The Triumphal Entry

By Karla Schettenhelm, Children's Ministry

This Sunday is Palm Sunday which marks the first day of Holy Week. We remember Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey and the people there waving palm branches and shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

The story of Jesus’ journey into Jerusalem can be watched here for younger viewers and here for older children and adults.

Below is some information about different parts of this Palm Sunday account:
The donkey

• Jesus riding on the donkey fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy found in Zechariah 9:9, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!  Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!  Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
• King Solomon had ridden a mule when he became king. (1 Kings 1:38-40). By riding the colt into Jerusalem, Jesus was publicly announcing to His disciples that He was a king.
• Jesus riding on the donkey showed the humble nature of His incarnation. He did not come into this world to rule over an earthly kingdom. If this was His purpose He would have ridden on a warhorse, leading an army to fight the Romans.
• The colt had never been ridden. Its’ first “job” was to carry Jesus into Jerusalem. It was “set apart” for that purpose. In a sense, it was holy which means “set apart.”
• A donkey is sometimes called “a beast of burden.” A burden is something difficult or a heavy load. The Jewish people were giving Jesus their burden of being oppressed by the Roman government. We give Jesus our burdens of sin, death, and the devil.

In our current world situation, many of us are burdened by fear and worry of this virus invading our lives; we are burdened by the quarantine we are under feeling closed in or isolated.  Remembering that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey helps us remember that He takes our burdens from us. Lay your burden at His feet.

Placing garments and branches on the road

• One reason to lay garments or branches on the road is to acknowledge that Jesus is a King. In 2 Kings 9:13 we are told about another king who people laid their garments down for.
• Putting the garments and palm branches on the road before Jesus is seen as a display of honor, respect, and reverence.
• In modern times we can think of celebrities walking on the red carpet. The garments and branches on the road were Jesus’ “red carpet.”

We praise Jesus now and acknowledge His Lordship and authority over our lives. How do you 'lay garments' down for Jesus in your life? What do you do that acknowledges that He is King?

The peoples’ praises

• Three of the Gospel writer’s tell us that the people shouted “Hosanna!”
  • And the crowds that went before him and followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!  Hosanna in the highest!”  Matthew 21:9
  • And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna!  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!  Hosanna in the highest.”  Mark 11:9-10
  • Saying,  “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!  Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”  Luke 19:38
  • So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”  John 12:13
• Hosanna means “save us now.”  It is also a shout of praise, like “Alleluia!”  The dictionary definition is that it is an exclamation (especially in biblical, Judaic, and Christian use) used to express adoration, praise, or joy.

We too shout “Hosanna!” while waving our palms and celebrating Jesus! How does the meaning of Hosanna- Save Us help you understand or look differently at Palm Sunday?

Palms are available until Saturday at the church under the canopy for those that would like to pick them up. If you cannot or would rather not, there are ways to easily make palms at home.

Use green paper, or color paper green, and trace hand prints on the paper.  

• Cut out hand prints and glue them to a stick, a Popsicle stick, a paint stick, a ruler, etc.  You can trace everyone in the family’s hands and everyone can have a palm with all of the different hand prints or everyone can have a palm with their own hand prints.

Cut out  a big oval shape with a “handle” on the bottom or glue/tape it to a stick, ruler, etc.

• Fringe cut the edges of the leaf.

Use pieces of tissue paper, streamers, yarn, etc. to make a palm branch. 

• Cut those items into strips. 
• Find a stick outside.
• Tie several strips onto the stick.  

Painted hand prints make great palm leaves, add a footprint and make it into a donkey for a fun Palm Sunday art project!

Print out this palm branch, color, and cut it out.

A fun Palm Sunday activity would be to have your own parade (like Jesus on the first Palm Sunday). You could do this in your home with your own family or walk along the sidewalk outside your home and wave your palms. You can say the words the people said long ago, “Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,” or you can play marching music and march like people do in modern parades.

Below are some Hosanna songs to sing as we praise Jesus remembering His triumphal entry into Jerusalem beginning the culmination of His purpose on earth.

The songs are ordered from fun for the smallest children to more reflective for adults.
Ho Ho Ho Hosanna
Give Me Oil in My Lamp
Hosanna (2018 VBS Jerusalem action song video)
Hosanna Rock
Hosanna – A Palm Sunday Song
Hosanna – Jerusalem Hillsong on Palm Sunday
Hosanna, Loud Hosanna