2 s and PK April 8th/9th (20.1) Jesus Triumphal Entry Bible Passages: Matthew 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; John 12:12-19 Main Point: People welcomed Jesus as their King. 2 s Memory Verse: Jesus is Lord. - Romans 10:9 Preschool Memory Verse: If you confess Jesus is Lord and believe God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. - Romans 10:9 Leader Preparation Your role as a leader in the classroom is the most important role in the Loop as you are the direct connection to the whole reason we gather - to share the love of Christ with kids at Park! If you are not prepared to lead well in your service, then that affects the experience of the children in your care. To help prepare for this lesson, use the following study guide to set the context for this week s lesson. And don t forget to pray before, during and after! The Sunday before Easter is Palm Sunday the day Jesus entered Jerusalem as the King of kings the week of 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 would fulfill Zechariah s prophecy: 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. The next day, Jesus entered the temple and turned over the tables of the money changers and those selling doves. Jesus referred to Isaiah 56:7, 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. Jesus actions declared, I am not just your King; I am also your God (Isa. 35:4-6). Finally, the priests and the scribes heard the children in the temple 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 you prepare for and celebrate Easter, help preschoolers 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!
Welcome // (15 minutes) Leaders: Pay attention to kids as they enter the room and be sure to greet them with a big smile! Make sure that you make each kid feel special when they arrive each week. Invite them to come sit or play with you. Learn their names. 2 s Preschool Before children arrive, set out toys to engage the kids when they are dropped off and turn on background music CD/flash drive. Remember that separation anxiety is common and normal with this age. The best way to combat this is to distract them with fun right away. Consider these activities: One leader singing songs with kids Having bubbles or bubble machine in one corner of the room Blocks or Cars set up and ready to play Playdough at a table Coloring- crayons and paper Set up the two activities below before children arrive, and turn on background music CD/Flash Drive. Kids can participate in either activity as they enter the room. 1. Activity page What You Need: activity pages, crayons What You Do: Lead preschoolers to complete the dot-to-dot to reveal a palm branch What You Say: Today we celebrate Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter. We call it Palm Sunday to remember how the people cut palm branches from trees and laid them on the road in front of Jesus as He went into Jerusalem. The people were happy to see Jesus. 2. Build a Road What You Need: Blocks, Animal and Peope figurines What You Do: Invite preschoolers to use blocks to build a road through the classroom. Encourage children to use toys or other existing items in the classroom to set up scenes along the road. Consider providing toy animals and people figures to travel on the road. What You Say: In today s Bible story, Jesus and His friends traveled to Jerusalem. Do you think they may have taken a road like this one to get to Jerusalem? Many of God s people traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. At Passover, God s people remembered how God had rescued His people from slavery in Egypt. Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem to rescue God s people from sin once and for all. TRANSITION TO CIRCLE TIME 2
Circle Time // (25 minutes) MUSIC While the kids finish playing, get the worship CD/DVD/flash drive ready. Decide which 3 or 4 songs you are going to sing today. Say: It s circle time! Come sit in a circle with us! We re going to sing some fun songs together that worship God! Why do we sing to God? ( Answer: To honor Him with our worship!) 2 s STORY TIME Preschool STORY TIME Say: Today s Lesson comes from God s Word, the Bible! Why do we read the Bible? (Answer: To know God s Word in our hearts!). Read the following text while showing the children this week s Bible Story Picture. The text will be printed on the back of the picture in your supplies: Jesus and His friends traveled to Jerusalem. He sent two of them ahead to a village. Jesus said, God into the village. You will find a donkey and her colt. Bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you should say that the Lord needs them. The friends 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. Those who loved Him shouted, Hosanna to the Son of David! The word hosanna means Lord, Save Us! The religious leaders didn t like this. They asked Jesus to tell His friends to be quiet. If they didn t praise Me, Jesus said, the rocks would cry out! The priests and scribes at the temple heard children shouting, Hosanna to the 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 Say: Today s Lesson comes from God s Word, the Bible! Why do we read the Bible? (Answer: To know God s Word in our hearts!). Watch today s teaching video OR read the following text while showing the children this week s Bible Story Picture: Jesus and His friends traveled to Jerusalem. He sent two of them ahead to a village. Jesus said, God into the village. You will find a donkey and her colt. Bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you should say that the Lord needs them. The friends 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. Those who loved Him shouted, Hosanna to the Son of David! The word hosanna means Lord, Save Us! The religious leaders didn t like this. They asked Jesus to tell His friends to be quiet. If they didn t praise Me, Jesus said, the rocks would cry out! The priests and scribes at the temple heard children shouting, Hosanna to the 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 3
is here! Jesus said, Yes, even the children will praise Me! The people in Jerusalem were happy to see Jesus. They knew He was their King, the Messiah that God had sent to Save them. Jesus came riding into the city on a donkey just as the prophet Zechariah said He would in the Old Testament. Revelation, the last book in the Bible, tells us that Jesus will come back again one day, riding on a white horse as King over everything! We can rejoice over this just like the children in the Bible did when they saw Jesus riding in on a donkey. After the story, ask the children the following review question: Let s answer today s important question about today s story: 1. What did Jesus ride when He entered Jerusalem? ( a donkey) 2. What were the people shouting when they saw Jesus enter the city? (Hosanna!, which means Lord, Save Us ) is here! Jesus said, Yes, even the children will praise Me! The people in Jerusalem were happy to see Jesus. They knew He was their King, the Messiah that God had sent to Save them. Jesus came riding into the city on a donkey just as the prophet Zechariah said He would in the Old Testament. Revelation, the last book in the Bible, tells us that Jesus will come back again one day, riding on a white horse as King over everything! We can rejoice over this just like the children in the Bible did when they saw Jesus riding in on a donkey. After the lesson, ask the children the following review questions: 1. What did Jesus ride when He entered Jerusalem? ( a donkey) 2. What did the people do for Jesus when He entered the city? (People welcomed Jesus as their King.) 3. What were the people shouting when they saw Jesus enter the city? (Hosanna!, which means Lord, Save Us ) 4. Who was not happy to see Jesus? ( religious teachers) 5. When Jesus returns again someday, what will He be riding? (a white horse) MEMORY VERSE Say: Now, let s practice this month s memory verse that comes from God s word, the Bible! 2 s VERSION Jesus is (touch middlefinger to each palm, sign for Jesus) Lord. (make an L with your thumb and forefinger) Romans 10:9 (open your hands like a book) PRESCHOOL VERSION If you confess Jesus is Lord (touch hand to lips and move away from mouth) And believe God raised Him from the dead (touch hand to head and move up towards Heaven) You will be saved. (draw hands up from the ground towards the sky) Romans 10:9 (open your hands like a book) 4
OFFERING Pass around the offering bag or bucket to collect any offering for today. Say: Why do we collect offering? (Answer: To pass the blessings God has given us back to His church!) PRAYER & SNACK Say: Why do we pray? (Answer: To open our hearts to God and talk to Him!) Tell the children to close their hands and bow their heads. After praying give each of the children a graham cracker and some water while you review the day s lesson. TRANSITION TO ACTIVITIES Application Activities // (30 minutes) Choose from the following review activities that best fits the age of your class. 2 s Preschool 1. Coloring Page What You Need: Coloring page and crayons What You Do: While children are still seated at the table from snack time, start handing out coloring pages and crayons. While children are coloring, review the memory verse and today s Bible story. 2. Make Palm Leaves What You Need: Large Green Paper, Age-appropriate scissors What You Do: Before class, use the template to cut large leaf shapes out of the green construction paper. Use a marker to mark the veins on a leaf. After handing a leaf to each child, demonstrate to them how to cut lines along the edges of the leaves to turn them into Palm leaves. What You Say: People praised Jesus as their King by waving palm branches just like these in the air as He passed by riding on His donkey. 1. Sing Ho-Ho-Ho Hosanna What You Do: This week, learn this classic Sunday school if you don t already know it. Then teach the kids this song! Once they know it you can sing it in different waysloudly, softly, etc. Here is a link to one version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7om W6PNPNI&spfreload=10 What You Say: The people welcomed Jesus as their King. They shouted, Hosanna to the Son of David! They knew Jesus was the forever King that God promised to send through King David s family. The word hosanna means Lord, Save Us! Who saves us from our sin? Jesus saves us from sin. 2. Make Palm Leaves What You Need: Large Green Paper, Age-appropriate scissors What You Do: Before class, use the template to cut large leaf shapes out of the green construction paper. Use a marker to mark the veins on a leaf. After handing a leaf to each child, demonstrate to them how to cut lines 5
3. Parade & Song What You Need: Palm Leaves You Made What You Do: Lead kids in a parade around the room (or down the hallway if allowed). Kids can wave their palm branches, and teach them to say, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest! as they wave. One volunteer could pretend to be Jesus riding a donkey, leading the way. When you get back from the parade, sing a song to the tune of B-I-N-G-O Jesus came to be our King, What You Say: God sent Jesus to earth because He loves us. As we get ready to celebrate Easter, we remember that today is Palm Sunday. On Palm Sunday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and all the people praised Him, waving palm branches and shouting Hosanna! Maybe today your family can have a parade just like we did! along the edges of the leaves to turn them into Palm leaves. What You Say: People praised Jesus as their King by waving palm branches just like these in the air as He passed by riding on His donkey. 3. Parade & Song What You Need: Palm Leaves You Made What You Do: Lead kids in a parade around the room (or down the hallway if allowed). Kids can wave their palm branches, and teach them to say, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest! as they wave. One volunteer could pretend to be Jesus riding a donkey, leading the way. When you get back from the parade, sing a song to the tune of B-I-N-G-O Jesus came to be our King, What You Say: God sent Jesus to earth because He loves us. As we get ready to celebrate Easter, we remember that today is Palm Sunday. On Palm Sunday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and all the people praised Him, waving palm branches and shouting Hosanna! Maybe today your family can have a parade just like we did! Free Play & Dismissal For the remainder of the hour, let kids have free play time. Begin cleaning up the room. And set any take-home creations where you or parents can get them easily at pick-up. 2 s Take Homes Coloring Page ASK ME sticker Palm Branch Preschool Take Homes Activity Page ASK ME sticker Palm Branch Greeter should stand at the door with the attendance sheet. They should check the parents security tag at the door to confirm pick up of the correct child. If parent does not have security tag, greeter should send parent to the 6
check-in desk for approval. Greeter should make sure child is wearing their Ask Me sticker and hand any take home creations to parents. 7