YEA Lesson Library
Triumphal Entry
About This Lesson
This lesson teaches about Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey prior to His crucifixion and death.
Scriptures
Isaiah 9:6-7
Zechariah 9:9
Matthew 21:1-11
Luke 19:28-44
John 1:10-14
John 12:12-19
2 Corinthians 2:14-15
Philippians 2:5-11
Words to Know
TRIUMPHAL - in a way that shows success and victory
RIGHTEOUS - having no sin; without blame in God’s sight
DONKEY - a sturdy member of the equine (horse) family
FOAL - a donkey’s offspring
PROPHESY - telling what will happen in the future
DESCENDANT - born in the family line of someone
COINCIDENCE - happened by chance
The Lesson
You have read the story of Christ’s birth. You know He was born in Bethlehem in a stable. You know that it was not on Christmas, but more likely around the time of the Feast of Tabernacles. Yes, you already know quite a bit about Christ coming as a baby. But there is another very important coming of Jesus that you may not have heard much about. It was the last time Jesus Christ came into Jerusalem before His crucifixion. It is called the Triumphal Entry.
About a week before Passover, as Jesus was approaching Jerusalem, He sent two of His disciples ahead to a village to find a donkey colt. Jesus asked His disciples to bring the colt back to Him, and even told them what to tell the owner if he asked them what they were doing with the donkey. They were to tell him that the Lord needs it. You’re probably wondering why the donkey had to be a colt. Well, the first of anything was important to God: the firstborn male, the firstfruits of the harvest, the firstborn of the animals. This donkey colt was going to be used for a very important purpose: carrying Jesus into Jerusalem. It was important that the donkey had never been used for anything before.
Zechariah prophesied that Jesus would enter Jerusalem riding a donkey colt: “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). Why did it have to be a donkey?
You might have thought that Jesus should ride triumphantly into Jerusalem on a prancing, magnificent, black stallion. That would be triumphant, right? Well, that’s not the message that Jesus wanted people to see. The horse was used in war and was proud; the donkey was a peaceful and humble animal. In the same way, Jesus was peaceful, gentle, and humble, not full of pride and ready to start a war. So the donkey better reflected who Jesus Christ was and what He came to do than a horse could have done.
He was telling them loud and clear, without saying any words at all, that He was the Messiah. Zechariah’s prophesy was about the Messiah, and the people who saw Jesus would have known that prophesy and what it meant. Since the royal mount for King David was the mule, Jesus was also telling the people that He was a descendant of King David - another clue that Jesus was the Messiah, the Savior of the world.
The people understood that Jesus was someone very special, for as He rode into Jerusalem on the donkey colt, they spread palm branches and their own coats on the ground in front of Him. They were showing great honor and respect to Jesus by letting Him ride over their coats. At the same time, they were loudly shouting praises to Jesus Christ: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:38). Oh, the people knew that Jesus was more than someone special; they knew that He was the King.
A strange thing happened – considering that this is a triumphal entry. Luke tells us that as Jesus approached Jerusalem, He wept. After all of the prophecies and the miracles and all of His words, people still wouldn’t see that He was really truly the Son of God, the Savior of the world. They couldn’t see that Jesus could bring them peace. Because they didn’t understand who He was, terrible things would happen to Jerusalem. Jesus said it was simply because “you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you” (Luke 19:44).
What does the story of the triumphal entry mean to you? Do you think it’s just a nice story, or do you believe that it is true and really happened? Do you believe with all your heart that Zechariah prophesied that Jesus would ride the donkey colt, or do you think it was just a coincidence? Most important of all, do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He is the Savior of everyone including you?
Do you recognize that you are special to Jesus, that He cares about you and is there to help you in your daily life? Jesus is our King and He has come to each of us. Do you recognize Him? Do you believe Him?
Student Prayer
Thank you for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, into the world for each of us. Help me recognize His work in my life and to give Him thanks and praise for it.
In Jesus’ name.
Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Matthew 21:1-11
Monday - Philippians 2:5-11
Tuesday - Luke 19:28-44
Wednesday - Isaiah 9:6-7
Thursday - John 1:10-14
Friday - 2 Corinthians 2:14-15
Saturday - John 12:12-19
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Describe Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
2. Explain why Christ rode a donkey colt.
3. Relate the significance of this event to their own lives.
Topics & Themes
Belief
Donkey
Fulfillment of Prophecy
Honor God
Jerusalem
Jesus, Savior
Jesus, Servant
Jesus, Son of David
Jesus, Suffering of
King of kings
Palms
Peace
Praise
Triumphal Entry
Materials Needed
Bibles, teacher’s and student’s books, attendance and memory verse charts, pencils, butcher paper, crayons or markers or colored pencils, yardstick, black marker, maze, songbook, CD/cassette tape and music player.
Preparation
Juniors are at the age where peer pressure starts to be more of a motivating factor than pleasing parents or teachers. Thus, they can be vulnerable to peer comments rejecting Jesus, mocking Christianity, and scoffing at Christian morals. To counteract these forces working against our children’s beliefs, we need to teach from the Bible why we believe that Jesus is the Son of God and our Savior and facilitate each child proving it for himself. If they can prove to themselves that Jesus is not a myth, they will be more likely to want to please Him by following Him. While preteens may not be mature enough to truly grasp the full meaning of repentance and what it means to be baptized. We need to teach our children about baptism and create expectations that each one will be baptized when they are old enough to repent of their sins. Then, when they are ready to be baptized, it’ll be a natural progression in their relationship with Jesus.
Assign Psalm 23 for each student to study and memorize by the end of this book (in nine weeks).
How to Teach This Lesson
MAZE - Give each student a maze to complete when they first come in; this gives you the opportunity to check memory verses and attendance. (There’s a great maze program at www.puzzlemaker.com.)
JESUS’ BIRTH - Quickly, ask the students to tell you what they know about the first coming of Jesus Christ. Lead into the idea that this coming, the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, was also an important coming.
DONKEY COLT - Discuss the donkey colt Christ rode.
1) It had never been used before. Why? Because the first is very important to God, i.e. firstfruits.
2) The prophesy given by Zechariah identified Jesus as the Messiah to any who would recognize him. Zechariah 9:9.
3) The nature of the donkey was peaceful, gentle, and humble - an apt reflection of Christ’s nature.
4) The mule or donkey was the royal mount of King David - another clue that Jesus was the Davidic Messiah.
5) Crowd’s response - Describe the response to Christ’s entry: shouts of praise – particularly note what they shouted - and they lay palm branches and coats in front of Him.
JESUS WEPT - Discuss why Jesus wept when he saw Jerusalem. They rejected him; terrible things would happen to them because they didn’t recognize Jesus as their Savior.
OUR RESPONSE TODAY - Discuss knowing that Jesus is the Son of God, the Savior of the world. Christianity is not a myth. If we truly believe that Jesus is the Messiah, we will live our lives according to His will. We try to please Him and keep His commandments because we love Him.
ACTIVITY - Once the maze is constructed, use it to demonstrate that life is like this maze in that each person has to choose which direction to take. Will I believe wholeheartedly in Christ? Will I follow Him because I believe? Do I want Him to be a part of my life? How? Do I recognize how He works in my life?
Review Questions
1. Why was this event called the Triumphal Entry?
2. Why did Jesus ride a donkey colt into Jerusalem? (Can you think of three reasons?)
3. What does the Triumphal Entry mean to you? Why is it important to you right now?
Teacher-Directed Activity
Have the students create a maze the size of a large sheet of butcher paper. Draw the outline of the maze with the black marker. Jerusalem will be the center of the maze – the goal. As the maze is constructed, choices will need to be made as to which direction to go. When the students get to a crossroads, have them label the choices. Of course, the right choice is the one that will eventually get the students to the center of the maze.
Choices:
1. donkey colt vs. black stallion;
2. peaceful and humble vs. warlike and proud;
3. prophetic fulfillment vs. coincidence;
4. shouts of praise vs. silence;
5. palms and coats vs. rocks and dirt;
6. celebration vs. weeping
7. recognition vs. rejection.
Once the maze has been constructed, the students can go back and add pictures to decorate the choices in and around the maze. Be sure to display their creation where the church can appreciate what they are learning.
REACH Activity
Word Study: Melek (meh’-lek)
The word “King” in Zechariah 9:9 means king or royal. It comes from “malak,” which means to reign. Does the King reign in your heart? What would it look like to others if He truly does?
Did You Know?
As Jesus rode into Jerusalem, the crowd shouted “Hosanna,”—originally a prayer which meant “Save now, pray” (Psalm 118:25). By New Testament times it had lost its primary meaning and had become an exclamation of praise. (Source: NIV Archaeological Study Bible, p. 1597-1598.)
Music Notes: All Hail the Power
“All Hail the Power” is on page 1 of the CEM Hymnal. The text was written by Edward Perronet. It was originally set to music by Edward Shrubsole. However, when the hymn came to America, “a self-taught Massachusetts carpenter composed the tune, ‘Coronation,’ for the stirring words and it is to this tune that the hymn is best known in the United States.”
Edward Perronet was the son of a well-known and respected vicar in the Church of England. In fact, Vincent Perronet often discussed doctrine or administration with John Wesley, becoming their trusted counselor during the time when John and Charles Wesley were speaking across England. In fact, Edward Perronet traveled with the Wesleys at one point, enduring the persecu- tion that tends to follow people who boldly preach. Eventually, Edward Perronet left the Wesleys and became the pastor of an independent church at Canterbury. Here he saw the need for new and inspiring hymns. So he wrote three volumes of hymns, published in 1756, 1782, and 1785.
“All Hail the Power” was published in the second volume. It proclaims that “God ought always to be worshipped in great glory and honor, with an emphasis upon his holy kingship. . . It is said that whenever Queen Victoria had the hymn played, she would direct that her jeweled crown be removed in deference to the hymn’s message that Jesus should be crowned Lord of all! (Source: Hymns of Faith and Inspiration, Kennedy, P. J., pg. 68-69.)
This hymn should not only remind us of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1- 11, Zechariah 9:9), but also Jesus, the Lamb, sitting at the right hand of God on His throne, around whom the angels are singing and worshiping (Revelation 5:8-14).
Journal Jot:
We have been given the incredible opportunity to learn about and come to know the Great God of the Universe, the Creator, and the Savior of the world. Sometimes we act as if that is no big deal; we’d rather go to a professional baseball game or read a book. God will not force you to acknowledge Him as King today. However, someday every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:9-11). How would you explain at that time why you chose not to honor Him now? Write about this in your Bible notebook.
Back to the Bible:
Other prophets spoke of the coming of Jesus Christ. As a family or with your class, read Scriptures from the Book of Isaiah. Discuss a few Scriptures from chapters 9, 11, and 12. Compare and contrast them with Jeremiah 9:9. In your Bible notebook write about what you learned after studying the words of Jeremiah and Isaiah.
Just Toolin’ Around:
Rejoice is a word that is used often in Scripture. Its root word is “joy.” Write rejoice and its meaning in your Bible notebook. Find corresponding Scriptures using the word “rejoice” in reference to Jesus. Write in your Bible notebook what it means to “rejoice” in Jesus Christ.
Stretch It Out:
Using a Bible encyclopedia and other Bible tools, read about the minor prophet, Zechariah. What did you think of Zechariah? Write a biography and impressions of him in your Bible notebook.
Stretch It Out as a unit project:
Begin to create a (pictorial) timeline of each lesson event in He Lives! The mural activity in YEA Lesson 5 can be incorporated with the timeline, if desired. (The purpose or objective of this is to provide the student with the hands-on experience of documenting the specific events surrounding Jesus’ death and resurrection. Therefore dates for these specific events are not required unless the student has access to resources that will provide them with that information.)
Timeline Directions:
A timeline is so-called because it is usually written on a strip of horizontally cut paper as long as is needed for its intended purpose. (Picture a strip of wallpaper border.) For this ongoing lesson activity, it is recommended that the paper measure about 36 inches x 6 inches.
Timeline Materials:
1. Butcher paper (aka bulletin board paper) can be cut for the timeline and then rolled up for easy storage between lessons if necessary. However, displaying it between lessons is a good visual reminder of what has been studied and can be used as a review tool before the next lesson.
2. Color tools such as color pencils or thin point markers make an attractive timeline; other supplies include a ruler, pencil, and cut-out or sticker letters, if they are available, for the title.
Questions?
Remember to write any questions in your notebook. That way you will remember to ask your parents, teacher, or minister.
Song
“Praise the Lord Together” is on page 88 in Kids Classics Collection.
Closing Prayer
Lead the children to thank God for sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Messiah. Encourage them to ask if they recognize God’s involvement in their lives.
Printable Pages
