Growing Kids in Grace: Jesus Enters Jerusalem

Lesson: Jesus is our King of Salvation and Righteousness

1. Story:

2. Lesson:

Jesus had been preparing his disciples for His death. He knew that after He got to Jerusalem, He would be arrested and crucified.
Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was a time of celebration because it was part of God’s plan of salvation, and righetousness.

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, his disciples and the crowd began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice while waving palm leaves: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD! Hosanna in the highest!”
Whether they understood it or not, the crowds were praising Jesus as their king.
The Pharisees weren’t very happy that the crowds were praising Jesus … whom they saw as only a man. But Jesus told them, even if the crowds didn’t praise Him, the stones would cry out as creation cannot deny the fact that Jesus was God.
Imagine the stones on the road shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Hosanna!”

The Prophet Zechariah had prophesied about it in Zech 9: 9 “ Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.
Jesus’ coming into Jerusalem was a time of celebration because He was going to bring God’s salvation to His people — Jesus had to come to take our place so that we can have His life in us. He died so that we could live.

There was another prophecy back in Genesis that talks about the coming of the Saviour. Before Jacob died, he blessed his 12 sons. For Judah, the ancestor of Jesus, he said: 10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people. 11 Binding his donkey to the vine, And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, He washed his garments in wine, And his clothes in the blood of grapes. (Gen 49:10-11)
Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, and the people put their clothes on the donkey and on the ground as he passed by.
In Jacob’s blessing, he speaks of the donkey being tied to the choice vine, the best vine. This vine if Jesus (John 15) and the new life He gives us when we are tied to Him.
Jacob also spoke about clothes being washed in the blood of grapes. Our clothes — our own “righteousness” — are filthy rags, torn and dirty. This blood of grapes refer to Jesus’ blood — He washes us clean and clothes us in robes of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10).
So let’s throw down our own clothes, our filthy rags, and let Jesus wash us clean and call us righteous!

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, He knew He was going to be killed. He didn’t go in reluctantly or hesitantly. He went in boldly, to the cheers and cries of many. Because He knew that the victory was His already — salvation and redemption has come!
And like the crowds in Jesus’ time, and the stones that would have cried out, let’s praise Him and worship Him for He is our King who loves us so much!

3. Activity Ideas

§ Crossword

Answer key:

Across

3. Jesus

8. Hosanna

9. village

10. colt

11. spread

12. tie

Down

1. name

2. praise

4. enter

5. shouted

6. king

7. road

Growing Kids in Grace