Praise Our King!

TEXT: Luke 19:29-40

OBJECTIVE

The students will be able to describe how the people praised and honored Jesus as He rode into Jerusalem. They will relate this to how we can praise Him with our words.

BIBLE LESSON OUTLINE

Introduction: Open your class session by giving each of your students a list of words including some praise words and some others. Supply them with smiley-face stickers, and let them apply a sticker beside each word that is a praise word. Tell them that today your Bible story is about a time when people praised Jesus with words, and that you are going to learn how we can praise Jesus with words too.

1. Jesus was planning to go to Jerusalem, so He sent two of His disciples to obtain a colt for Him to ride on. This was a fulfillment of Scripture.
2. As He entered the city, the multitudes rejoiced and praised Him, waving palm branches and laying their clothes in the way.
3. The Pharisees objected to this.
   

Climax: Jesus said if they held their peace the stones would cry out. This shows the importance of praising Him, and helps us understand that we, too, must praise Him with our words.

Conclusion: Jesus had reached a high point of popularity with the multitudes because of His mighty works, and they wanted to proclaim Him king.

Response: The students will be able to relate the events surrounding Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. They will further be able to list a number of ways we can praise Jesus with our words.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The incident of the triumphal entry occurred a week before the Passover feast when as many as two million people would come to Jerusalem. Many Jews had already gathered in Jerusalem to purify themselves before that feast and many were asking, "Will Jesus come to the feast" (John 11:55-57)? because the leaders had commanded that anyone who saw Jesus should report to them that they might arrest Him. Jesus knew that the time of His death was near and had set His face toward Jerusalem (Luke 9:51).

Jesus had recently healed blind Bartimaeus and raised Lazarus from the dead, and His fame was at an all-time high. Even His disciples probably were hoping He would lay aside His humility and set up His Kingdom. Whereas the horse was for war, the ass was ridden to portray peace. Jesus chose to ride the colt of an ass to declare His intentions of peace and to fulfill the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9. The crowd seemed to recognize this and in fulfillment of another prophecy took up the refrain of Psalm 118:26, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." The word Hosanna originally meant "save now" so not only were they praising Him but asking for Him to save them from Roman oppression. Jesus was unmistakably presenting Himself to the nation as their promised Messiah but a few short days later they chose to reject Him when He failed to meet their expectations of an earthly king.

IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES

• Draw, color and cut out a flower finger puppet for each student (see Patterns). Tell them how we can praise God with our words by thanking Him for the flowers and His creation.
• Make a list of "praise words" with your class. Have a large grid prepared and have your students help you arrange the words in an acrostic.
• Give each child a copy of the picture of Christ entering Jerusalem on a donkey (see Patterns). Explain that this is going to be a "Pass-Along Picture." Have them put their names on the paper they start with, and then for one minute begin adding details to the picture such as children waving palm branches, etc. After one minute have them pass their picture to the child on their left. Repeat this at least four times before handing back to the original artist.

Special Instructions for this Lesson: Refer to Lesson 7b for additional ideas.

QUESTIONS

1. How can we praise Jesus at school or with our friends?
2. If you could talk to Jesus face to face what would you tell Him? (Then bring out that every time we pray to Jesus, we talk to Him just as though He were right there with us.)
3. Tell of ways we can praise Jesus.
4. Why do people say "amen" in church when others are testifying or preaching?
5. What kind of throne did Jesus have on this earth?
6. What kind of throne can we give Jesus?
7. If we act silly when we are singing Sunday school songs is it praise? Why or why not?
8. Praise comes from way down deep in our hearts. Explain.
9. How do you feel when you are praising Jesus?
10. Is it important to praise Jesus? Why?

PRE-SCHOOL SUGGESTIONS

• Prepare a movable donkey (see Patterns) for each child to put together. Copy onto heavy paper. Let children attach the head and tail with brads. Talk about the special donkey that Jesus used when He rode into Jerusalem.
• Prepare in advance palm fronds (see Patterns). Make them from green construction paper and cut on the lines. Let the children wave them to welcome Jesus while the lesson story is told. On the front you might want to write the words PRAISE OUR KING! or the memory verse.
• Help your class sing a praise song to Jesus and tape record it. They will enjoy hearing it played back.
• Using the mitt pattern (see Patterns) make a fabric mitt for each child. For each mitt, cut two pieces of fabric on the heavy line. The dotted line is the stitching line. When the stitching is complete, notch as indicated and turn mitt inside out. Press. Using felt pens or fabric markers, draw the palm branch on one side. On the other side write the words I LOVE JESUS. Put the mitts on your children and let them wave their hands as you talk about how the little children praised Jesus.
• Give each child a copy of the child figure with a brad attaching the arm (see Patterns). Let each child make his figure wave a palm branch.

REVIEW IDEAS‍

Use a "Simon Says" game to show the difference between praise words with actions and everyday speech.

Examples:
Simon says to God:             Simon does not say:
Hosanna                                    Book
I love You, Jesus                       No
Praise Him                                 Table
Memory Verse                          Chair
Scripture                                    Sack
Yes, Jesus                                  Lunch
Simon’s actions to God         Simon does not:
Clap                                            Shove
Kneel                                          Stand on chair
Fold hands for prayer              Wiggle ears
Sit quietly                                   Wave to teacher
Stand                                          Whisper to neighbor

Ask each child to sing a "praise song" for the rest of the group.

Teach your group a new praise song. It would be especially fun if you could do this with a tape or record. You might wish to put the words on an overhead transparency or songsheets to pass out so everyone will have the words.

Compose an acrostic from the words "Praise the Lord." Write the words down the center of a chalkboard, and have your group suggest words to fill in around them which describe ways we can praise the Lord.