Adventurers with Jesus: April- June 2022

By R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation

Adventurers with Jesus (Ages 9-11) is an age-appropriate Christian quarterly lesson guide. Lesson presentations are easily taught and understood and show students how to find salvation through Jesus Christ.

• Language: English
• Publisher: R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation
• Release date: Mar 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781681679440

Book preview

Lesson #1

April 3, 2022

Crowds Welcome Jesus

Lesson Passage:

Matthew 21:1–11

NRSV

WHEN they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples,

2 saying to them, "Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me.

3 If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately."

4 This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,

5 Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them;

7 they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them.

8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

9 The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!

10 When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, Who is this?

11 The crowds were saying, This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.

Today’s Lesson Story

Today, we will celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem! The word triumphal means heroic or victorious and describes the grand event that took place when, just a few days before His crucifixion, Jesus entered into Jerusalem. The crowd was so excited to see Jesus! Christians today commemorate or remember Jesus’ triumphal entry when they celebrate Palm Sunday (which is next Sunday on our calendars).

Our scripture begins with Jesus and His disciples (on foot) drawing near to the city of Jerusalem. When they arrived at a town called Bethphage, Jesus sent two of His disciples to the village ahead of them to find a donkey and her baby colt. The donkey and colt would be tied up (probably to a tree or stump), and the two men were to untie them and bring both animals back to Jesus. Why do you suppose Jesus needed a donkey and a baby colt? He needed them to ride on, into Jerusalem—which brings us to another important question. If Jesus was the Son of God, a true King, why would He not ride into the city on a decorated carriage, driven by large prancing horses? Many years before, the prophet Zechariah foretold that Jesus would ride into Jerusalem on a lowly colt or foal (the male baby of a donkey). In those days, a colt was a sign of peace; therefore, Jesus would arrive, not like a conqueror or warrior but a gentle servant of God, who was willing to give His very life so that we could be saved.

If the two disciples encountered any problems getting the donkey and colt—the men were to simply tell the owner that Jesus needed them. Why did the taking of this donkey and colt seem so easy? Did the owner know ahead of time that Jesus needed these animals? Did the owner know who Jesus was, or not? The Bible doesn’t tell us the answers to these questions, but we can be confident of this: God the Father made sure that the owner was cooperative so that the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9 could be