Palm Sunday Lesson Plans

Introduction

Based on the Palm Sunday story, Hanna’s Parade is about the donkey that carried Jesus into Jerusalem.

Hanna’s Parade

Once there was a young donkey named Hanna. She lived with a merchant named Boaz. Each day, He would load merchandise on his donkeys and travel to Jerusalem. There, he would sell them in the marketplace.
Hanna was unable to go. She could only walk a short distance before she would get tired and have to stop. If anything were placed on her back, she would collapse under the weight. Hanna was so sad. She wanted to work like the other donkeys.
Boaz loved Hanna. He brought in wise men from all over the country to examine her. They poked and prodded, but nobody could cure her.
“We don’t know what the problem is,” said one of the wise men. “She may never be able to work.”
Boaz was very sad. He didn’t know what to do.
“Don’t worry Hanna,” said Boaz. “God created you for a reason.”
Each day, Hanna watched Boaz leave for Jerusalem. She had to stay in the stable. After the servants fed her, she would be alone for the rest of the day.
Hanna prayed, “Dear God, I want to be healthy and go to Jerusalem.”
She sat down in the warm hay and fell asleep, dreaming of traveling to Jerusalem.
The next day, Boaz had an idea. His servants took Hanna to the front of the house. There, she could watch the people pass on their way to Jerusalem.
“I think you will be happier here,” said Boaz as he rubbed Hanna’s neck.
Hanna watched her master leave for Jerusalem. This was a nice change, but she really wanted to join them. Hanna imagined what it would be like in the city.
It must be wonderful, she thought.
Around noon, two men came and untied Hanna. One of the servants questioned the men.
“Why are you untying my master’s donkey?”
“The Lord needs it and will send it back shortly,” said the men.
Startled by their explanation, the servant let them take Hanna.
Hanna wondered where she was going. She was getting very tired, but did not want to stop.
They took her to a man named Jesus.
He leaned down and whispered to Hanna, “Do not be afraid. God’s power is strongest in those that are weak.”
Hanna heard the words, but didn’t know exactly what they meant.
The men with Jesus placed their cloaks on Hanna. Her legs began to shake and she thought she might fall down. Then, Jesus sat on her back. She had never had anyone ride her before. He was so heavy, how could she carry him?
“Let’s go to Jerusalem,” said Jesus as he patted Hanna’s neck.
Hanna took a step and then, another one. With each step, she felt stronger. Soon, she was trotting confidently towards Jerusalem.
“I’m going to Jerusalem!” she shouted.
As they approached the city, many people lay down cloaks and palm branches in their path. They also shouted praises.
“Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord – the King of Israel!”
Others shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in Heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!”
Still others added, “Long live the King!”
The streets were lined on each side with people praising Jesus. And there in the middle of it all was Hanna. She was leading the parade through the middle of the city straight for the marketplace.
Boaz noticed all the excitement.
“What’s going on?” he asked one of the people heading towards the parade.
“Don’t you know?” asked the man. “Jesus is coming!”
Boaz had heard about Jesus and wanted to see him. He left one of his servants to watch the merchandise and ran towards the crowd.
The crowd was huge and Boaz was a small man. He fought his way through the crowd until he was in front of the Temple.
Jesus climbed off Hanna and walked towards Boaz. He looked directly at him.
“Her faith has healed her,” said Jesus.
“Thank you Lord,” said Boaz.
Boaz ran to Hanna and threw his arms around her. He was so happy.
That evening, Hanna carried the largest load back home. She told the other donkeys all that had happened. They all praised God for her healing.

THE END

Hanna’s Parade – Key Concepts
A Parable About Faith & Healing

1. Hanna wanted to work like the other donkeys. Her heart’s desire was to serve her master and work like everyone else. The illness made it impossible for her to work. You must remember that God wants to give you the desires of your heart. It is His will for you to be healthy, happy and fully capable of giving Him your best.

2. The wise men that examined Hanna couldn’t solve the problem. God has given knowledge to doctors, scientists and healthcare professionals. In addition, He has placed healing abilities within your body and filled the earth with plants, minerals and chemicals that can be used to treat illness. But you must remember that God is the ultimate Healer/Doctor. When you place your trust in God and put His Word first in your life, it makes healing, whether natural, through medical assistance, or through the supernatural all that more certain.
3. The wise men unwisely gave an evil report (negative confession): “She may never be able to work.” Your words are capable of releasing faith or doubt and unbelief. It is important that you never say words that are contrary to God’s Word and reject anything that you hear that is inconsistent with what you know you have in Christ. When you speak in agreement to God’s Word, you are always speaking the truth.
4. Boaz had faith in God. He knew that it was not God’s will for Hanna to be sick and unable to work. You cannot do your best for God if you are hindered by sickness or lack.
5. Hanna asked God to heal her. God always hears the prayers of believers, and faith-filled prayers are always answered.
6. Boaz was inspired to tie Hanna up in front of his house. As believers, God is always at work in your life. He gives you inspiration to do the things to help others. It is your responsibility to have a willing spirit and listen to the Holy Spirit’s direction. When you have your spiritual ears tuned in, you can be most effective in helping others and doing God’s work. Don’t be surprised to see God at work in your life. Be ready to be obedient to His request. It may seem strange, but it will always be in agreement to His Word.
7. As Hanna watched the people head towards Jerusalem, she imagined herself healthy, strong and traveling with them. This is an important step for all believers. God sees you healthy, prosperous and full of joy. Changing a self-image is an important step to realizing your full potential. Start seeing yourself the way God sees you.
8. After the men took Hanna to Jesus, she felt tired and doubts entered her mind, but in her heart (spirit) she still believed she was healed and would go to Jerusalem. This is real faith. Faith knows you have something when you can’t see, taste, or touch it. Faith is not hope. Hope is in the future. Faith is right now! When you study the Bible and pray, your faith will increase. Just like exercise will build muscles, speaking and reading God’s Word will build your faith where you can know you have your prayer answered before you see it or feel it.
9. Jesus told Hanna, “Do not be afraid. God’s Power is strongest in those that are weak.” It is important that you never have any fear. Fear is the opposite of faith and it is in fact a sin. When you accept Jesus as your Lord, you receive a new spirit. You are no longer weak because Jesus becomes your strength. And you do not need to fear because God’s love will remove all your fear.
10. When Jesus said, “Let’s go to Jerusalem” he was releasing his faith to heal Hanna. When you speak faith-filled words that are in agreement with God’s Word, miracles happen! Hanna heard the words and agreed with them. As she took the first step of faith and shouted in agreement with Jesus, her healing was complete and she was on her way to Jerusalem!
11. After Hanna was healed, she joyfully served her master and shared her story with the other donkeys. What a wonderful story you can share with your friends when you see miracles in your life! Start believing today that God makes good things happen in your life every day. Expect miracles and you will be amazed at what God will do!

Putting It All Together
Faith comes from hearing the Word of God.
You can build your faith by speaking God’s Word and only speaking things that agree with the Bible.
You will get your prayers answered when you ask in agreement with God’s will, believe in your heart that God heard your prayer and that you have what you asked, even if you do not see it, hold it or feel it.
Confession (speaking, believing, knowing) comes before possession.
Most people want to see, feel or hold something first before they will believe they have it. This is backwards. It takes no faith to believe in something you see or are already holding. Faith says: “I believe I have it” and then you do have it. That is the God-kind of faith.


LET'S PRAY

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Dear God, thank You for giving us times of
joy and celebration. Help us to remember
that Jesus is the King over all things and
we need to praise and worship Him.
In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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We will also be making palm’s leaves and coloring in a Palm Sunday picture as well as an anagram about Easter.

Below you will see an extra story that I will be reading while the kids are eating there snacks.

The King Is Coming!

            The dusty roads leading into Jerusalem were anything but quiet. A buzz of excitement filled the air as preparations for Passover, the biggest holiday of the year, were being made. It seemed that everyone from everywhere was trying to get to Jerusalem to celebrate. But it wasn't only people . . .

           The roads were crowded with donkeys and camels which was the common form of transportation, and not only that, most people also brought other animals with them. The bleating of sheep, the mooing of cows and the cooing of doves could all be heard, as well as the laughing and singing of children. The mood was boisterous and joyous as people greeted old friends and family members they hadn't seen since the previous year.
           "Hey! There's Uncle Ezra and Aunt Mary." Joshua excitedly exclaimed to his father. "Is it all right if I go the rest of the way with them?" he asked.
           "If it's okay with them, I don't mind," his father replied. "Just make sure to hold onto that goat! If that goat gets away, there will be no feast for you, young man," his father teased as he toussled Joshua's hair.
           Holding onto that goat was no small feat for Joshua. It seemed that the animal was always wanting to go in the wrong direction, and when it did go the right way it was only because it was trying to get into another person's feed sacks. Joshua tugged and pulled, and with much struggle, finally caught up to his Uncle Ezra, Aunt Mary, and their children.
           "That goat of yours is giving you a difficult time, is it?" Uncle Ezra questioned with a grin. Joshua gave the rope another tug and nodded. "Well, we will be there shortly," Uncle Ezra said. "I'll take the goat off your hands for a little while. You and Samuel haven't seen each other in so long; you have a lot of catching up to do. Go, run and play, but . . . remember to stay close. Don't go wandering off where we can't see you."
           Joshua and his cousin Samuel pulled a couple of figs out of their sacks and dashed to the edge of the road to sit under a tree to have their snack. They chattered almost non-stop about the Passover. "No school for eight whole days!" Joshua said excitedly. "Just think of the fun we can have!"
           Samuel was more excited about the celebration meals. "There's going to be so much food!"  he exclaimed. "Not only are we out of school for eight days, but we also get to eat for eight days!" The boys were so caught up in their excitement, they forgot that the crowd was moving along, passing them by. Uncle Ezra and Aunt Mary were nowhere to be seen. Jumping up quickly, they hurriedly squeezed their way through the crowd trying to catch up, hoping that they hadn't been missed.
           As the boys were trying to catch up to Samuel's parents, they passed a small building that had a mother donkey and her young colt tied to a post. "Aw, look at the little colt," Samuel said gently, as he reached out and tried to pet it.
           "Yee Haw!" the mother donkey screeched, unhappy that someone was trying to touch her baby. Samuel quickly pulled his hand back and put it in his pocket.
           As the two boys stood there admiring the little colt, two men, who were Jesus' disciples, came along and started to untie the donkey and the colt. "Yee Haw!" the donkey screeched again. Hearing the commotion, the owner came out of the building.
           "What are you doing?" he questioned. "Why are you loosing the animals?"
           The two disciples, having had a previous discussion with Jesus, were ready for this question and knew just what to say. "The Lord needs these animals," was the simple reply they gave the owner.
           The owner didn't question further. He let the two men take the animals.
           Now, that made Samuel and Joshua curious. They wanted to know who the "Lord" was and why he needed the donkey and the little colt. They followed closely and quietly behind the two men.
           Just outside the town, they watched as the men took off their overcoats and laid them on the little colt. Samuel and Joshua were quite surprised that the little colt wasn't fearful at all, and this time even the mother donkey didn't seem to mind that someone was touching her baby. They watched as a man got up on the colt and started riding it into town.
           "How can he do that?" they heard someone from the crowd ask. "How can he get on and ride a little colt that has never been trained?"
           "And just look at that mother donkey," someone else exclaimed. "She doesn't seem to mind at all!"
           Most of the people in the crowd recognized the man who was riding the little colt. They had heard his teachings, and many had seen at least one miracle. "It's Jesus! It's Jesus!" they loudly proclaimed. Many of them took the garments they had brought with them for the week of celebration and laid them on the ground. Other people had brought palm branches on their trip to fan themselves, and they laid those on the ground. Some of them used their palm branch fans to wave in the air, causing a breeze to keep Jesus cool and comfortable.
           Even the children joined in! Samuel, Joshua, and some of the other young people climbed nearby trees to get more palm branches to lay on the ground. They made a long carpet out of clothing and palm branches, reaching all the way down the road and into town for the donkey and the colt carrying Jesus to walk on. All the while they were laying garments and palm branches on the ground, they were waving and shouting, "HOSANNA! HOSANNA! Blessed be the King that comes in the name of the Lord! BLESSED BE THE KING! HOSANNA!"
           The people in the crowd had recognized that day that JESUS is the KING of all the earth. They recognized Him as their Messiah who would one day rule over everything. But there were a few people that were not happy about all this. Some of the Pharisees (teachers in the temple) told Jesus to tell the people to stop shouting and to stop calling Him the King, and to stop worshipping Him.
           Jesus responded to the Pharisees saying: "If these people were to be quiet and not worship Me as their King, then the rocks would cry out in worship." Jesus and the donkey, and the colt continued on their way into the city of Jerusalem, as the shouts of the people continued. "HOSANNA! HOSANNA! Blessed be the King that comes in the name of the Lord! BLESSED BE THE KING! HOSANNA!"
           Joshua and Samuel were excited and had certainly never seen anything like that before, but they were beginning to get nervous and worried. They were afraid they were going to be scolded for not staying nearby. When they finally reached Samuel's parents, they timidly tried to explain. "Please don't be angry. There was such a huge crowd of people, and there was so much happening, we couldn't help it. We got lost in the crowd."
           They were pleasantly surprised when they were told that Uncle Ezra, Aunt Mary, and the other children had also been slowed down by the great crowd of people who gathered around Jesus, and they had kept their eyes on the boys the whole time. They all agreed that it was a wonderful way to begin the great Passover week celebration.
THINK!

• Why were so many people going to Jerusalem?
• How many days did they celebrate Passover?
• Who untied the donkey and the colt?
• What did the people spread on the road?
• What did the people shout?
• What was Jesus' reply when the Pharisees told Him
     to make the people stop worshipping Him?

REMEMBER:
Jesus is the King!

A VERSE TO LEARN
"Blessed be the King that cometh in the name
of the Lord" (Luke 19:38).