This week was Palm Sunday, which commemorates the day that Jesus triumphantly rode into Jerusalem on the colt of a donkey. People were cheering for him, shouting "Hosanna" (which is a way of praising and worshiping). People were throwing down their coats on the street, as if they were rolling out the red carpet for Jesus. Some even cut down palm branches to wave at Jesus just like they would fan a king sitting on his throne. It is a very interesting day because 5 days after people treated Jesus like a king he would be treated as a criminal and put to death on Good Friday.

In this week's lesson, "Triumphal Entry" taken from Luke 19:28-44 and John 12:12-19 we looked at how some people were ecstatic to see Jesus while others, the Pharisees, were very upset to see Jesus being praised. Use this week's Family Worship Guide and the teaching notes below to help your children understand this story.

The crowd celebrates Jesus as an earthly king—With Passover near, the crowds were streaming into Jerusalem for the annual feast. Word had spread that Jesus was the Messiah. Those who had witnessed Jesus’ latest miracles went out to meet him as he made his way into Jerusalem. The people shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Psalm 118:26). This was in keeping with the prophecy of Zechariah, who said, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). The people celebrated Jesus’ arrival, convinced he would become the earthly king over Israel. The disciples were just as confused about Jesus’ mission. At one point the mother of James and John had asked if her sons could sit alongside Jesus, believing he would one day come to earthly power. The disciples, like the people around them, thought Jesus would be a political Messiah. They would be surprised as much as anyone by his arrest.

Jesus points the disciples back to the cross—In all of the excitement, Jesus did not lose sight of his mission. He knew the cross was before him when he said, “’The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified’” (John 12:23). Jesus knew the people were looking for an earthly king. Yet, while the crowd celebrated him, the religious rulers were plotting his death (John 12:10), as they had been for some time now (John 5:18; 7:19, 25; 8:40). Matthew records their scheme: “Then the chief priests and the elders...plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. But they said, ‘Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people’” (Matthew 26:3–5).

The cross was not easy for Jesus, and he brings the disciples into his struggle. He tells them “’Now is my soul troubled’” (John 12:27), and indicates he will die on the cross when he says, “’I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself’” (John 12:32). Jesus would not be lifted up onto an earthly throne. Jesus would be lifted up onto a wooden cross.

The crowd did not believe—In spite of all that Jesus did, the Jews still did not believe. Who could blame them? Apart from God’s opening their eyes to the cross, there is no way that they could understand. Even when the voice of God the Father rang out from heaven, they did not believe. Those who may have understood that Jesus was referring to his crucifixion dismissed the idea and were confused saying, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up?” (John 12:34). Jesus knew that when he was arrested even his disciples would flee. He knew that when these same crowds saw Jesus tortured and mocked, they would quickly turn against him. 

How does today’s Bible story fit into God’s greater plan of redemption?

Even as Jesus was riding into Jerusalem, the very people who were celebrating his arrival would put him to death in a few days, Jesus would soon die for the sins of men by suffering on the cross. It is true that Jesus came to earth to be king. But he came as a heavenly king for a spiritual kingdom. That is why he said that if the people did not praise him, the very stones would cry out. The cross did not come as a surprise to Jesus (John 12:27); it was the very reason he had come to earth. Jesus even predicted how he would die (John 12:32–33). Many of those who hailed Jesus as king in his triumphal entry would soon cry out with the religious rulers, “Crucify him!”