Jesus is King (Tru Fire)

If you could ride an animal (real or imaginary), what animal would you ride?

Bible Passage: ; ; Ponder Point: Jesus Is King Storytelling Technique: Images and Interactive Response

Tech: Cue image. Leader onstage (wearing optional Bible-times costume) reads in a loud, declarative voice and then moves offstage.

The Coming of Zion’s King

9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!

Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!

See, your king comes to you,

Tech: Cue Drumroll audio. Storyteller starts from back of the room and runs to front while drumroll plays. Storyteller arrives onstage in dramatic fashion. Don’t you love a big entrance? Well, Jesus knew how to make an entrance! And Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem was prophesied more than 500 years before He was even born! Point to image. But before we hear more, let’s pause and ask the Holy Spirit to teach us today. Lead children in a Prayer of Release to pause, be still, and ask the Holy Spirit to quiet their hearts and minds. Tech: Cue Ponder Point image.

righteous and victorious,

lowly and riding on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

The New International Version. (2011). (). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Tech: Cue Drumroll audio. Storyteller starts from back of the room and runs to front while drumroll plays. Storyteller arrives onstage in dramatic fashion. Don’t you love a big entrance? Well, Jesus knew how to make an entrance! And Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem was prophesied more than 500 years before He was even born! Point to image. But before we hear more, let’s pause and ask the Holy Spirit to teach us today. Lead children in a Prayer of Release to pause, be still, and ask the Holy Spirit to quiet their hearts and minds. Tech: Cue Ponder Point image.

Jesus and His disciples were on their way to Jerusalem for Passover. Passover, one of the most important Jewish festivals, celebrated how God had delivered His people from slavery in Egypt. Hundreds of thousands of people traveled to Jerusalem to attend Passover. Along the journey there, Jesus had stopped in Bethany to visit His friends Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus. During that visit Mary worshipped Him by pouring perfume on His feet. She knew Him as a teacher, a healer, and the One who had brought her brother back to life four days after his death. Soon she and everyone would know Him as King.

Many of the people coming to the Passover festival in Jerusalem hoped that Jesus would be there. Imagine a crowd of people, as many as in a sports arena (Tech: Cue Sports Arena image), all hoping to see one person: Jesus. They had heard about how Jesus healed sick people, blind people, and paralyzed people—and how He’d even raised Lazarus from the dead! Who remembers a miracle that Jesus did? Invite a couple of kids to share.

The Jewish people had been waiting since the beginning of The Big God Story for the promised Messiah. The Romans ruled God’s people, and the people thought the Messiah would come to save them from their enemies. They expected a warrior king to ride in on a huge, powerful horse and beat the bad guys so they could be free to live as God’s people. Some of them expected Jesus to be that warrior king.

As Jesus and His disciples came near Jerusalem, Jesus told them something. Let’s turn to to hear what Jesus said. Read verses aloud as kids follow along.

Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’ ”

The New International Version. (2011). (). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Tech: Cue Donkey image. Jesus knew exactly where to find the donkey and that it would be given to Him. He knew this because He’s God and He knows everything, but He also knew the ancient prophecy in the Bible that predicted what would happen.Tech: Cue image. Jesus knew that His choice to ride into Jerusalem on a donkey would fulfill this prophecy and would reveal Him as King.

The disciples found the donkey just as Jesus had said they would. What happened next? Invite responses. Ask a volunteer to read .

7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it.

7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8

Crowds of people were waiting to see Jesus. Imagine that you’re waiting for a king. What do you think you’d see when he arrived? Invite responses. Tech: Cue Royal Procession image. Good thoughts. You might imagine that the king would be surrounded by lots of marching soldiers or people riding in chariots. Maybe a trumpet would sound. Tech: Cue Trumpet Fanfare audio. Maybe the king would ride a big, beautiful, decorated horse like kings rode as they headed to battle. Tech: Cue Horse image.

Zondervan.

Crowds of people were waiting to see Jesus. Imagine that you’re waiting for a king. What do you think you’d see when he arrived? Invite responses. Tech: Cue Royal Procession image. Good thoughts. You might imagine that the king would be surrounded by lots of marching soldiers or people riding in chariots. Maybe a trumpet would sound. Tech: Cue Trumpet Fanfare audio. Maybe the king would ride a big, beautiful, decorated horse like kings rode as they headed to battle. Tech: Cue Horse image.

Well, Jesus—the King of Kings—chose to enter Jerusalem riding on a donkey. Why do you think He chose a donkey? Encourage responses. Jesus rode on a donkey to show His people that He was indeed the true King from . But He came in peace on a donkey, instead of coming to fight His enemies. Jesus didn’t come to destroy the Jewish people’s enemies, the Romans, like many of the Jewish people hoped.

Let’s read what the crowd did when they saw Him. Read as everyone follows along.

The New International Version Chapter 11

8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields.

Tech: Cue Palm Branch image. The people shouted, “Hosanna!” which means “Save us!” Pass out palm branches and invite kids to act out the scene as you read . As you read each phrase, encourage kids to repeat it.

The New International Version Chapter 12

13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

“Hosanna!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” u

“Blessed is the king of Israel!”

Tech: Cue Palm Branch image. The people shouted, “Hosanna!” which means “Save us!” Pass out palm branches and invite kids to act out the scene as you read . As you read each phrase, encourage kids to repeat it.

Jesus is the King of Kings. He is the King over everything because He is God! The Israelites had expected for so long that the Messiah would be a warrior king. They wanted Him to save them from the Romans. And Jesus did come to save them, but not from the Romans. He had a bigger plan. Jesus came to save people from their sins. He came to die on the cross for their sins and to rise again. He came to save people from death! Jesus came to make a way for people to be in right relationship with God. This gift was not just for the Jewish people. It is for everyone who will accept the gift of salvation that Jesus offers.

The Bible tells us that Jesus is God as well as a man. He is the powerful Ruler of all, but He chose to free us from our sins by dying for us ().

5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

When we know Jesus as our King, we can cry out to Him, “Hosanna! Save us!” We can ask Him to help us bow down to who He is and what He wants to do in our lives. Tech: Cue Ponder Point image. Share a personal story of a time you recognized Jesus as King in your life. You may wish to end with an invitation to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. (See Prayer Place copy below.)

The New International Version. (2011). (). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

When we know Jesus as our King, we can cry out to Him, “Hosanna! Save us!” We can ask Him to help us bow down to who He is and what He wants to do in our lives. Tech: Cue Ponder Point image. Share a personal story of a time you recognized Jesus as King in your life. You may wish to end with an invitation to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. (See Prayer Place copy below.)

Story of many roles of Dad.

I would like

As a kid, I loved my dad and I would often times need him to help me with different needs of my life. For instance, when he got home from work, I would want my dad to be my friend and play catch with me. When I was sad, I would want him to show empathy and help me. When I needed money, I wanted him to provide for me. I loved my dad, (and still do!). But what If I would only show him love based off of what he did for me? Is that real love? Or is that being selfish? Real love is loving my dad because he’s my dad. When he does things for me it makes me feel special and causes me to even feel more love. And because he loves me he enjoys doing this for me. Where the Jews went wrong in this story is they wanted to force God to do something they felt needed to be done and rejected Jesus Christ because He didn’t meet their hopes of conquering Rome and freeing them from oppression.

Altar: Lets take some time and praise God for who He is AND what He has done.

(Altar the Atmosphere App)

Jesus is King (Tru Fire)

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