Matthew 21:1-11

31 min read

Faithfully Enter #

Palm Sunday
When to use: March 29, 2026

Worship Tools #

Worship Outline #

Additional Scripture 

Psalm 118:1–2, 19–29 

Palm Sunday: Use this service when the group has other opportunities to worship around the events of Holy Week. If this is the only worship experience scheduled before Easter, use a service for Passion Sunday. 

Worship Setting 

If a cross is present in your worship space, drape it with purple fabric. Throughout the season of Lent display seven candles set in a spiral design. The candle at the center of the spiral should be somewhat larger as this will be lit on Easter Sunday. These may be displayed in any manner of your choosing but should be visible to the group, so the spiral design is obvious. For the first Sunday of Lent, six of the candles will be lit (before the beginning of the service), and one candle will be extinguished. The next Sunday of Lent only five candles will be lit, and a candle will be extinguished. Continue this pattern until the last candle is lit and extinguished on Good Friday. On Easter Sunday, all the candles will be lit including the largest candle in the middle of the spiral. 

 Lenten Journey Song 

Choose one song that you will sing throughout the Lenten season where suggested in the worship services. 

“O Lord, Hear My Prayer” CCS 192 

OR “O God We Call” CCS 195 

OR “Calm to the Waves” CCS 158  

For Praying in Color, see below for the supplies needed. 

 The focus of this service will be the path of the disciple following Jesus. To set the stage for this, have children or others enter the worship space with palm fronds, spreading them along the way to the front symbolizing the path of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. This could be done during the singing of the Hymn of Triumphal Entry. 

Prelude 

Hymn of Praise    

Encourage participants to sing in languages other than their own. 

“Uyai Mose/Come All You People”      sing several times  CCS 84 

OR “Filled with Excitement/Mantos y palmas” CCS 465 

OR “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name!” CCS 105 

Translations into Spanish and French for this hymn can be found at HeraldHouse.org.

 Welcome 

Invitation to Worship 

Thank you, God, for your goodness! 

Your love endures forever! 

Let Israel say: 

“Your love is enduring!” 

Open the gates of righteousness for me, 

let me enter and thank you, God! 

This is the day our Lord has made— 

Let us be glad! 

—Psalm 118:1–2, 19, 24, adapted 

Hymn of Triumphal Entry 

“All Glory, Laud, and Honor” CCS 467 

OR “No Tramp of Soldiers’ Marching Feet” CCS 466 

Prayer of Invocation

Response  

Call to Confession 

Sung Thought 

“Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley”    stanza 1    CCS 452 

Thought for Reflection    print or project for all to see 

Lord, we recognize the path you walked was not easy. It was filled with sorrow, hurt, and loneliness caused by those who doubted you or even tried to put a stop to your ministry. Forgive us for those times we cause you pain by not walking in your footsteps, following your path.  Allow time for silent reflection. 

Sung Thought 

“Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley”   stanza 2    CCS 452 

Scripture Reading

Matthew 21:1–11  

Extinguishing of the Sixth Lenten Candle [optional]

As we continue the Lenten journey, we travel with Jesus toward the cross. Each Sunday we have put out a candle and followed the spiral that represents our inward journey. Today, we extinguish the sixth candle and are mindful of all who journey in life as a disciple.  

Extinguish the candle. 

Spiritual Practice: Praying in Color and Hosanna! 

  1. Questions for Reflection print or project for all to see
  1. Think about your journey in life as a disciple. Where are you now? Where are you headed? 
  1. Who is with you on the path of the disciple? 
  1. How do you experience God’s presence as you journey? 
  1. Lenten Journey Song see song choices above
  2. Praying in Color see below 

Focus Moment 

Scripture Story 

Read “Jesus Goes to Jerusalem” from the Lectionary Story Bible, Year A by Ralph Milton (WoodLake Publishing, Inc., 2007, ISBN: 9781551455471), 91–92 or another children’s Bible storybook. 

OR Tell the story of Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem in your own words. 

Discussion Questions 

    • What might it have been like to be in Jerusalem when Jesus entered—the crowds, the excitement, and the expectation?  
    • Can we be among those who follow Jesus’s path and be his disciples? 

 Ministry of Music or Community Hymn 

“Who Is This Jesus?” CCS 38 

OR “Sanna, Sannanina”   sing several times  CCS 469 

Sermon 

Based on Matthew 21:1–11

Disciples’ Generous Response 

Scripture 

Lift up your eyes and fix them on the place to which you are sent. Journey in trust…Understand that the road to transformation travels both inward and outward. The road to transformation is the path of the disciple…The path will not always be easy, the choices will not always be clear, but the cause is sure…and those who live the truth will know the hope and the joy of discipleship in the community of Christ. 

—excerpted from Doctrine and Covenants 161:1a, 3d, 7 

Video 

Watch Phyllis Gregg’s presentation, “All Are Called to Christ’s Mission” [4 mins., 22 secs.] at YouTube. 

Blessing and Receiving of Local and Worldwide Mission Tithes 

 Hymn of Commitment 

“Take the Path of the Disciple” CCS 558 

OR “There’s an Old, Old Path” CCS 245 

 Benediction 

Response 

Postlude 

Sacred Space: Small-Group Worship Outline #

Gathering

Welcome

On Palm Sunday we focus on the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Jesus enters the city astride a donkey as a symbol of the unexpected nature of God’s reign.

Prayer for Peace

Ring a bell or chime three times slowly.
Light the peace candle.

Gracious and loving God,

As we lay palms at your feet we pray for peace. Peace that triumphs over darkness. Peace that ebbs and flows in the lives of all those who see and receive it. Peace that makes all people shout in jubilation, like the people who saw you on a donkey and shouted, “Hosanna!” Peace that rests in stones that would shout if the people did not. Let that peace spread as people hear our shouts and see our reactions to you. As we enter into Holy Week, walk with us, God, so that we may take time this week to share peace with the world. Amen

Caleb and Tiffany Brian

Spiritual Practice

Body Prayer

Say aloud: Today our spiritual practice will be a body prayer.

Show the group members three postures they will experience for this spiritual exercise:

  • First posture—head bowed with hands folded
  • Second posture—sitting or standing with arms stretched outward
  • Third posture—both hands clasped over the heart.

Say: “A chime will signal when to move into the next posture. You will not offer any words of prayer. Instead focus on sensing what type of prayer wants to emerge from you as you hold each posture.”

Lead the group in three deep, cleansing breaths as preparation. Ring a chime.

First posture: Bow your head and fold your hands (one minute). Ring a chime.

Second posture: Sit or stand with your arms stretched outward (one minute). Ring a chime.

Third posture: Clasp your hands over your heart (one minute). Ring a chime.

Close with a spoken “Amen.”

Invite participants to share what they experienced as they engaged in the body prayer.

Sharing Around the Table

Matthew 21:1–11 NRSVue

When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet:

“Tell the daughter of Zion,

Look, your king is coming to you,

    humble and mounted on a donkey,

        and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!

    Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Matthew’s account fulfills the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9 NRSV:

Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Donkeys were symbols of peacemaking; horses were symbols of battle. Spreading cloaks and tree branches on the road was a way to honor Jesus.

In Matthew, the crowd hails Jesus as the “Son of David,” a phrase used by one of the blind men in the previous story. The title is not used often in the Bible. It can refer to a descendant of King David or someone who is as great and powerful as David, the warrior-king. The crowd uses the title as part of its desire for a Messiah who would deliver the people (Hosanna, save us!) through a political and military triumph over the Romans.

Matthew closes his account by providing an image of the entire city in turmoil over Jesus’ arrival. The crowds misunderstand Jesus’ role as a prophetic warrior-king. Jesus’ purpose is greater, wider, and more lasting than a military victory. Jesus is ushering in God’s reign.

Questions 

  1. Jesus enters Jerusalem as an expression of humility and peace, but the crowds anticipated a warrior-king. When has your understanding of who Jesus is been transformed in unexpected ways?
  2. The Jews understood “salvation” in terms of liberating people from oppressive foreign rule. How does that inform your understanding of salvation?
  3. When have you cried out, “Hosanna” (save us)?

Sending

Generosity Statement

 Note: If you are using “Thoughts for Children,” make time for the children to share their artwork with the group during this portion of the gathering.

Faithful disciples respond to an increasing awareness of the abundant generosity of God by sharing according to the desires of their hearts; not by commandment or constraint.

—Doctrine and Covenants 163:9

The offering basket is available if you would like to support ongoing, small-group ministries as part of your generous response. This offering prayer is adapted from A Disciple’s Generous Response:

God of rejoicing, We share with joy-filled hearts in response to the presence of your Son. May the offerings we share bring joy, hope, love, and peace into the lives of others that they might experience your mercy and grace. Amen

Invitation to Next Meeting

Closing Hymn

 CCS 469, “Sanna, Sannanina”

Closing Prayer


Optional Additions, Depending on Group

Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper

Communion Scripture

Choose one scripture to read from this selection: 1 Corinthians 11:23–26; Matthew 26:17–30; Mark 14:12–26; Luke 22:7–39.

Communion Statement

All are welcome at Christ’s table. The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, is a sacrament in which we remember the life, death, resurrection, and continuing presence of Jesus Christ. In Community of Christ, we also experience Communion as an opportunity to renew our baptismal covenant and to be formed as disciples who live Christ’s mission. Others may have different or added understandings within their faith traditions. We invite all who participate in the Lord’s Supper to do so in the love and peace of Jesus Christ.

On this Palm Sunday let us meet Jesus at the table, sharing Communion as an expression of blessing, healing, peace, and community. In preparation let’s sing Community of Christ Sings 523, “As We Gather at Your Table.”

Blessing and serving bread and wine.

Thoughts for Children

Materials: welcome mat or picture of a welcome mat, paper, crayons or markers

Say: This is a welcome mat. Where do we usually find a welcome mat? Encourage the children to respond.

We usually find a welcome mat at the front door. It is called a welcome mat because it “welcomes” people as they come into our home.

Today we are talking about Jesus being welcomed as he entered the city of Jerusalem. People gathered along the road, and as he came near they waved palm branches and shouted “Hosanna!” This was their way of welcoming Jesus.

What are some ways you welcome people when they visit?

What would you put on your welcome mat? Encourage children to share.

Hand out paper and crayons. Ask the children to draw what they would like to see on a welcome mat. Show the pictures as the group closes your time together.

Sermon Helps #

Exploring the Scripture

All four Gospel writers report Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. Mark’s Jesus is humble, with no hint of triumph in his behavior (Mark 11:1–11). John’s Jesus is triumphant, regal, the one who raised Lazarus from the dead (John 12:12–19). Matthew and Luke present a mixed image of humility and royalty.

Matthew’s account of the entry into Jerusalem follows directly after the story of Jesus restoring sight to the blind. In Matthew 20:33, two blind men beg Jesus, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” It is with that wish ringing in our ears that we approach the entry to Jerusalem. One can almost hear Jesus praying, “Lord, let their eyes be open…”

Matthew tells us Jesus’ arrangements fulfill the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9: “Lo, your king comes to you, triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Zechariah used a common poetic technique of repeating the same idea in different terms. The donkey and the colt are the same beast. The second line clarifies and highlights the first. Did Matthew misunderstand the Hebrew poetry? He says the disciples “put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them” (v. 7) as if Jesus rode two animals. The modern reader should not read the words literally. Matthew’s intent is to show prophecy fulfilled in every detail. Donkeys were symbols of peacemaking; horses were symbols of battle. Spreading cloaks and tree branches on the road were symbols of honor (2 Kings 9:13). The crowd’s use of these symbols shows that they claim Jesus as royalty.

Unlike Mark, Matthew’s crowd hails Jesus as the “Son of David,” a phrase used by one of the blind men in the previous story. The title is not used often in the Bible. It can refer to a descendant of King David or someone who is as great and powerful as David, the warrior-king. It is a messianic title, reflecting God’s covenant with David to set up his kingdom and his throne forever (2 Samuel 7:16). The crowd wanted a political, military triumph over the Romans.

The cry “Hosanna” means “O save” and comes from the Hebrew words of Psalm 118:25. “Hosanna in the highest heaven” may mean “Save us, God of the highest heaven, through this Jesus, who comes like your warrior-king David.” Or, it may mean “Save us to the greatest reach of your power, you who are a great warrior-king like David.” Any “saving” act would not be personal and individual, but rather for the entire nation. Salvation was corporate, not personal.

Matthew closes his account by providing an image of the entire city in turmoil over Jesus’ arrival. At his entry, the crowds received him as a warrior-king. Now the crowd affirms him as a great prophet, another messianic image (v. 11). Their understanding of Jesus’ prophetic role falls short, just as their misunderstanding of the warrior-king. Finally, Matthew tells of Jesus going into the temple to drive out the money changers and marketers. This passage reflects the third image of the Messiah as a great priest who will cleanse the Jewish faith and worship practices. Warrior-king, prophet, priest—Jesus fits all the categories and none of them. His goal is greater, wider, and more lasting: setting up God’s reign. Achieving it is a journey of suffering and crucifixion.

Central Ideas

  1. Jesus arranged his entry into Jerusalem as an expression of humility and peace, but the crowds acclaimed him as a warrior-king like David.
  2. Once inside Jerusalem, some of the crowd hailed him as a prophet from Galilee.
  3. In cleansing the temple, Matthew presents the image of a great priest-reformer who will transform the worship life of the Jews.
  4. Jesus was more than all these images. He would express his messiahship in the most difficult way—through suffering and death for the cause of the kingdom.

Questions for the Speaker

  1. Who do you say Jesus is? How have your personal expectations and needs influenced your belief in Jesus as the Messiah?
  2. What does it mean to you that Jesus “saves us”? Try to describe corporate salvation as the ancient Jews would have understood it.
  3. Warrior-king, prophet, priest—with which image are you most comfortable? How is that image less than the fullness of Christ’s identity as we have come to know it?

Lessons #

Adult Lesson #

Focus Scripture Passage

Matthew 21:1–11

Lesson Focus

Jesus enters Jerusalem as an expression of humility and peace.

Objectives

The learners will…

  • share experiences from their Lenten journey.
  • discuss the focus scripture passage and the events of Passion Week.
  • consider the call to embody Christ’s mission of peace.

Supplies

  • Bible 
  • “Practicing Silence” handout for each student (end of lesson)
  • Community of Christ Sings (CCS)

Notes to Teacher

In preparation for this lesson, read “Exploring the Scripture” for Matthew 21:1–11 in Sermon & Class Helps, Year A: New Testament (with focus on the Gospel according to Matthew), pp. 53–54, available through Herald House.

Gather

Activates background knowledge, prepares, and motivates for lesson (15% of total lesson time)

Today is the final Sunday in Lent. We fast for 40 days remembering Christ’s own fast in the wilderness. Our journey through Lent gives us a chance to reorder priorities and to make space in our lives for being in the presence of God with greater awareness and intentionality. As we practice self-examination and conversion through prayer, fasting, self-denial, and generosity, we open ourselves to God’s creative purposes in our lives and in our world.

Share experiences from your Lenten journey in groups of two or three, or as a larger group. 

  • What has been most meaningful? 
  • Where have you been resistant? 
  • What have you learned about yourself as a disciple?

Read or sing “Lead Me, Lord” CCS 450.

Engage

Invites exploration and interaction (35% of lesson time)

Read Matthew 21:1–11. Discuss the following themes from the passage and compare to circumstances today. You may choose to form three groups and assign each group one of the following themes to discuss; then share insights with the larger group.

Humble entry

Matthew’s quotation of Zechariah 9:9 fulfills the prophecy of the humble king riding on a donkey. This reflects Matthew’s rabbinic background and emphasis on interpretation of scripture.

  • Where do you see examples today of humble, servant leadership?
  • How does this kind of leadership promote peace?

Son of David

Matthew’s crowd shouts hosannas (save us) to the Son of David, which indicates the kind of warrior-king (like King David) the crowd wanted in order to gain military and political power over the Romans.

  • Where do you see examples today of leadership through political or military power?
  • How does this kind of leadership promote peace?

A city in turmoil

The closing verse indicates the city of Jerusalem is in turmoil over Jesus’s arrival.

  • What causes Jerusalem to be in turmoil over Jesus’s arrival?
  • Where do you see examples today of communities in turmoil?
  • What is needed to promote peace in these circumstances of turmoil?

Respond

Takes the learners from hearing to doing (35% of lesson time)

Read Doctrine and Covenants 161:2a and 163:3b.

Doctrine and Covenants 161:2a 

Become a people of the Temple—those who see violence but proclaim peace, who feel conflict yet extend the hand of reconciliation, who encounter broken spirits and find pathways for healing.

Doctrine and Covenants 163:3b

Above all else, strive to be faithful to Christ’s vision of the peaceable Kingdom of God on earth. Courageously challenge cultural, political, and religious trends that are contrary to the reconciling and restoring purposes of God. Pursue peace.

Discuss:

  • What connections do you find between these verses and Matthew’s account of Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem?
  • How do these verses speak to the circumstances discussed above?
  • In what ways did Jesus challenge cultural, political, and religious trends?
  • What does it mean for Community of Christ to be a peace church in the world today?

Send

Explores how the lesson might be lived (10% of lesson time)

Throughout Holy Week, make the story of Christ’s passion part of your daily spiritual practice. Spend time with Matthew’s narrative of the events leading to Christ’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection, and practice silence (see Response Sheet) as you prepare to experience new life in Christ.

Bless

Time of prayer, praise, blessing, and hope (5% of lesson time)

Close this time of learning and sharing by reading together Psalm 118:1–2, 19–29.


Practicing Silence

Throughout Holy Week, make the story of Christ’s passion part of your daily spiritual practice. Spend time with Matthew’s narrative of the events leading to Christ’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection, and practice silence as you prepare to experience new life in Christ.

Practicing silence reminds us that relationship with God is a reciprocal act. Intentional time in silence allows us to be fully present with God without confines of language. As we enter Holy Week, the full implication of life as a disciple brings with it a weighted hush. There are moments when words are inadequate, and our most faithful response is to stand humbly before the mystery.

  • Find a place free from noise and distractions. 
  • Practicing silence may be difficult at first. The mind may run wild, and centering in God’s presence could take some spiritual effort! Allow yourself grace in this practice and the ability to slowly ease into longer periods of silent reflection. Perhaps you begin in silence for five to 10 minutes and then write in a journal or pray about your experience. 
  • Breathe deeply. Focusing on each breath in and out can help quiet the mind and center you in God’s presence. 
  • Become aware of your surroundings. Notice how the air feels on your skin; trust that you are in the presence of the Holy—fully surrounding you and embracing you. 
  • Don’t expect God will speak to you in a certain way. Just open yourself to what is. Allow your inner conversations to stop for a while, being fully present with the One who is fully present with you. 
  • After being silent for a while, offer a prayer of gratitude for God’s constant presence, whether you are fully aware of it or not. Pray that you may continue to draw closer to God and discover what God is saying and doing within you.

Day 1

Read Matthew 26:1–5. Find a quiet space and allow yourself at least five minutes alone in silence.

Day 2

Read Matthew 26:6–13. Before you begin your day of work or activity, silently offer this prayer:

Be still and know that I am God
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.

Day 3

Read Matthew 26:14–19. Repeat this prayer phrase as you enter the practice of silence: Holy Mystery, I am speechless in your presence.

Day 4

Read Matthew 26:20–75. Incorporate times of silence into your daily routine.

Day 5

Read Matthew 27:1–54. As you practice silence, allow yourself to be filled with awe before the mystery of God.

Day 6

Read Matthew 27:55–66. Preparing to experience new life in Christ, what is it that leaves you speechless?

 

Youth Lesson #

Focus Scripture Passage

Matthew 21:1–11 

Lesson Focus

We celebrate Jesus’s entrance into our lives. 

Objectives 

The learners will… 

  • create an atmosphere of celebration. 
  • discuss the significance of Palm Sunday in the sacred story. 
  • identify the Jewish celebration of Passover as a setting of this story. 
  • explore how the story might happen today. 
  • understand that humility and peace have enduring strength. 

Supplies 

  • Bible 
  • Community of Christ Sings (CCS) 
  • Sharing in Community of Christ, 4th Edition, Herald House, 2018 
  • Items to decorate the room for a celebration 
  • Chart paper or board and markers 
  • Various props to create a movie scene for this scripture 

Note to Teacher

In preparation for this lesson, read “Exploring the Scripture” for Matthew 21:1–11 in Sermon & Class Helps, Year B: New Testament (with focus on the Gospel according to Matthew), pp. 53–54, available through Herald House. 

Gather

Activates background knowledge, prepares, and motivates for lesson (15% of total lesson time)

Celebrate! 

Imagine an Olympic gold medal winner, a famous movie star, or a respected political figure was coming to your location today. How would you celebrate? Would you have a parade, a reception, or a party? Take a few minutes to decorate the room or share ideas of how you would celebrate. 

Engage

Invites exploration and interaction (35% of lesson time)

Who Is This Jesus? 

Today we read about Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem marking the beginning of what Christians call Holy Week. Jesus comes from his ministry of preaching and healing. Most recently, he raised Lazarus, a close friend, from the dead. He taught Lazarus’ sisters, Martha and Mary, about his mission. Jesus healed the man born blind and visited with the Samaritan woman at the well. In all these events, Jesus revealed who he was to those around him, and they shared that knowledge with others. Now we see him returning to Jerusalem, a place where he was threatened with death both now and at the time of his birth. (See Matthew 2.) 

News of Jesus’s coming spread rapidly among the crowds along the road. They knew his reputation and the stories of his ministry and saw Jesus as the Promised One who was coming to save them. It was a celebration honoring an important person. They wanted to see him and shout their “Hosannas” meaning “Save us. Rescue us.” 

Read Matthew 21:1–11. 

The city was crowded, overflowing. History suggests there may have been three to five million people present. The setting included a mixture of political and religious thought, feelings of anger, and feelings of uncertainty. Passover was the celebration of the Israelites’ liberation from Egypt under the leadership of Moses. Every Jewish person was expected to visit Jerusalem during this holy week. (Passover is still celebrated in synagogues and homes around the world as the Jewish liberation from Egypt is remembered and retold.) But many inside the city did not know about Jesus. 

Jerusalem was part of an international trade route. The markets were filled with Romans (the occupying governing power) and many merchants and buyers from other countries. So Jerusalem was overflowing with local people, religious pilgrims, Roman soldiers, and merchants. They did not know Jesus, and they asked, “Who is this?” 

  • Describe how you think the disciples thought and felt. 
  • How did Jesus enter Jerusalem? Why a donkey? Compare a donkey to a warhorse. What are their practical uses? What is the implied symbolism? 
  • If you owned the donkey and colt, how would you respond if you were asked to give them up? 
  • What did Jesus’s manner of entering Jerusalem say about who he was? 
  • What would be today’s version of spreading clothing and branches on the ground? 
  • What was Jesus’s purpose in returning to Jerusalem? 

Respond

Takes the learners from hearing to doing (35% of lesson time)

What Was Jesus Doing? 

What kind of king was Jesus of Nazareth? On a large paper or board, make a list of words that describe Jesus as king. Make another list of words that describe the kingdom of God on earth. 

  • How do the lists compare with world leaders and powerful countries of the world today? 

Jesus rules through suffering love and humility. This king is God’s grace and power arriving in town on the back of a donkey. 

  • Who would you be in the crowd? Explain. 
  • Would you be shouting “Hosanna” or asking, “Who is this?” 

Write and act out a movie scene telling this story as though it were happening in your community today. 

We Share the Peace of Jesus 

The crowd heard about the miracles Jesus performed. Many wanted to see a miracle before they would believe, but Jesus did not stop to perform miracles. He rode quietly, peacefully, and humbly through the crowd on the young colt. Others were tired of their political bondage under the Romans. Yet Jesus did not enter as the conquering hero on a great stallion. Jesus rode into Jerusalem on an animal of peace, not war. What kind of king was Jesus? 

Explore these scriptures before reading the scripture below: Isaiah 54:10; John 14:27; Ephesians 2:14, 17. 

Doctrine and Covenants 163:2

Jesus Christ, the embodiment of God’s shalom, invites all people to come and receive divine peace in the midst of the difficult questions and struggles of life. Follow Christ in the way that leads to God’s peace and discover the blessings of all of the dimensions of salvation. 

Generously share the invitation, ministries, and sacraments through which people can encounter the Living Christ who heals and reconciles through redemptive relationships in sacred community. The restoring of persons to healthy or righteous relationships with God, others, themselves, and the earth is at the heart of the purpose of your journey as a people of faith. 

—Doctrine and Covenants 163:2 

Read “We Share the Peace of Jesus Christ” from Sharing in Community of Christ, 4th Edition, pp. 13–15. 

  • How would you describe the peace of Jesus Christ? 
  • What are some ways you can share the peace of Jesus Christ with others? 

Send

Explores how the lesson might be lived (10% of lesson time)

We Follow Jesus 

Invite students to respond to the following through silent reflection, writing or drawing, or sharing in small groups or pairs. Allow time for students to respond after you read each question. 

  • How has your journey through Lent prepared you for this Holy Week? 
  • How has Jesus entered your life? 
  • What is God’s invitation to you during Holy Week?

Offer an opportunity for sharing. 

Bless

Time of prayer, praise, blessing, and hope (5% of lesson time)

We sing for joy and celebrate Jesus in our lives just as the crowd shouted and sang “Hosanna!”

Read or sing “My Life Flows On in Endless Song” CCS 263 or “Celebrate Jesus” CCS 474. 

 

Children’s Lesson #

Focus Scripture Passage

Matthew 21:1–11 

Lesson Focus

Hosanna to the Son of David!  

Objectives 

The learners will… 

  • discuss the events of Palm Sunday. 
  • journey through Holy Week. 
  • share experiences from their Lenten calendar. 

Supplies 

  • Bible  
  • Extra Lenten calendars from First Sunday in Lent, if applicable (see lesson for Matthew 4:1–11) 
  • Large sheet of blank paper 
  • Crayons 
  • Pens or pencils 
  • Holy Week handout (end of lesson) 
  • Community of Christ Sings (CCS) 

Notes to Teacher

In preparation for this lesson, read “Exploring the Scripture” for Matthew 21:1–11 in Sermon & Class Helps, Year A: New Testament, pp. 53–54, available through Herald House. 

Gather

Activates background knowledge, prepares, and motivates for lesson (15% of total lesson time)

Greet children as they enter and have them form a circle. If applicable, ask children to share from their Lenten calendars the ways they used their gifts with others this week. 

Sing together “Takwaba Uwabanga Yesu! (There’s No One Like Jesus!)” CCS 121.  

One of Community of Christ’s Enduring Principles is Worth of All Persons. Remind the children that Jesus’s teachings, sacrifice, and love are for everyone, not just for people who look, talk, or think just as we do. 

Engage

Invites exploration and interaction (35% of lesson time)

Place blank paper over the top of the table. As you tell the story of Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, invite the children to use crayons to draw palm leaves all over the paper. Draw an example first in case they don’t know what a palm frond looks like. 

Say: Today is Palm Sunday. This is the week we remember Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. (Triumphal means joyful and proud especially because of an achievement or a great success. It might be helpful to think about a victory parade for a country’s Olympic team or a city’s sports team.) Jesus and his disciples had been traveling outside Jerusalem, sharing the gospel message with others. To return to Jerusalem was risky because there were people there who thought Jesus was a threat to their power. They thought Jesus should be killed. But Jesus knew it was time to return to Jerusalem to share in the Passover meal. Jesus’s disciples were nervous about returning to Jerusalem. 

Share the story of Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem adapted from Matthew 21:1–11 NRSV. 

When Jesus and the disciples neared Jerusalem and reached Bethphage at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples into the village with these instructions: “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them with you.” This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, 

“Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” 

The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, put their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,  

“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” 

When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.” 

Say: Put yourself in this story and imagine that you are one of the disciples. 

  • How would you feel when Jesus told you it was time to go back to Jerusalem? Why? 

Imagine you are someone in the crowd watching as Jesus enters Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. 

  • How do you respond if you have never met or even heard of Jesus? 
  • What do you do if you are a believer? How are you feeling? What do you want others to know about Jesus? 
  • Jesus riding into Jerusalem might be like a famous person coming to town for a concert or other event. Who would you be excited to see riding into your town? How would you show your admiration or appreciation for that person? 

Respond

Takes the learners from hearing to doing (35% of lesson time)

There were many important events following Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem that led to his crucifixion and then his resurrection. We call the week between Palm Sunday and Easter Holy Week. This week is a time to remember Jesus’s final journey to the cross and his resurrection. 

Give each child a copy of the Holy Week Journey handout (end of lesson) with windows cut and a blank piece of paper taped to the back. Depending on the size and age of the class, work individually, in small groups, or as a whole class together. Look up each scripture reference; then open the window and in the blank window draw a picture or write a word that represents the scripture. Note: Some of the scripture references are quite long and due to time may need to be summarized by the teacher. Invite younger children to draw a picture of the story as you read or summarize the story. 

Send

Explores how the lesson might be lived (10% of lesson time)

If applicable, have students take out their Lenten calendars. (See lesson for First Sunday in Lent, Matthew 4:1–11.) Have each one share at least one idea of how to show others the hope of Jesus this week. 

Discuss ways they can share the Holy Week Journey with their families this week. 

Bless

Time of prayer, praise, blessing, and hope (5% of lesson time)

Sing together the camp song “Allelu, Alleluia, Praise Ye the Lord.” Sit while singing “Allelu, alleluia,” and stand with hands raised high while singing “Praise ye the Lord.” Or sing “Halle, Halle, Hallelujah” CCS 86. 

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