Sunday School Lesson: Palm Sunday—The Gift of Celebrating Jesus
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The Main Takeaway: We are to celebrate Jesus’ presence and love, no matter our circumstances. In celebrating Him, we discover that He celebrates that we are His children.
The Lesson Objective: Children will read John 12:12-19 and discover that each of us, no matter our life season, is called to rejoice in and celebrate Jesus. In return, God rejoices in us!
The Gift of Celebrating Jesus
As someone who comes from an unhealthy church background, where Scripture and Christ’s character were twisted behind the pulpit for the sake of manmade control, I learned to love Jesus out of a fear-based obligation. I didn’t truly like Him, resting in the beauty of His compassionate character, until I was much older and far removed from manipulative church leaders.
Perhaps your devotion to the Lord has been healthy and thriving since childhood—what a precious testimony! Maybe your devotion to the Lord began after years of resisting His call—what a story you can now share! Regardless of what compelled us to submit our hearts, minds, safety, and security to Jesus, we are called to celebrate Him. In this celebration, He rejoices over us.
I often wonder how much sweeter and richer my teen and early adult years might have been if I was taught to unabashedly celebrate Christ, if it wasn’t about following rules and dress codes and adhering to only certain translations of the Bible, but singing for God’s goodness, dancing because He freed me, and telling others about Him because He (quite literally) hung the moon.
The theology we grant children is critical. It can easily make or break how they view Christ, salvation, and their purpose for the rest of their lives. Thus, Palm Sunday is a beautiful, powerful reminder of people of all backgrounds coming together to wildly celebrate Jesus.
It was a biblical-day parade with all the ancient bells and whistles. No one held anything back in hailing Jesus as King.
Of course, many of these people would be the same ones yelling for His crucifixion, only a matter of days later, but there is still the beautiful takeaway that, for this moment in time, who Jesus was was more than enough to compel people to rejoice.
After Jesus bore our wrath, sin, and hypocrisy on the cross, He didn’t become bitter. He didn’t hold anyone to an impossible standard out of spite or pride. Rather, He simply invited us to step into His love, and in that simple, willful submission, He celebrates us.
Understanding How Jesus Reciprocates Our Celebration
Even after most people turned against Jesus and demanded His death, He chose to save them. To this day, He still chooses us, but it’s not out of a begrudging obligation. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. He pursues us with reckless love that rejoices over us with singing. Zephaniah 3:17 (NLT) says, “For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”
Whether we rejoice in Him or not, His gift remains, the opportunity to not only receive His salvation through faith, but to have a Maker who celebrates in our faith and champions our story. If we accept this gift, our souls are left with little to do but rest in joy.
It’s an honor to cultivate this Fruit of the Spirit, to continuously celebrate Jesus through life’s highs and lows. This act of devotion that we have been gifted is one of the most lovely parts of not only Palm Sunday, but also Resurrection Sunday.
Activity Ideas for Palm Sunday Sunday School Lesson
Before beginning a hands-on activity, allow children to share about a parade or celebration they have been to. Use their real-life examples to parallel the celebration of Jesus, recognizing that more than any birthday boy or girl, or any Christmas light show, the biggest, best thing to celebrate will always be Jesus.
For younger children, recreate the Palm Sunday celebration with music and crafts.
For the craft, you’ll need:
- Palm leaves (real or fake)
- Construction Paper (if making fake palm leaves)
- Scissors (round-edged, children’s)
- Glue
- Markers (non-toxic, washable)
- Glitter (red is the traditional color associated with Palm Sunday)
- Easter stickers (optional)
Instructions:
- If you are creating fake palm leaves, draw and cut them from construction paper. You can use traditional green, or let the kids have a bit of extra fun and choose which color they want for their palm leaf.
- Next, let them decorate their palm leaves using a variety of art supplies, from markers and glitter to paint (if you’re feeling a bit wild) and stickers.
- Once their palm leaves are complete, give each child a musical instrument. (It would be best to use more traditional, ancient-inspired instruments, like maracas or tambourines.)
- Have children select a palm leaf and/or musical instrument and create two lines that face one another, creating an aisle.
- Play worship music and let the children cheer for Jesus, pretending He is coming down the aisle, riding on a donkey.
For older children (particularly preteen+):
Older children will have the capacity to understand the irony of people celebrating Jesus, but demanding His death only days later.
- Ask the students to take a sheet of paper and write out how they would feel if they were celebrated one day, only to be rejected and despised the next.
- Open the floor for students to share how they think they would have felt in Jesus’ shoes, and allow them to discuss if they have felt betrayed like this before. This creates a deeper appreciation for Jesus’ perfect character, as He was betrayed by those who first celebrated Him.
- Next, have students write down all the ways Jesus’ resurrection gives us joy. Remind students that joy is a Fruit of the Spirit and must be cultivated, meaning they must actively seek ways to grow and produce joy in their lives. Open the floor for examples/discussion.
- Lastly, ask students to express what they believe Zephaniah 3:17 means when it says “He will rejoice over you with joyful songs” (NLT).
Main Point: Jesus is always worth celebrating, but whether we rejoice in Him or not, He takes joy in saving and preserving His children. While Palm Sunday holds a bitter irony, as those who first worshipped Him later turned their backs on Him, we can recognize how important it is to celebrate Jesus. Better yet, we can discover that He, too, rejoices over us.
The Lesson Conclusion: Palm Sunday is a church holiday that shouldn’t be overlooked, as it paints a picture of the radical love of God despite the hurt and betrayal humanity has and will continue to cause Him.
Humans love to celebrate God when it’s convenient and culturally relevant, but when life is hard or we can’t control an outcome, we hurl bitter prayers His way or silence our prayers or trust in Him altogether. Even still, when our sin nature betrays Him, His grace continues to sustain us and shape us. The hope and love of His resurrection are still ours. He forever rejoices in and champions His children.
What better reason to celebrate Palm Sunday?
Prayers for Palm Sunday:
A short, simple prayer for younger children: “Jesus, thank you for loving me and for celebrating me as your child. Amen.”
A lengthier prayer for older children: “Jesus, thank you for rejoicing over us with songs, even though you know our sinful hearts will betray you over and over again. Let us cultivate the joy of your Holy Spirit as we celebrate your love and salvation, no matter our circumstances. We love you, Lord. Amen.”
Photo credit: Unsplash/Avel/Chuklanov
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