Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday—of Kings, Donkeys and Jerusalem (spark bible, pp. 454-459)

Jesus:  Disciple Friends! I need to go into Jerusalem.  I have some important things to do there, and I want to celebrate Passover dinner with you there.  Will you walk with me?”

Narrator:  Will you walk with us?  Let’s be the disciples together and go to Jerusalem with Jesus! (walking around the room)  I’m so excited—are you?  I love Passover!  The food is wonderful, we gather with close friends and family, and tell the story of how God’s people, the Israelites, escaped slavery in Egypt! I love being with my family and friends and telling the story—and eating!  What’s your favorite food to eat at celebrations?  Keep walking!  I think we’re almost to Jerusalem!

Jesus: “I’d like two of your to go borrow a donkey in the next village.  Please tell the owner I need it.  He’ll understand.” (send 2 kids to run off for a donkey—do we have a horse on a stick? Or should we just have them pretend?)

Narrator:  Keep walking we’re almost there!  LOOK!  There’s our friends with the donkey! What’s Jesus doing?  He’s getting on the donkey’s back and riding down the hill into Jerusalem.  That seems a little strange! Let’s keep walking, though.  Wait—look around us!  There are people EVERYWHERE! And they’re shouting something at him, but they look happy.  What are they saying?  Let’s listen:

(ALL ADULTS):  Hosanna!  Here comes the King!  Hosanna!  Praise God!

Narrator: Here come even more people—men, women, children, young, old, big, small and all are happy!  They’re singing and saying Hosanna! They’re joining us.  Hundreds—no thousands of people! What are they doing now?  (Have sweaters/clothes that can be thrown on the ground)

They’re taking off their coats and laying them down for the donkey to walk on!  People have pulled palm branches down off the trees and they’re waving them.  Wait!  Now they’re throwing the BRANCHES on the ground for the donkey to walk on.  Have you ever seen anything like this?  WOW!

Someone is yelling for us to be quiet—they don’t seem to like Jesus, or how excited we are! Today we can’t be quiet—we’re celebrating because Jesus is God’s king and he has come to save us.  HOSANNA!  Can you say it with me?  HOSANNA!