Lesson 2 – The Triumphal Entry

The multitudes called out “Hosanna!” – Save us! – to their King. We, too, cry out “Hosanna!” to Jesus, our King, who entered Jerusalem to save us and all people by triumphing over sin.

Opening

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

This lesson will use the Bible, the Bible Discovery Guide, and the Lesson 2 Leaflet from the Student Pack. The front cover shows how the artist sees Jesus entering Jerusalem. Also paper and pencil or crayons will be needed.

Read the Faith Words on page 4 of the leaflet

What do you think the word laud means? To give praise, especially in public, in front of others.  Another name for praising someone is to give them the glory.

To whom might you give laud and praise and glory? Someone talented, someone special, someone famous.

When someone is that special and important, we say we give that person honor, or great respect.

Listen to the hymn "All Glory, Laud, and Honor" . It helps us to imagine what it would have been like during Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, but the hymn also helps us consider how we, too, along with all of creation, praise our Savior King. He is worthy of our adoration and respect!

Can you think of a time during the Divine Service when we use the word glory to give God praise, laud, and honor since He takes away the sin of the world? During the Gloria in Excelsis, when we sing "glory to God in the highest".

Prayer: Dear triumphant King, we join with all of creation in praising Your most holy name. Help us to see that You never took Your focus away from saving us from our sins. Thank You for being the source of all that we need, our good and gracious King. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

God Speaks

Locate Jerusalem and the picture of the Kidron Valley (location of the Mount of Olives) in the Bible Discovery Guide, pages 2-3; Jesus and His followers crossed this valley on the road from Bethany in this lesson.

Another word that shows praise and respect is hosanna. Because we know that God is powerful and mighty, we cry out to Him to save us. Let's figure out why the people in the Bible story cried "Lord, save us!" to Jesus, and what led up to this special event.

Complete the maze activity on pages 2 and 3 of the leaflet , while imagining Jesus working His way to Jerusalem through the shouting and cheering crowd.

Look at the line of dominoes on the page. What do you know about setting up dominoes to make a path that will make them all fall down? You need to set them near one another, so when one topples, it lands on the next one so they all continue to topple, one after the other.

To understand this Bible story and why people would lay their cloaks down in front of Jesus, we need to start at the beginning. Something set this into motion and made the people react this way when Jesus triumphantly entered into Jerusalem. One event led to another, until we end at Palm Sunday.

Read the following Bible passages. In the numbered spaces on the leaflet, write a summary of each passage.

• Read Genesis 3:6 - Why do we need someone to save us? Since Adam and Eve fell into sin, humankind has passed along our inherited, original sin. It affects all of us. As we can tell from Adam and Eve's story, the punishment for sin is death, eternal separation from God. Write a summary sentence in the first box. Continue with the other boxes.
• Read Genesis 3:15 - What did the first sin lead to? What is the first prophecy concerning the Savior? Since Adam and Eve sinned, God gave them and us hope of restoration through the "seed” of a woman. This verse is called the "protoevangelium, the first promise of the Gospel. Throughout the Old Testament, God provided glimpses of what this Savior would be like. Prophets brought messages from God to the people, giving them hope. The Old Testament Scriptures repeatedly prophesy the coming of a deliverer who would save and redeem God's people. For thousands of years, God's people were waiting for the Messiah who had been promised. The people believed God's Word that He would send someone to deliver them from their enemies.
• Read Psalm 118:19-29 - What words here talk about a kingly Messiah? Righteousness and salvation and save us; see vv. 19, 21, and 25. What words here talk about honoring a King? Blessed is He and Oh give thanks (verses 26 and 29).
• Read Zechariah 9:9 - What did this prophecy tell the people about the coming King? How would the people recognize the Savior? He would bring salvation. He would come humbly, riding on a donkey.
• Read Zechariah 14:3-4, 9 - How might this prophecy get the people excited about the coming King? They were looking fora Messiah who would be king over the earth.
• Read Luke 18:35-43 - Most recently, what had Jesus done? Jesus healed a man who was blind. There was excitement in Jesus' time because of His divine power. His miracles attracted large crowds. The crowds were so ecstatic about Jesus, whether or not they saw Him as the Messiah.
• Read John 11 and write a sentence to summarize what event led to the crowd's reverence of Jesus. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.
• All these events set in motion this triumphal entry. The crowds recognized Jesus as the promised Messiah, who would free them from of the Romans. Their shouts of "Hosanna" showed that they were the ecstatic. The one who would save them was entering their town! The crowds welcomed Jesus with reverence, laud, and honor. Write "Hosanna!" in the box.
• Draw a cross or crucifix in the box. But the story's not over with the triumphal entry. Jesus "set His face toward Jerusalem". What did Palm Sunday lead to? Jesus entering the city to suffer and die to save us from sin, death, and the devil.

We Live

Read the Second Article of the Apostles' Creed and its meaning:

The Second Article: Redemption

And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.

What does this mean? I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.

This is most certainly true.

We honor Jesus not as an earthly king but as one who suffered and died to pay for our sin.

Read the Second Commandment and its meaning:

The Second Commandment

You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.

What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not curse, swear, use satanic arts, lie or deceive by His name, but call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise and give thanks.

The Second Commandment tells us to honor Jesus' name and who He is. To help us consider how to do that, think of how we show honor and recognition to famous people or important leaders. Before someone gives a speech or presentation, that person is usually introduced to the group and the person's accomplishments are highlighted. Sometimes the person's attributes or personality are described.

Because Jesus went to Jerusalem to die on the cross and rise from the dead to save us from our spiritual enemies, what does that lead to? Since one thing leads to another, what is our response? Laud, honor, and reverence; ourselves.

Jesus marched into our lives through Baptism. He came to us, and we see Jesus for who He is - our Messiah who saves us. He gives us righteousness and salvation, as the prophets had shown long ago.

Closing

Listen to people sing “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name”.

On page 4 of the leaflet:

• Review the Key Point of this lesson.
• Read the Bible Words.
• Read the Prayer.

Print out the Jesus Rides as King at the end of the lesson. Cut out the squares and put them in the correct space in the grid.

Prayer: O Lord Jesus, we thank You for setting Your face to Jerusalem to do all that was required for our salvation, paying for our sins on the cross. We praise Your name as did the crowd on that first Palm Sunday. Hosanna! Blessed are You. Amen.