lesson One: king Main Point: Jesus, the King, is a king over a heavenly kingdom not an earthly one. Bible Verse: Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden. Matthew 21:5 Bible Story: The Triumphant Entry, Matthew 21:1-11 Something to think about before teaching: On that day, Jesus rode into Jerusalem with a greeting fit for a king. Palm branches waving, coats laid out for him, riding on a donkey- humble- yet king-like. Who would have thought that just days later He would be hanging on a cross? As the people welcomed Him and shouted praises to His name and to His kingship, their picture of His kingdom was not one that would come to be. The idea of a king who would overthrow the Romans and give rule back to the Jewish people was not the king that Jesus was destined to become. Kids will learn that Jesus is a king over a heavenly kingdom not an earthy one. He is king over all kings, because He is also God. He has ultimate authority because of His divinity. Each Lesson contains: Planning: Gathering the information about the name Minute to Build it Game The Flying Ace Discovering the Flight Plan Learning the Plan constructing: putting together what God says about the name Bible Story Extreme Flight Tales Building the Device testing: applying the name The Test Flight Lab Craft Games Bible Memory Express Yourself Snack Building the Name Cards Building Family Time 1
Planning minute to build it game: spoon catapulting PP Supplies: Three plastic spoons, three bags of cotton balls, three hula hoops Place the hula hoops on the floor 12 feet away from the contestants. Give each contestant a spoon and a cotton ball. They must place a cotton ball in the spoon, holding the end of the spoon with one hand while pulling back and letting go the end with the cotton ball. The contestants try to get as many cotton balls into the hula hoop as possible in one minute. Allow the contestants to practice a few times. Start the timer. When one minute is complete, have three volunteers count the cotton balls and declare the winner. the flying ace PP The Flying Ace enters, tumbling into the room. Woa! What a ride. But didn t get much air with that. (Stands up and wipes himself off. ) (Looks at the audience.) Well, hello there friends. Might I introduce myself. I am The Flying Ace. Perhaps you have heard of me? No? Heard of my great adventures surely? No? That is strange. To be honest I haven t had as many adventures as I want to have. You know I m just starting out. Flying that is. Trying to find out some ways to get air under me. I haven t exactly flown yet. But I will! Don t worry about that! For instance I just let some friends help me with this whole air thing. I stood on one end of a teeter totter. Then about five of them jumped on the other. I went flying through the air. Like maybe four feet or so. It was so AWESOME! I can t wait until I actually fly. I mean like higher than four feet. You might wonder why I have the name Flying Ace when maybe I haven t flown that much. Well, sometimes people s 2
name means something different than what people think. That was confusing. (Scratches his head.) I m not even sure what I just said. What I mean is this. When you hear The Flying Ace you might think of a great pilot who is the best. Who flies all over the world. Who can do tricks in the air. Who maybe saved lives by landing an airplane on water or on the side of a mountain. But what I mean when I say The Flying Ace is that I dream of getting off the ground. One way or another. Just give me some air under me and I have aced the day. Now, off to the trampoline. You would be amazed how much air you can get with that! discovering the FLIGHT plan PP Supplies: For optional display-donkey picture or donkey (plastic or stuffed), King sign Each week our name of Jesus is going to have a symbol to help us remember the meaning of the name. We will try to guess what the symbol is. Watch the screen as pieces of the symbol start to come together. (Have all the kids work together, divide into teams or choose two people to compete.) What do you think a picture of the earth has to do with the name of Jesus, King? (Give the kids some opportunities to guess.) Usually when we think of the word king we might think of a crown. We might think of a castle or a scepter. We might even think of a magnificent horse. But a donkey? Jesus was a different kind of king than what the people were expecting. Today s Bible story is going to be about a time when He came riding into Jerusalem on a donkey instead of a magnificent horse. He did not have a crown on His head or a scepter in His hand. Instead, He came in a humble way. No Power Point: If you do not have access to power point, put the dirt in a box and have the kids guess what might be in the box giving clues. Options: Display: Place the donkey in the display. Make sure to print out the name King from the file to label the donkey. No Power Point: If you do not have access to power point, put the donkey in a box and have the kids guess what might be in the box giving clues. 3
learning the plan PP Read Matthew 21:5 together: Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden. Matthew 21:5 Let s say the verse again with some motions to help us remember it. Behold (Hold out hands in fists with palms down then open them dramatically as if to surprise someone.) Your King (Place hands on head like a crown.) Is coming to you (Walk fingers of one hand on the palm of the other.) Humble (Bow) And mounted on a donkey (Make ears of donkey) On a colt, (Put one hand out and bring it down to show something that is little.) The foal of a beast of burden. (Hunch over and hold back.) 4
investigating bible story PP The Triumphant Entry Matthew 21:1-11 (Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-44; John 12:12-19) Supplies: 2 pieces of poster board, markers Preparation: Cut poster boards in half. Write I am King of on each one. Option: Use black poster board and write on them with chalk. If you could be king of something, what would it be? (Explain that we will use the word King generally instead of King and Queen.) Do not tell anyone, yet! Think about this for a moment. I need four volunteers who know what they would like to be king of. Have the kids write on their boards what they would be king of, not allowing anyone to see what they are writing. Place the boards face down on the floor in front of them. We are going to play a game like Charades. Each of my volunteers will act out what they would be king of. It is your job to guess. You will have 30 seconds each. As each one acts it out, yell out what you think. (After each kid s 30 seconds, have them pick up their board and show it to the audience.) Were you surprised at what each of our volunteers wanted to be king over? We have learned that today s name of Jesus is King. People were surprised by what Jesus was king over. They expected a king who would rescue them. They thought Jesus would overthrow the Roman government. They thought that Jesus kingdom would be one on earth. However, they were wrong. Does anyone know what the four Gospels are? Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. All four of the Gospels tell the story of Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Let s see what happened on that day. Jesus was traveling with his disciples and as they came near to Jerusalem, He stopped. He sent two disciples into the village. He told them that they would find a donkey tied with a colt. They were to untie them and tell anyone who asked, The Lord needs them. He told them that the owner would send them at once. And that is exactly what happened. A prophet a long time before that had said this would happen. In fact, His prophecy is partly our Bible verse today. Let s read Matthew 21: 4-5. PP This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, Say to the daughter of Zion, Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden. After the disciples got the donkey and the colt, they put their cloaks (similar to coats) on them. Jesus sat on the colt. As Jesus entered Jerusalem, a crowd gathered along the road. The people took off their cloaks and spread them on the road in front of Him. In Scripture, this was done as a symbol of 5
submission- meaning the people were saying that Jesus had authority over them. They were looking at Him as the King. The cloaks on the ground also helped the dust from stirring up as Jesus and the disciples moved down the road. Some in the crowd cut palm branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Palm leaves were often used to show victory. People were hoping that day that Jesus would lead them to victory over the Roman rulers. PP The crowd before Him and after Him were shouting. Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest! By the end of the week, the crowds would be different. They would turn on Jesus. They would show their disappointment that He was not the King they wanted. However, for now, they were calling Him King. They were recognizing that He was from God. Jesus kingdom is not a kingdom on earth. It is a heavenly kingdom. It is one that will last forever. We do not have kings as much today as people once did. However, we do have rulers like Presidents, Governors, and Prime Ministers. Jesus is King over all these rulers. His kingdom will last forever, not just for a time. Let s make sure that we recognize that Jesus is King over everything. That includes our lives. We can make the choice to recognize Him as the King over us. And when we do that, we enter into His kingdom. We are a part of a kingdom that will never end. 6
Prayer PP Do a praise popcorn type prayer. Have kids pop up with short prayers praising Him such as the people did that day in Jerusalem. extreme flight tales: the catapult PP PP The catapult has been around for thousands of years. It was first used as a weapon. The Greeks and Romans would use it to send fire into an area. Imagine seeing a big orange ball of fire come flying at you! PP In the Medieval period, the catapult was still used to get over the walls surrounding a castle. Sometimes rocks were flung from it to tear down the walls. PP About one hundred years ago, catapults were used for entertainment. People were flung from catapults into nets. They, also, were shot out of cannons in a similar way. Can you imagine being the person being flung through the air in hopes of hitting a net? Not only would you have to hit the net, but land correctly or you could break a neck. One family was famous for this trick. They were the Zacchini family and in 1922 they started doing the stunt. By 1940, they had someone soaring over three Ferris wheels and into a net. This was getting dangerous. PP Today catapults are used for a fun event called the Pumpkin Chunkin. Groups design a catapult and then compete against each other to see how far they can launch a pumpkin or to see if they can hit a target. The thing about a catapult is that sometimes people missed the mark. They did not hit what they were trying to hit. Sometimes it did not matter, like when a pumpkin did not hit the target. Other times it mattered a lot, like when a person was being catapulted. The people in Jesus time missed the mark when they thought of Jesus as being the king over an earthly kingdom. They wanted someone to rescue them from the Romans. What they missed out on was understanding that Jesus, the King, was the king over a heavenly kingdom, not an earthly one. Jesus came to rescue us not from a government, but from sin. He rode not on a horse like someone in the military would have done, but instead on a donkey. He came not to sit on an earthly throne but to die on a cross. He was so different from what the people expected, however, He was exactly what the people needed. Let s say our Bible verse to help us remember exactly what kind of king Jesus is: Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden. Matthew 21:5 7
building the device: catapult wars PP Supplies: unopened soup cans, rubber bands, spoons, marshmallows, plastic cups Preparation: Stack the plastic cups to make a structure resembling a wall or pyramid. Each group should have a wall to knock down. Divide the kids into groups. Give each group a soup can, three rubber bands, spoon and a bag of large marshmallows. The kids work together to design a catapult using the supplies. If they need a hint: place the rubber bands around the can. Insert the spoon between the rubber band and the can with half of the spoon sticking up above the top of the can. Pull back on the spoon and place a marshmallow in the spoon. Aim and let go. Each group should try to knock down the wall of paper cups. Note: To simulate an angry bird game, use ping pong balls painted like angry birds. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem the crowds hailed Him as the king. They wanted a kingdom on earth. However, earthly kingdoms do not last. They end up crumbling just like the wall did. Jesus kingdom, the heavenly kingdom, will last forever. Those who join Him in His kingdom will live forever in heaven with Him. We have a choice to make each day. Are we going to worry more about the earthly kingdoms that people try to build? Or are we going to spend time building the heavenly kingdom? How do people try to build earthly kingdoms? Maybe they spend all their money on things that will one day be destroyed. Or perhaps they never spend time developing a relationship with Jesus but spend all their time on a hobby or a sport. Can you think of other ways? How do you think we build the heavenly kingdom? Any time we put into our relationship with Jesus furthers the kingdom. Every time we share about Him to others whether through our actions or our words builds the kingdom. What other ways builds Jesus Kingdom? Let s make the choice to build His Kingdom. Remember that Jesus is the King over a heavenly kingdom not an earthly one. 8
debriefing flight test lab Supplies: clothespins, plastic bottle caps (milk jugs), glue, rubber bands, popsicle sticks, shoe boxes, pencils, cotton balls or marshmallows, hula hoop Note: An assortment of materials to experiment with is good to have on hand. For more ideas on making catapults, visit our Airborne pinterest board at www.pinterest.com/riversec Preparation: Place the hula hoop on the floor. Have kids experiment trying to make a catapult. Once they have made their own catapult, have them try to fling something into a target area (the hula hoop). Catapult Idea for those needing help: Glue the bottle cap to the end of the clothespin where one pushes down. Place a cotton ball in the bottle cap. Push down on the end of the clothespin and let go to launch. Review the meaning of the name King. Discuss how the people missed the mark in what kind of king they expected. Have the kids compare the king that was expected and the king that Jesus was. craft: praise palm branches Supplies: Green paper, scissors, markers Cut out palm branches from the green paper. Have the kids think of praises to an eternal king to write on their palm branches. ( He is the Everlasting King. Or Jesus is King of Kings. ) Encourage them to place the branches somewhere at home to remind themselves to focus on worshipping Jesus during the Easter season. game: joining the king Supplies: ball (Heavy enough to be thrown, but not so heavy that it can hurt someone when hit.) Begin the game with one king. The king starts with the ball and is it. The king tries to hit other players with the ball. He/she can run with the ball and chase others. As soon as another player has been hit with the ball, they join the king s kingdom. Now, the king may not run with the ball. He must pass the ball to someone in his kingdom and then run. Continue play until everyone is in the kingdom. If play gets confusing, stop for a moment and ask those in the kingdom to identify themselves. Ask the kids how Jesus, the King, wants everyone in His kingdom. How do people enter His kingdom? Does He tag them with a ball? The truth? Or do we need to respond? 9
bible memory Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden. Matthew 21:5 Supplies: scrap paper-25 pieces per team, buckets, bowls or small trash cans-one per group, copy of verse Preparation: Print out the verse. Cut into individual words. Place the buckets on the floor with the words around the bucket face down. Divide the kids into groups. Give each group a stack of scrap paper. On go, each group should crumple paper into balls. They take turns tossing the paper into the bucket. When one player successfully get their ball into the bucket, they run up to the bucket and pick a word. Once all the words are gone, the team works together to put the verse together. (If they run out of paper, one team member runs to the bucket and retrieves the balls that did not land in the bucket.) express yourself Supplies: Copy of questions for each small group 1. Describe what you think of when you think of a king. How is that the same and different from the king that Jesus is? 2. What is the difference in an earthly kingdom and God s kingdom (heavenly kingdom)? 3. Is it hard to think more of a heavenly kingdom than an earthly one? Why? 4. Give some examples of things kids do to build up a kingdom on earth. 5. Give some examples of things kids do to build up God s kingdom. 6. If you were standing along side the road when Jesus made His triumphant entry, what do you think you might have done? Would you have waved palm branches? Would you have called out anything? 10
snack: donkey face Supplies: graham crackers, small marshmallow, apples, chocolate chips, string cheese, paper plate Preparation: Cut apple slices. Place one rectangle of graham cracker on the plate short sides on the top and bottom of the plate. Place apples slices on the top corners for ears. Small marshmallows are teeth, chocolate chips are nostrils and eyes, string cheese strips are the mane between the ears. Review why the donkey is a symbol of the name King for Jesus. building the name cards Supplies: printed card for each child, markers or crayons (optional) Name: King Symbol: Donkey Verse: Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden. Matthew 21:5 Give each child the card. If using the coloring cards, use markers or crayons to decorate them. Go over the verse together and review the symbol. 11
Supply List minute to build it: Three plastic spoons Three bags of cotton balls Three hula hoops the flying ace: None discovering the plan: For optional display-donkey picture or donkey (plastic or stuffed) King sign bible story: 2 pieces of poster board Markers building the device: Unopened soup cans Rubber bands Spoons Marshmallows Plastic cups flight test lab: Clothespins Plastic bottle caps (milk jugs) Glue Rubber bands Popsicle sticks Shoe boxes Pencils Cotton balls or marshmallows Hula hoop craft: Green paper Scissors Markers game: Ball bible memory: Scrap paper-25 pieces per team Buckets Bowls or small trash cans-one per group Copy of verse express yourself: Copy of questions for each small group snack: Graham crackers Small marshmallow, Apples Chocolate chips String cheese Paper plate building the name cards: Printed card for each child, markers or crayons (optional)
Building family time Main Point: Jesus, the King, is a king over a heavenly kingdom not an earthly one. Bible Verse: Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden. Matthew 21:5 Bible Story: The Triumphant Entry, Matthew 21:1-11 Family Imaginative Thinking: Act out the story. Have dad or mom be the donkey and have one child ride on the donkey. Take off coats and place them in the path. Be sure to shout out Hosanna. Family Art Project Find building materials such as blocks or Legos. Build a walls with them. Throw a ball or other soft object to try to knock down the wall. Have fun trying different kinds of walls. How is the wall like an earthly kingdom that a king would rule over? How is it different than a heavenly kingdom? Family Discussion: Read the Bible story together. 1. Why did the people put their cloaks down on the ground? (Submission to the king.) 2. What kind of king did the people want? (One who would overthrow the Romans.) 3. How was Jesus different than the king they wanted?
express yourself 1. Describe what you think of when you think of a king. How is that the same and different from the king that Jesus is? 2. What is the difference in an earthly kingdom and God s kingdom (heavenly kingdom)? 3. Is it hard to think more of a heavenly kingdom than an earthly one? Why? 4. Give some examples of things kids do to build up a kingdom on earth. 5. Give some examples of things kids do to build up God s kingdom. 6. If you were standing along side the road when Jesus made His triumphant entry, what do you think you might have done? Would you have waved palm branches? Would you have called out anything?