An Exciting Day In Jerusalem

An Exciting Day in Jerusalem

The disciples had no way of knowing what an exciting day this was going to be. It started out just like any other trip.

They left the little village where they had been staying, early in the morning. It was ordinary enough. Just Jesus and his disciples. As they walked along the road, people began to join them. The day was quiet and bright and blue. The disciples could hardly notice the excitement at first. They could just sort of FEEL it beginning.

It began when Jesus asked two of his disciples to go ahead to the next village and get a donkey. "Not just ANY donkey," he told them. "There's a CERTAIN donkey. Untie him and bring him to me."

The disciples went to the village - and it was exactly as Jesus had said. They brought the donkey back to Jesus and that was when the excitement began to grow a little.

Some of the people took off their bright-colored robes and folded them across the donkey's back for Jesus to sit on. Now Jesus looked like a KING, as they went down the road toward Jerusalem. More and more people began to follow along.

Old people.


	Young people.


	And CHILDREN.

And the excitement began to grow a little more.

Somebody took off his robe - and spread it on the ground in front of Jesus.

Then somebody else did.


	And somebody else.

Then they began to cut branches from palm trees.


	And wave them in the air.


	And spread them on the road.

Until the road was covered with bright-colored robes and branches and branches and more branches.

Now a sight like that was too exciting for people to keep to themselves. The news spread ahead to Jerusalem. And when Jesus and his disciples got to the gates of Jerusalem - EVERYBODY was out to meet them! And the excitement grew and burst out -


	like great swelling MUSIC.

The people were packed on both sides of the streets - the children in front so they could see. And they threw flowers.


	And spread out leaves.


	And waved palm branches


	And sang!

They sang, "Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord!"

And from the city gates to the great temple with the golden roof - that song was in the air. The children sang it in the streets. They sang it in the temple courts. They filled the air with it. It was one of the most exciting days they'd ever had in Jerusalem. The old people


	and young people


	and children

all wanted Jesus to know how much they loved him!

And they TOLD him so!

THINK!

Can you think of all the different ways you can praise God in Sunday School? In church? Can you name some ways you can praise him during the week?

A VERSE TO LEARN

"Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving" (Psalm 147:7).