Copyright 2013 Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved. This downloadable resource is provided free of charge as a supplement to our Growing

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1 Copyright 2013 Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved. This downloadable resource is provided free of charge as a supplement to our Growing in Christ and Cross Explorations. Other than downloading this resource for Bible study, classroom or congregational use, other usage is prohibited. It is not permissible to make modifications, omissions or adaptations to these copyrighted resources. No part of this material may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House.

2 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 knowledge, 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.

3 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 Welcome Time (15 minutes) 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. Toy animals include a donkey Small blocks 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

4 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.

5 Faith Word hosanna a Bible word that means save, we pray or help, we pray.. 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. 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.

6 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 Hosanna! Wave palm branches. Blessed is He Hold hands out, palms together. who comes Hold hands out, palms up. in the name of the Lord! Hold arms up, palms up. 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 (20 minutes) 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

7 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!

8 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. 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. (5 minutes) Snack Serve animal crackers or animal-shaped fruit snacks. See if the children can find a donkey. Tell them that when Jesus rode into Jerusalem, the children sang Hosanna! because Jesus is our Lord & King. 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.

9 Find the Hidden Word Color the spaces: = yellow + = blue Activity Page 10 Growing in Christ Level A 2013 Concordia Publishing House. Reproduced by permission.

10 118 Resource Page 8. Growing in Christ Level A 2007 Concordia Publishing House. Reproduced by permission.

11 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 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.

12 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 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 (10 minutes) 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 Activity Page 10 Student Leaflet Palm images Stones Paper plates Acrylic paints Brushes Permanent markers Palms Resource Page 9 2

13 (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.

14 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.

15 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. (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. Snack Make popcorn and 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. 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.

16 A Tower of Strength Get Ready, Get Set, Go! (Part 1) (Luke 19:28 35) 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? Get Ready, Get Set, Go! (Part 2) (Luke 19:36 40; John 12:13) Read the Bible verses. 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 What do Jesus opponents call Him? 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? If the people were silent, what objects would praise Jesus? Shutterstock.com Activity Page 10 Growing in Christ Level B 2013 Concordia Publishing House. Reproduced by permission.

17 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.

18 Search & Know What really happened? Check the facts, detectives. Open your Bibles to Luke 19: Find the mistakes. Change the words or phrases to set the record straight. On the way to Jericho, Jesus sent four of His disciples to go to the village. He told them they would find a goat that no one had ever sat on before. He said, Tie it and bring it to Bethany. If anyone asks you, Why are you tying it? you shall sing this: The Lord has need of it. On the way into Jerusalem, some people threw their money on the road as Jesus passed. As Jesus 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 glory in the highest! they said. Some of the other kings in the crowd told Jesus to tell the disciples to stop. Jesus answered them, I tell you, if these were silent, the very trees would cry out. Illustrations by Chris Ellison from That s My Colt: An Easter Tale 2008 Concordia Publishing House. Pray Dear God, the people called Hosanna when Jesus entered Jerusalem that day. By the power of the Holy Spirit, help me always to praise His name. In Jesus name I pray. Amen. Triumphal Entry Luke 19:28 40 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. This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, 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. 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? The disciples told them, The Lord has need of it. The people let the disciples leave with the animal. The disciples brought the colt to Jesus. They put their cloaks on the animal, and Jesus sat on it. 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! Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, Teacher, rebuke Your disciples. Jesus answered, I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out Concordia Publishing House. Scripture adapted from ESV. CPH/Kevin McCain

19 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 red hair 2 pigeons 3 dogs Bible Words 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 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture ESV.