Bible Study “Palm Sunday”
Share: Your highs (something that made you happy) and lows (something that made you sad) this week with others around you or write them down.
Season of Lent. Is a time for spiritual preparation through repentance of our sins and growth in our faith for Easter. It is the time of the Church Year when the suffering and death of our Savior come into focus.
Palm Sunday commemorates the entrance of Christ into Jerusalem, when palm branches were placed in his path, before his arrest on Holy Thursday and his crucifixion on Good Friday. It thus marks the beginning of Holy Week, the final week of Lent.
People were praising God for giving them a king but had the wrong idea about Jesus. They expected their Messiah to be a great political and military leader who would free them from the tyranny of the Roman Empire. They were deaf to the words of their prophets and blind to Jesus real mission. Jesus once again tried to prepare His disciples for the reality of what was soon to take place.
Opening Prayer: Thank you, God, for Jesus who did what you asked him to do. Help us to do what we need to do to follow Jesus. Amen
Please open your Bibles to Luke 19:28-44 and read or read the scriptures below.
Luke 19:28-44
Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King
28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”
32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”
34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.”
35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.
37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”[a]
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”
Reflection Questions:
- Why would Jesus tell the disciples to take the colt?
- Why did Jesus enter Jerusalem on a colt? What was the significance of a colt on which no one had sat before?
- How did the crowds react?
- What is the significance of palm branches?
- What does “Hosanna” mean?
Find the answer to the questions below:
- He gave them tasks so that they could be involved. This helped them learn that following Jesus is not a passive job of sitting and listening too and watching Jesus all the time. It is instead an active job which requires serving by doing.
- The animal portrays meekness and humility. Jesus wasn’t coming to conquer but to offer peace.
- Their enthusiasm brimmed over as the joy and excitement of the moment infected the crowds spontaneously.
- Jesus’ purpose in riding into Jerusalem was to make public His claim to be their Messiah and King of Israel in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.
- Lord
Additional questions:
- How do you hear this story?
- What do you think the person that wrote this would say to us today?
- What word or phrase stands out to you when you read this?
Click here for the young learner’s lesson
Videos (Click on the words or url)
LUMO Project Gospel of Luke 19:28-48 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlOSiWSwfO4
Overview Luke 10-24 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlOSiWSwfO4
Song
Hosanna – A Palm Sunday Song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YApEIjvE6S4
Activities:
Story Bag: Write something to put in your bag about what you learned from today’s story and what Jesus has done for you.
Tissue Paper Cross – Tape a piece of contact paper to the table. Take tissue paper and scrunch into tiny wads of paper and stick to the contact paper in the shape of a cross. When finished, place another piece of contact paper over the tap and then cu the tissue paper into the form of a cross and hang with a string from the top of the cross.
Crossword Puzzle: https://sermons4kids.com/palm_sunday_choice.htm?fromSermonId=604
Word Shape: https://sermons4kids.com/palm_sunday_wordshape.htm?fromSermonId=604
Word Search: https://thewordsearch.com/puzzle/3533148/palm-sunday/
Prayer: Father, we are sometimes quick to say, "Jesus is Lord," but slow to show it in our lives. Help us to be faithful followers. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
