Jesus told many people about God and healed them from sicknesses. Once, a friend of His named Lazarus became very sick. His family asked Jesus to come because they knew that Jesus can heal. But before Jesus got there, Lazarus died. Everyone was sad. But Jesus went to the place where they buried Lazarus and He called out, Lazarus, come out! Do you know what happened next? Children answer. Yes, Lazarus walked right out! Attach Jesus Raising Lazarus image with magnet at one end of storyboard. Everyone who saw this miracle was amazed. Soon lots of people were talking about Jesus and the miracle of Lazarus coming back to life! Did you hear what Jesus did? one person said. Place Group #1 image on board. Have you heard about Lazarus? another person said. Place Group #2 image on board. What does it mean? someone asked. Could Jesus be the king we ve been waiting for? another wondered. Place Group #3 image on board. Well, you can imagine everyone s excitement! Now Lazarus didn t live too far from the city of Jerusalem. Place Jesus and Two Disciples images on board. Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem when He helped Lazarus. When Jesus got to the hill just outside the city, He gave two of His disciples a special job. Go into the nearby village, He told them. As soon as you get there, you will find a donkey. It will be tied, and no one will have ever ridden it. Tell the owner that I need it. Move Two Disciples image to another place on board. So off went Jesus two disciples. When they got to the village, what do you think they found? Encourage children to share. Place Donkey image on board. That s right, they found a donkey just like Jesus said they would. What do you think the disciples put on the donkey s back? Encourage kids to share thoughts; interact with answers. Good thinking. Place Cloak #1 image on board. They put coats on the donkey, but not so the donkey wouldn t get cold. They put coats on the donkey s back for Jesus to sit on. Place Jesus Riding on Donkey image on board. As Jesus rode the donkey into the city, lots and lots of people came to see Jesus. They were so excited that He was coming into the city. They wanted to do something special to welcome Him. Today, when important people come, we might roll out a red carpet for them to walk on. Well, that day, the people put their coats on the ground to make a path for the donkey to walk on. It was a sign of respect. Place Cloaks #2 and #3 images on board. Let s pretend we re there. Pretend you re taking off your coat and lay it down on the ground in front of the donkey. Good job! Now, here comes Jesus! What else can we do to make Him feel welcome? Encourage children to share ideas. Those are all good thoughts. The Bible tells us that the people waved palm branches to welcome Jesus. Place Palm Branch image on board. Let s see, where did I see a palm branch before? Tech: Cue Wardrobe of Wonder sound effect. That s right! Our What sit is a palm branch. Let s pretend we re waving palm branches to welcome Jesus. Wave the palm branch and encourage children to pretend along with you. There was one other thing the people did, and this one is important. The people shouted something special. They shouted Hosanna! Let s try it. Shout Hosanna! with me. Wow! That s great. When the people shouted Hosanna! they were agreeing with God that they needed a king who could save them. And Jesus is that King. Place Crown image on board. Putting their coats on the ground, waving the palm branches, and shouting Hosanna! were all ways the people said, Jesus is King! Jesus has always been King. Jesus will always be King. He loves us so much. He came to live on earth to show us what God is like. And then He died for us so we can live with God forever. That s an important part of The Big God Story. Jesus is King! Wonder Questions Small Group Enhancements, coloring pages, and discussion questions help your group go deeper into today s portion of The Big God Story. Wonder Questions coloring pages (see Resources) TruWonder Small Group Enhancements timeline and images (see Resources) Scissors Crayons

6 In The Big God Story, Jesus told the disciples to go get a donkey. This was how King Jesus entered Jerusalem. The people were so excited to see Him that they threw their coats on the ground, waved palm branches, and shouted, Hosanna! I wonder What did Jesus disciples think when they found the donkey as Jesus described? I wonder Why did so many people want to come see Jesus ride the donkey into the city? I wonder How did the people know that Jesus is King? I wonder What can we do today to show that Jesus is King? Children receive a blessing from their leaders and sometimes one another. A blessing may be a prayer of commission, a portion of Scripture, or words to encourage and guide. Remember Verse cards (see Resources) Today we heard how Jesus is King! Can you shout that with me? Children respond with Jesus is King! Great job! One of the ways you show honor and respect to a king is by bowing down in front of him. Jesus is the one and only true King over all the earth and the heavens, and we get to worship Him! In this time, let s all take a posture of bowing down before Jesus, our King. As the children bow, say the following blessing from Psalm 104:1: Praise the LORD, my soul. LORD my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. Children, may you always remember Jesus is King over all the earth and the heavens. May you always remember His great love for you.