Rotation.org Writing Team

PALM SUNDAY

DRAMA

PASSAGES

Matthew 21:1-11
Mark 11:1-10
Luke 19:28-44
John 12:12-19

MEMORY VERSES

Mark 11:9 - "Hosanna! Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the LORD!" [NRSV]

Psalm 118:26a - "Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the LORD!" [NRSV]

PURPOSE

Children will explore the story of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem relating the Old Testament to the New Testament

Objectives

Children will:

Older students will locate the stories in their Bibles; Younger students will learn that the story is in the New Testament in the Gospels.

Know that Jesus came to Jerusalem along with thousands of others to celebrate the Jewish Passover.

Learn that Palm Sunday remembers Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem just a few days before his arrest, trial, and crucifixion. This story begins the events of Holy Week.

Know that Jesus’ entry on a donkey signified that he was a humble, peaceful Messiah, fulfilling Old Testament prophecy.

Understand the meaning of the word Hosanna; the people expected a king to save them. Yet the crowd misunderstood what sort of Messiah Jesus was.

Know that Creation understood that Jesus was the Son of God

PREPARATION

Read the Bible Background.

Materials List

• Basket, box, or hat
  
• Bibles
  
• Broomstick to simulate donkey [Optional]
  
• Coats or fabric pieces [Optional]
  
• Costumes for disciples, Jesus, and people in village [Optional]
  
• Index cards or paper slips
  
• Palm leaves [Optional]
  
• Pen
  

Advance Preparation Requirements

Decide who will tell the story. If it is someone other than the teacher, recruit an adult or a high school student to be the storyteller. Recruit a high school, a middle school student, or a shepherd to be the Seeker. Meet with these individuals in advance to go through their roles.

Print the roles for the story on separate index cards or pieces of paper and place them in a basket, box, or hat. Roles include: twelve disciples – write each name on a separate card; Jesus; people in village; donkey.

PROCEDURE

Open – Introduction

Begin by telling the students the expectation of the day.

They will be acting out the drama as the storyteller shares the account of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem

Tell the students they will be silent during the acting.

Also tell the students they are to freeze in whatever position they are in whenever anyone asks a question. When the storyteller continues to talk they may break the freeze.

Have a game of Freeze tag lasting no longer than five minutes. The teacher will call out how the students are to move about the room. The person that is “It” must only walk rather than run. When the student who is “It” touches another student, he or she must freeze in place and stay that way until the game ends.

Teacher tells the students:

Begin walking around the room;

Skip around the room;

Hop on one foot around the room;

Crawl around the room;

Pretend to untie a knot;

Jump up and down;

Clap your hands.

Note: Feel free to make up your own actions or add to this list.

Tell the student to gather in a circle. Pass around the basket, box, or hat containing slips of paper with the roles for the drama. Remind the group that when someone asks a question everyone must freeze in place.

Have the storyteller begin to share the story.

INTERPRETATIVE DRAMA FOR PALM SUNDAY

Storyteller: Jesus and his disciples were on their way to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast.

Seeker: Hey, what is the Passover Feast?

Storyteller: The Passover Feast celebrates the Israelites exodus from Egypt. The Israelites were held as Pharaoh’s slaves. God sent numerous plagues to convince Pharaoh to “Let his People Go!” The last plague was the angel of Death. At this time the Israelites were told to put blood on their doorposts so the angel of death would Passover (not stop) at their homes.

Seeker: What’s next?

Storyteller: Jesus told two of his disciples to go into the village along the way and they would find a young donkey that had never been ridden. They were to bring it to Jesus. If anyone …

Seeker: Wait a minute, isn’t that stealing? Doesn’t one of the commandments tell us we are not supposed to steal?

Storyteller: You are right; we should not steal from others. Let me continue the story and I believe it will make a bit more sense.

Seeker: Okay, but I need to be home by 7 p.m. for supper with my family.

Storyteller: If anyone questioned them (the disciples) they were to say “The Lord has need of it (the donkey) and will send it back soon.”

Seeker: So if I have need for food or clothing then it is okay to steal?

Storyteller: I don’t think that is the point that Jesus is trying to make.

Seeker: What is his point then?

Storyteller: If you go back to the first chapter in Genesis, we are told the world was
created. Do you remember who or how the world was created?

Seeker: Didn’t God create the world?

Storyteller: If God created the world and everything in it, to whom does everything belong?

Seeker: Ah, I think I get it. So God has given the donkey to the people, but God asks us to care for these things while we are on earth. Sometimes if God has need of something, then we need to return it to God, the Creator.

Storyteller: Yes, you are beginning to understand. We are all basically here to be caretakers of the things God created.

Seeker: Okay, okay; I see what you are saying. Are we almost done?

Storyteller: They brought the donkey to Jesus and put their coats over it. Jesus sat on the donkey. As he rode along, the people began to throw their coats on the path. They were making way for the entrance of their King. They shouted “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the Highest.”

Seeker: If Jesus was King why was he riding on a donkey? Wouldn’t a King have something like a big white horse?

Storyteller: Jesus came humbly and he left humbly following the will of the Father. He shows us as long as the Lord and I know who I am that is what matters. It doesn’t matter what others think.

Seeker: The word Hosanna- what does that mean?

Storyteller: Hosanna means “Save Now” or “Save Us.”

Seeker: Save now to the Son of David or Save now in the highest. It doesn’t make a lot sense.

Storyteller: You’re right; it doesn’t make sense that way. In this story the Hosanna is being used to say: Praise the King who will save us now, as he is the Son of David. And the other sentence would state: Praise to God in the highest who has come to save us now.

Seeker: Wow! There is a lot more to this story than I thought. Is this the end of the story?

Storyteller: Just about, it depends on which Gospel you read. In Luke it tells us the children yelled out praises to God. This upset the religious leader who asked Jesus to keep the children quiet. Then Jesus told them …

Jesus: If these children where to be quiet even the rocks would cry out their praises.

Seeker: How can rocks cry out? They can't speak and don’t have feelings.

Storyteller: In our world, they could not cry out, but remember the story of the disciples in the boat with a raging storm.

Seeker: Yeah, they woke Jesus up.

Storyteller: That is correct, but do you remember what Jesus says to the wind and the waves?

Seeker: Wasn’t it “Peace, Be Still” or something.

Storyteller: When Jesus said, “Be Still” the waves and wind responded by obeying Jesus. This shows us the power Jesus has over creation. Jesus was with God in the beginning when creation was formed. So if God told the rocks to cry out they would listen to him and honor God’s command.

Seeker: Hum, are we at the end of the story?

Storyteller: We just began telling of Jesus’ last week on earth. Much more happens in the upcoming days, here are just a few things:

Jesus has the Passover with his disciples and it is sometimes called the Last Supper;

Jesus is betrayed by one of his disciples with a kiss;

Jesus is put on trail, found innocent, but crucified anyway;

He died and was buried;

On the third Day he rose again.

Seeker: Isn’t crucified being nailed to a wooden cross and that results in death?

Storyteller: That’s correct.

Seeker: So why are we making a big deal about a man who is going to die in a few days? How can he become King if he is dead?

Storyteller: I can understand your frustration, you may not have heard that on the third day he rose from the dead.

Seeker: Aren’t all of us who believe going to be raised up and go to heaven?

Storyteller: Certainly, but this is about Jesus conquering death. He first came back to
earth to show us even death could not keep hold of him. He was in charge. He spent time on earth before going up to heaven to prepare a place for us.

Seeker: Awesome story. It gives me a lot to think about. Can I come back if I have more questions?

Storyteller: Please do, I’d be happy to share what I know, but I may not have all the answers.

Seeker: Thanks, I hear my parent calling me to supper.

Reflect -- Closure

What was it like when you had to freeze in place while a question was being asked?
[Easy, Hard, Easy at first – became more difficult]

Why do you think this person (called a seeker) had all these questions?
[Didn’t know God, knew God but didn’t understand the story, wanted to understand the story better]

Do you ever have questions like the seeker?

Do you feel comfortable asking questions in Sunday school, to parents, teachers, shepherds, and/or Pastors? Why or Why not?
[Don’t want to look dumb, they are busy]

What type of questions do you have about the story and/or the Bible?
[Provide note cards for student to write questions on]

Will people always have an answer for you?
[Probably not, we can with God’s help answer some questions – but for other questions we will have to wait until we meet God to get the answers.]

Closing Prayer:

Holy Father, Thank you for your Kingly love that surrounds us each day. Help us remember to talk with you everyday. When we have questions, please lead us to the people who will answer our questions to the best of their ability. Help us to be patient when the answers are not known. In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who is with us everyday. Amen

CONTRIBUTOR: Wendy Sempf