Palm Sunday - Hosanna, Jesus is King! Pre-K-2 Lesson

Kids' Corner Pre-K - 2 Children's Church / Sunday School Lesson

Title: Palm Sunday: Hosanna, Jesus is King!

Verses: John 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!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!””

Matthew 21:15-16, “But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?”

Objective: Kids will learn that Jesus is King! He deserves honor and praise—we don’t let anything stop us from praising King Jesus.

Spark: Holy Week Picture Sequence

Directions: Ask the children to put the pictures in chronological order (what happened first, second, etc.) Have volunteers share why they chose their order. Briefly explain the order: Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday (Easter).

Transition: Today is Palm Sunday, a very special day in history. Why is this day so important that we still celebrate it over 2000 years later? Let’s find out!

Scripture: Open your bible to John 12:13

Read: “They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!””

Explain:

A long, long time ago (2,000 years!), Jesus was coming to a big city called Jerusalem. Everyone was so excited because they knew Jesus was the one who could heal people and do amazing things!
Jesus chose to ride on a donkey. This showed everyone that He was a different kind of King—one who is kind. (Zechariah 9:9)
To welcome Him, people cut down big green palm branches and laid them on the ground like a special rug. This was how they showed everyone that a very important King had arrived!
Everyone cheered and shouted "Hosanna!". Does anyone know what that means? It means "Save us!". They were so happy because they knew Jesus was the King who came to save them.
Some people thought Jesus was coming to save them from mean leaders, but Jesus was actually coming to do something even better. He came to save us from our sin so we could be close to Him forever!

Matthew 21:15-16

Read: “But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?”

Explain:

Inside the big church (the temple), children just like you were praising Jesus as loud as they could!
Some men told the children to be quiet, but Jesus looked out for them. He said that God loves it when praise comes from the lips of children!
The children didn’t stop because they knew Jesus was their King. They were so thankful for all the wonderful things He was doing that they stayed brave and proud!
We still remember those children 2,000 years later because of how much they honored King Jesus!

Ask:

How do we honor the King of all kings? (Encourage the kids to wave their hands high like palm branches and use their voices to praise Him! Remind them we use our hands, our lips, and our hearts too!)
Do we only honor Jesus (the King) when we feel like it or want to? (No, we honor Him all the time because He deserves our praise. We don't let anything—like a grumpy mood, being sad, playing with toys—stop us from praising King Jesus.)

Activity

Craft: Construction Paper Palm Branch

To see an example of this craft please go to Kids Corner Pinterest

Explain: Kids will create a palm branch as a reminder that Jesus is King and they will honor and praise Him!

Game 1: True/False Freeze Dance: Dance to worship music and freeze when the music stops. Have kids use thumbs up/down (or stand up/sit down) for these statements:

People laid down palm branches because they were trying to grow a palm tree. (False – they were honoring Jesus as King)
When the men came who wanted the children to be quiet, the children stopped praising Jesus. (False – The children were brave and proud of Jesus. They didn’t stop praising Him!)
Jesus wants us to honor Him as King. (True)
We can honor King Jesus with our hands, our lips, and our hearts. (True)
This special day we are celebrating today is called Christmas. (False – It’s Palm Sunday)
Jesus rode a horse into Jerusalem. (False – it was a donkey)
The people shouted “Hosanna” to praise Jesus. (True)

Act It Out: Hosanna, Jesus is King!

Pick one child to be Jesus and have them walk slowly through the room as if riding a donkey. Explain that Jesus chose a donkey because He is a King of peace.
Give children paper "palm branches" to wave high or lay on the floor as a "red carpet" for Jesus.
Have the kids shout “Hosanna!” and “Blessed is the King!”. Remind them "Hosanna" means "Savior".
The teacher acts like the men who said "be quiet". Tell the kids to stay brave and keep praising Jesus anyway!
Remind them we honor King Jesus with our hands, our lips, and our whole hearts every day.

For more Palm Sunday Craft Ideas and Activities check out Kids Corner at United Faith Church

Live

Say: Hosanna! Jesus is the King!

Prayer Focus: Thank the Lord for Jesus and all of the wonderful things He has done and is doing. He deserves our praise – we will be brave and proud and praise Him! Jesus is King!

Materials / Supplies Needed: