Preschool March 29, 2015 8:45am
Leader BIBLE STUDY 3 The Sunday before is Palm Sunday the day Jesus entered Jerusalem as the King of kings the week before Passover. Many of God s people traveled to Jerusalem for Passover. Jesus and His disciples traveled to Jerusalem as well. Near Bethphage (BETH fayj) and Bethany near the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples ahead into a village. Jesus told them, You will find a young donkey tied there. No one has ever sat on it. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone says to you Why are you doing this? say, The Lord needs it. Jesus was going to fulfill a prophecy by the prophet Zechariah that said, Look, your King is coming to you, gentle, and mounted on a donkey. (Zech. 9:9) Jesus made a spectacular entrance into the city. He rode a donkey, and people laid branches and their robes on the ground in front of Him. The people welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem believed He was the promised Messiah, but they expected Him to overthrow Roman oppression and set up an earthly throne. Jesus sent a different message. Jesus entered the temple and turned over the tables of the money changers and those selling doves. Read Isaiah 56:6-7. Jesus referred to Isaiah, declaring that His kingship would not just be over the Jews but over all people. While Jesus was in the temple, He healed the blind and the lame. Check out the words of Isaiah 35:4-6. Jesus actions declared, I am not just your King; I am also your God. Finally, the priests and the scribes heard the children worshiping Jesus as their King. Do You hear what these children are saying? they asked. Jesus replied, quoting Psalm 8:2: Have you never read: You have prepared praise from the mouths of children and nursing infants? Jesus gladly received their praise because He was worthy of their praise. As we prepare for and celebrate, help kids connect the dots between God s promises of a Messiah and Jesus coming. Help them understand why Jesus came: to save the world from sin! Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 32 Session 3 1
Preschool BIBLE STUDY OVERVIEW Session Title: The Triumphal Entry Bible Passage: Matthew 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; John 12:12-19 Big Picture Question: How did people act when they saw Jesus? People welcomed Jesus as their King. Key Passage: Romans 6:9 Unit Christ Connection: God s plan for redemption is fulfilled through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Small Group Opening U N I T 32 3 Large Group Bible Study Small Group Activities Snack and Transition 2
The BIBLE STORY The Triumphal Entry Matthew 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; John 12:12-19 It was the time of year that the Israelites celebrated Passover. Many Israelites had traveled to Jerusalem to remember what God had done when He rescued His people from slavery in Egypt. Jesus and His disciples traveled to Jerusalem too. He sent two of them ahead to a village. Jesus said, Go into the village ahead of you. There you will find a donkey and her colt tied up. Untie them and bring them to Me. If anyone says anything to you, you should say that the Lord needs them. The disciples did what Jesus said. They put their robes on the donkey and the colt, and Jesus sat on them. As Jesus came to Jerusalem, a large crowd gathered. The crowd laid their robes on the road. They cut palm branches from trees and laid those on the road, too. The crowds walked ahead of Jesus, and those who followed Him shouted, Hosanna to the Son of David! He who comes in the name of the Lord is the blessed One the King of Israel! Hosanna in the highest heaven! The word hosanna means Save now! The religious teachers didn t like it. They asked Jesus to tell His disciples to be quiet. If they didn t praise Me, Jesus said, the rocks would cry out! When Jesus entered Jerusalem, people asked, Who is this? The crowds replied, This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee! They were only half right. Jesus wasn t just a prophet of God He was God s Son! Jesus went to the temple where people worshiped God. He drove out everyone who was buying and selling things in the temple. He knew the people selling doves and exchanging money were not being honest. Jesus said, This temple is a place for prayer for all nations, but you are a bunch of thieves! While Jesus was at the temple complex, people who were blind and people who were lame came to Him. Jesus healed them. The priests and the scribes at the temple heard children shouting, Hosanna to the Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 32 Session 3 3
Son of David! The priests and scribes asked Jesus, Do you hear what these children are saying? The children were saying, The king is here! The king is here! Jesus said, Yes. Even the children will praise Me. Then Jesus left and went to spend the night in the town of Bethany. Christ Connection: The people were happy to see Jesus. They knew He was their King. Jesus came riding on a donkey, just as the prophet Zechariah said He would. (Zechariah 9:9) Want to dig a little deeper? Get More! Invite kids to check out today s devotional to discover more about why Jesus told Thomas Because you have seen Me, you have believed (John 20:29). Many of the people saw the miracles Jesus performed, but they crucified Him. Order in bulk, subscribe quarterly, or purchase individually. For more information, check out www.lifeway.com/devotionals. 4
Small Group OPENING Session Title: The Triumphal Entry Bible Passage: Matthew 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; John 12:12-19 Big Picture Question: How did people act when they saw Jesus? People welcomed Jesus as their King. Key Passage: Romans 6:9 Unit Christ Connection: God s plan for redemption is fulfilled through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Look and See song LOW PREP Triumphal Entry Match activity page, 1 per kid crayons Welcome and Session Starter Play the unit theme song in the background as you greet preschoolers and follow your church s security procedures. Activity Page: Triumphal Entry Match Encourage kids to examine the activity sheet to find the matching items from today s Bible story (donkey, palm branch, Jesus, and a crowd of happy people). Help kids draw a line between the two matching pictures. Talk about the images and invite kids to describe them to you. Say Today we are going to hear a Bible story about Jesus traveling to a city called Jerusalem. Each picture on your sheet is part of the story. Can you point to the pictures of Jesus on your page? Good job! Today s Bible story is about Jesus. Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 32 Session 3 5
Look and See song Palm Branch 1 per kid rhythm or musical instruments Look and See song Alive Forever song Wave palm branches Give each child a palm branch to wave in the air. Play the unit theme song and invite the children to wave their branches to the music. When the music stops, they will set their branches on the ground. When the music starts up again, they can pick up their branches and wave them around again. Say In our Bible story today, a large group of people were so happy to see Jesus that they cut palm tree branches and laid them down before Him. [Show the image of a palm branch.] In Bible times, placing palm branches on the ground in front of someone was like saying, You are the King! Musical celebration Give instruments to the children and invite them to march around the room with their instruments to the beat of a praise song or the unit theme song. Invite kids to shout Hosanna! from time to time. Explain to kids that hosanna means Save now! The people called out Hosanna! as Jesus rode into Jerusalem for Passover. Say We sing praises and play instruments because we love Jesus and are thankful for what He has done for us. Jesus is worthy of a big celebration! Transition to Bible study 6
Large Group BIBLE STUDY Session Title: The Triumphal Entry Bible Passage: Matthew 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; John 12:12-19 Big Picture Question: How did people act when they saw Jesus? People welcomed Jesus as their King. Key Passage: Romans 6:9 Unit Christ Connection: God s plan for redemption is fulfilled through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Large Group Bible Study Bible Timeline Map Key Passage Poster Alive Forever song Introduce the Bible story Introduce the Bible story by personally inviting kids one at a time to the Bible story area for a celebration. As you invite the children to sit with you, excitedly say, Come, hear about Jesus! Say Come, hear about Jesus! Today the Bible story is about a time when Jesus arrived at the city of Jerusalem riding on a donkey. [Point to the timeline map.] When He arrived, the people were so happy that they cheered for Jesus! The people thought Jesus was going to be their King. Jesus is King, but He didn t come to earth to just sit on a throne. He came to rescue us from sin by dying on the cross and coming back to life! Open your Bible to Romans 6:9. Invite kids who want to try to say the key passage from memory to say it together. Read the key passage with just the girls repeating after you, and then repeat with just the boys. Sing Alive Forever together. Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 32 Session 3 7
The Triumphal Entry picture Bible Story Picture Poster Tell the Bible story Open your Bible to Matthew 21; Mark 11; Luke 19; or John 12. Say Today s Bible story is found in the Book of Matthew, the Book of Mark, the Book of Luke, and the Book of John. [Point to the books in your Bible.] The story took place a week before the Passover. Passover was a reminder to God s people that He had rescued them from the Egyptians. Let s see what Jesus said and did in today s Bible story. Tell the Bible story in your own words using the script provided. Big Picture Question Poster Talk about the Bible story Invite kids to answer the following questions: 1. To what city was Jesus traveling? (Jerusalem) 2. What animal did Jesus ride into Jerusalem? (a donkey) 3. What did the crowd do to honor Jesus? (The crowd laid their robes and palm branches on the ground in front of Jesus donkey.) 4. Who did the people say Jesus is? (They said Jesus is the Son of David, the King that God had promised to send.) 5. How did people act when they saw Jesus? People welcomed Jesus as their King. Say The people were happy to see Jesus. They knew He was their King. Jesus came riding on a donkey, just as the prophet Zechariah said He would. (Zechariah 9:9) Transition to small groups 8
Small Group Activities Session Title: The Triumphal Entry Bible Passage: Matthew 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; John 12:12-19 Big Picture Question: How did people act when they saw Jesus? People welcomed Jesus as their King. Key Passage: Romans 6:9 Unit Christ Connection: God s plan for redemption is fulfilled through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Small Group Activities Remember to review Christ connection or details from the Bible story in each activity to reinforce what kids are learning. Preschoolers learn best by repetition. LOW PREP Emotion Cube Play out emotions The cube will show one drawing of a different emotion on each side (happy, scared, shy, sleepy, angry, sad). Lead the children to sit in a large circle together. Take turns rolling the cube in the middle of the circle. Invite the children to play out the emotion that the cube landed on. If the cube lands on a happy face, encourage kids to show how they are happy. Remind the children that people were happy to see Jesus! Say In the Bible story today, people were happy when they saw Jesus. What does it look like to be happy? [Allow children to show what happy looks like.] The crowd was so happy because they knew that Jesus is King! They yelled Hosanna! The King is here! How did people act when they saw Jesus? People welcomed Jesus as their King. Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 32 Session 3 9
green paper pencils or crayons craft sticks, 1 per kid glue or tape blunt-tipped scissors large piece of paper or several pieces taped together stickers of leaves, animals, and people markers Craft stick palm branches Trace each child s hand onto a green piece of paper. Help each kid cut out the traced hand and write her name on it. Assist the kids as they glue or tape craft sticks to their paper hands to make palm branches. Guide the children to wave their palm branches and say, Hosanna! The King is here! Say Do you remember what the people in the story did with palm branches? They laid them on the road in front of Jesus. This was a way to celebrate Jesus. This was like saying You are King! You are the great ruler! How did people act when they saw Jesus? People welcomed Jesus as their King. Road to Jerusalem Draw a winding road across a large piece of paper or several sheets of regular paper taped together. At one end of the road, write JERUSALEM. Invite the children to place stickers of leaves, animals (such as donkeys and colts), and people all along the road. Kids may also draw palm branches on the road. As kids work, retell the Bible story, emphasizing that Jesus rode a donkey on the road to Jerusalem. Say Do you remember what animal Jesus rode when He was going to Jerusalem? Jesus didn t come to Jerusalem riding a majestic horse or in a grand carriage. Jesus came on a donkey. What else was placed on the road when Jesus traveled? People laid their robes and palm branches all along the road in front of Jesus to show that He is King! How did people act when they saw Jesus? People welcomed Jesus as their King. 10
strips of cloth slips of green construction paper palm branches from small group opening Palm parade Distribute to the kids strips of cloth to represent robes and slips of green construction paper to represent palm branches. If kids colored and cut out palm branches at the beginning of the session, they can also wave those. Invite the children to wave their palm branches or lay down their strips of cloth and march in a line saying, Hosanna! Save us, King Jesus! Say We marched and said, Hosanna! Save us! We were saying the same thing the people said when they saw Jesus coming to Jerusalem. The people knew Jesus is King, and they were asking Him to save them as He rode by. How did people act when they saw Jesus? People welcomed Jesus as their King. Guess the emotion Invite the kids to play a game with you and all the adult helpers. The adults will take turns playing out an emotion: sad, happy, angry, surprised, shy, and so forth. Encourage the kids to guess the emotion. Remind the kids that the people were happy to see Jesus! Say How did people act when they saw Jesus? People welcomed Jesus as their King. They were happy! Jesus said, If the people don t praise me, the rocks will cry out! This is how much Jesus deserves for us to celebrate Him. Jesus even deserves worship from the rocks! Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 32 Session 3 11
Snack and Transition Take a restroom break and invite kids to wash their hands. Serve the snack. Remind the preschoolers to wait to eat so that you can pray together. Remind the kids to say please and thank you. Thank God for the snack. Journal Page crayons Transition - Journal Page When a child finishes his snack and throws away any trash, offer the journal page and invite kids to draw a picture of someone in their life who makes them happy. Invite kids to talk about whom they drew and why that person makes them happy. Pray over the kids. Say Thank You, God, for this special Bible story where Jesus came to Jerusalem riding on a donkey, just as You promised through the prophet Zechariah. Thank You, God, for sending Your only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross to rescue us from sin. Thank You for making Jesus alive again three days later. We love You! Help us to always be happy to tell others about You! Amen! If parents are picking up their children at this time, tell them something that their child enjoyed doing or did well during the session. If new teachers are arriving, quietly share useful information about kids who are present. 12
Journal Page March 29, 2015 Key Passage: Romans 6:9 Session 1: Preparation for Passover Matthew 26:17-30; Mark 14:12-26; Luke 22:7-23 Session 2: The Last Supper John 13 17 Session 3: The Triumphal Entry Matthew 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; John 12:12-19 Session 4: Jesus Crucifixion and Resurrection Matthew 26:36 28:10; John 18:1 20:18 OK TO PRINT
We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again. Romans 6:9 Unit 32 Key Passage Poster (ESV) OK TO PRINT
How did people act when they saw Jesus? Unit 32 Session 3 Big Picture Question OK TO PRINT
How did people act when they saw Jesus? People welcomed Jesus as their King. Unit 32 Session 3 Big Picture Question OK TO PRINT
Unit 32 Session 3 The Triumphal Entry OK TO PRINT
Triumphal Entry Match Instructions: Find the matching items from today s Bible story. Unit 32 Session 3 Preschool Activity Pages
The Triumphal Entry Matthew 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; John 12:12-19
Palm Branch Instructions: Print and use as directed in the leader guide. UNIT 32 Session 3 Preschool Bible Study OK TO PRINT
Emotion Cube Instructions: Print and cut out along the dotted lines. Fold along the solid lines. Use as directed in the leader guide. UNIT 32 Session 3 Preschool Bible Study OK TO PRINT