Day 1: God Loves His Peopley 1: God Loves His People
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
18 “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 19 and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!”
In the Bible, the story of Easter is an example of how must God loves His people. In this story, we see Jesus teach the people about God and his love. However, not everyone enjoyed what Jesus said. Some leaders became angry with Him.
In this story, we witness the sacrifice that Jesus has made for us. Jesus died on the cross. Yet, that’s not the end of the story. On the third day, Jesus came back to life. God made that possible!
Question for Discussion: Why do you think people celebrate Easter with joy?
This week, leading up to Easter Sunday, we will cover 5 parts of one big story:
- Day 1: Jesus enters Jerusalem (today’s lesson)
- Day 2: The Last Supper
- Day 3: Jesus dies on the cross
- Day 4: Maundy Thursday
- Day 5: Good Friday and Worship
Jesus Enters Jerusalem
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5 “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
KEY VERSE: MATTHEW 21:9 "HOSANNA TO THE SON OF DAVID!"
Palm Leaf Snack:
You will need: (recipe is for 1, adjust as needed)
- 1/2 apple sliced thin
- 1/2 graham cracker
- 1 TB peanut butter
Arrange the apple slices on the plate as if they are the leaves of a palm branch. Put a tablespoon of peanut butter on the cracker. Dip the slices in peanut butter as you enjoy.
Craft Idea: Using green construction paper, fold in half (vertically) and cut the outer edges (not the seam) from the top to about midway to create fringes (leaves). Then, cut the lower part to create a stem. Unfold and host a parade around the house or outside for students to wave their paper palms shouting “Hosanna!” An excellent tutorial is included below from G Torbz Crafty Channel.
Day 2: God Loves His People
17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”
18 He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” 19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.
20 When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21 And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”
22 They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?”
23 Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”
25 Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”
Jesus answered, “You have said so.”
27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the[a] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
30 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
In today’s lesson, we see Jesus explain to His friends (disciples) that hard things are about to happen. He shares a meal (known as The Last Supper) and explains to his friends the symbolism of the meal as they relate to what is about to happen.
KEY VERSE: MATTHEW 26:26 “TAKE AND EAT; THIS IS MY BODY.”
Watch this scene from the Bible Unleashed and explain to your students that this meal helped the disciples remember Jesus. This is why we continue the tradition of Holy Communion to this day.
Snack: Bread and Juice – This can be as simple as crackers or a slice of bread and grape juice or you can try something more Biblical, you can use matzah. Jesus most likely at matzah, which is a flat bread made only from flour and water (similar to a cracker), because during Passover, all yeast (leaven) was removed from the home and the bread was pierced to prevent it from rising.
Here is an easy and fun tutorial for creating matzah with your students.
As you enjoy a meal of matzah and grape juice, discuss with the student things you are grateful for, ways you can show kindness to others, and any prayer concerns or joys you want to share.
Day 3: Jesus Dies on the Cross
The Crucifixion of Jesus
32 As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). 34 There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35 When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36 And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. 37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is Jesus, the king of the jews.
38 Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” 41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
The Death of Jesus
45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”
48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”
50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”
This is the saddest moment of this week and can be hard for some students to fully grasp so take this topic with patience and compassion. In today’s lesson, we learn that Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice. He chose to die for us because He loves us.
For our younger students, we love to share VeggieTales videos. It makes some of these harder ideas easy for them to grasp. For today’s lesson, we are going to have a small charcutier board of snacks for the kids to create their own trail mix as we watch The Easter Carol.
Ideas for your charcutier board / trail mix:
- Pretzel Sticks, M&M’s or Jelly Beans, Mini Marshmallows, Chocolate Chips, Cheerios, Coconut Flakes, Raisins or Dried Cranberries
- You can narrate while adding each item:
- “The pretzels remind us of the cross.”
- “The cereal circles remind us of the stone in front of the tomb.”
- “The marshmallows remind us of the cloths Jesus was wrapped in.”
- “The chocolate chips remind us of the dark tomb.”
- “The coconut reminds us of palm branches.”
- “The raisins remind us of the wine at the Last Supper.”
- “The M&M’s remind us that Easter ends with joy because Jesus is alive!”
Day 4: Maundy Thursday
The Burial of Jesus
57 As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. 58 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59 Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.
The Guard at the Tomb
62 The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63 “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”
65 “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.
We actually skip a lesson on this day because we attend our church’s Maundy Thursday service. Maundy Thursday is the Christian holy day during Holy Week commemorating the Last Supper, where Jesus instituted Holy Communion, washed his disciples’ feet, and gave a new commandment to “love one another.”
Yes, we already introduced the Last Super to the students earlier this week but I feel like that lesson helps prepare them for the actual service. They’ve had time to think about the message and have practiced key parts of the service that when they witness the service at church, they can make more permanent connections.
One activity I do have the students do is wash their feet. The story of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet appears in the Gospel of John (John 13:1-17), not in Matthew as we’ve been reading. This happens during the Last Supper and is an important symbol with the Easter story.
Washing of feet symbolizes:
- Humble Service – Washing feet was the job of the lowest servant in the house. Roads were dusty, people wore sandals, and guests’ feet were washed when they arrived. When Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, he was demonstrating the act of serving others with humility.
- Spiritual Cleansing – During the story, Simon Peter initially refuses to let Jesus wash his feet. This also symbolizes being spiritually cleansed from sin; Jesus washing dirt from the souls of our feet shows how Jesus cleanses are hearts (our soul).
Day 5: Good Friday + Prep for Easter
Jesus Has Risen
28 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
30 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
After Jesus shared the Last Supper with His disciples, the Bible says they sang a hymn together. Even though Jesus knew difficult things were coming, He still chose to worship God with His friends.
Singing is one way that people show love for God. We express thanksgiving. We express joy. Just like Jesus and His disciples sang together, we celebrate Easter by singing songs of Praise.
Here are some of our favorite songs for you to enjoy!
- He Arose – Tommee Profitt x Phil Wickham (2026)
- Hosanna – Saddleback Worship (2021)
- CeCe Winans – That’s My King
- The Kingdom Here – Christ The Lord is Risen Today
- SOLU Israel – Praise (Elevation Worship) in Hebrew
I hope you enjoyed this week’s lesson. As we close, I’d like to pray for you, wherever you are in this world.
Our Father in Heaven, Your name is powerful, your name is love, and WE LOVE YOU. We praise you and we praise your kingdom. I come to you today to ask for your grace, your love, and your guidance for my friends reading and applying this lesson in their classroom, home, and church. Help us use these lessons as a tool to bring our hearts and the hearts of our children to understand you; to KNOW you, God. Open our hearts to love. Open our ears as we read your Word. Open our eyes as we see how your love is in every part of our life. Thank you, God, for sending Jesus to us to be the ultimate sacrifice. Thank you, Jesus, for the sacrifice you’ve made for us; showing us the deepest form of grace, humility, and love. We praise you, not just this week, but every moment of our day. With each breath we take, we praise you. We love you. Amen.

