Lesson nine - Jesus enters Jerusalem (pages 18-19)

Text from the book

Jesus also came home to Jerusalem. He was welcomed like a king. How do you welcome a special visitor?

Learning objectives

Pupils will:

• be familiar with the story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem;
• explore its significance for contemporary Christians.

Background

The Gospels vary on whether Jesus went to Jerusalem once or three times during his ministry. When Jesus entered the city, in the week of his death, he did so on a donkey. He was a king, for those who believed, yet he entered the city as a humble traveller, arriving home in peace and humility. The day is called ‘Palm Sunday’ because crowds welcomed him, throwing palms in his path. Jesus was teaching his followers the importance of humility and trying to demonstrate what type of ‘king’ he was.

Ways of using the picture

• How do the pupils expect that a king should enter a city? What did entering on a donkey symbolise?
• Could Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem be paralleled with a football team coming home with a trophy? Why would the crowds turn out for Jesus?
• What might Jesus’ feelings have been on that day? Did he feel he was ‘coming home’ to complete his work?

Bible reference

John 12.12-19

Key words

• Palm Sunday
• Jerusalem
• Donkey
• Humility
• Excitement
• Triumphal
• Fervour
• Anticipation
• Regal
• Peace

Activity

You will need

A video of a football team’s triumphant return home, or a passage from a film like ‘Jesus of Nazareth’

Paper

Pens

(It is important that pupils should have completed work on the previous two book spreads if they are to make the most of opportunities here).

The story of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem is told to the pupils. (References need to be made to the story of David entering the city with the Ark of the Covenant for comparisons and similarities).

Use a news video of a famous football team touring their home city in an open top bus after winning an important prize. If one is not available paint a word picture of the scene for the pupils. Discuss with the pupils why they are doing this. Would they like to be the centre of attention? What feelings would they have? Would they feel very powerful and successful? Would Jesus have had these same emotions?

When Jesus entered Jerusalem the crowd tore down palm branches to put on the ground for his donkey to walk on, and Christians have traditionally made palm crosses to hold on this day. Have a palm cross to show to the children.

Make a large cross from card and write the word ‘Hosanna ‘- meaning ‘Glory to thee on high’ on it. Collect a ‘shower of words’ from the pupils indicating how they think Jesus might have felt and/or how the crowd might have felt. Display these words around the cross.

Assessment opportunities

Pupils will:

• have demonstrated an ability to empathise with characters in the Jesus story;
• have used their creativity in a number of ways;
• be aware of the importance of the story for Christians.

Learning outcomes

Pupils will:

• have a deeper understanding of the significance of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.
• have experienced making links with a modern day experience of a triumphant entry into a city.

Extension work

Use the words from the ‘word shower’ to create a poem in the shape of a figure on a donkey. Or use the words to create a picture of the scene using big and small writing to create a picture effect.

Learn a famous Palm Sunday song or hymn, such as ‘All glory laud and honour’ or ‘Ride on, ride on, in majesty’

Web site links

www-cds.aas.duke.edu/ exhibits/past/tcal/
There are a number of images of Palm Sunday. This painting, by Jacob Lawrence, is a particularly dramatic modern depiction of Jesus entering Jerusalem. Other images can be found at:
www.stjohndc.org/Russian/ Feasts/Palm.htm (traditional image. Site is in Russian)

Photos of Christians celebrating Palm Sunday can be viewed at http://www.christiananswers.net/q-abr/abr-a026.html .

© Alan Brown and Alison Seaman, 2002

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