This week we’ll start in on the Passion and resurrection of Jesus.

The word ‘passion’ in this context is related to the Latin word ‘patior’
meaning ‘suffer,’ refers to those sufferings Jesus endured for our
redemption.

Currently, the plan is to break it down into the following lessons:
* Triumphal entry into Jerusalem
* Cleansing of the Temple
* A woman anoints Jesus..
* Last Supper
* Garden of Gethsemane/Judas’ betrayal
* Peters’ denials
* The trial
* The cross
* The Resurrection

This week’s lesson will be the ‘triumphal entry’ into Jerusalem, and cleansing of the Temple.

We’re going to stress how the crowd’s welcome anticipates SALVATION (though the salvation they were looking for was more on a worldly level); the word ‘Hosana…’ means ‘God save us.’

Scripture: Matthew 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-40; John 12:12-19

Memory verse: Hosanna to the Son of David! Matthew 21:15

Handout: Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem

Craft: Palm branch craft

Narrative:

As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. “Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.”

This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said,

“Tell the people of Jerusalem, ‘Look, your King is coming to you.
He is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.’”

The two disciples did as Jesus commanded. They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it.

Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting,

“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise God in highest heaven!”

The word ‘hosanna’ is a Jewish phrase that means ‘please save us.’ They knew that God had promised a Messiah who would bring salvation from their sins and rescue them from their brokenness, and they believed it was Jesus.

Some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!” He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!”

Soon, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. They had been using the sacred act of bringing offerings and sacrifices to the Lord as a way of MAKING MONEY! He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!”

The blind and the lame came to him in the Temple, and he healed them. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the children in the Temple shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David.”

But the leaders were VERY ANGRY. They asked Jesus, “Do you hear what these children are saying?”

“Yes,” Jesus replied. “Haven’t you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, ‘You have taught children and infants to give you praise.’”