Young people's session

Read Bible notes on Mark 11:1-11

Here we see Jesus arriving in Jerusalem for Passover. It is the beginning of a turbulent week that will end in Jesus’ death and resurrection – two of the events that sit at the heart of the Christian faith.

The events of Palm Sunday will probably be very familiar to the young people, so one question worth exploring is what the story tells us about the kingship of Jesus. It’s interesting to note some of the details in the story – the way Jesus controls the events at the start, the fact that Jesus chooses a donkey not a more fitting ‘king-like’ horse – and think about what they tell us.

Help young people to consider the relevance of the story today and its impact on their lives.

Don't forget:
Check-in: a weekly biblical reflection on youth and contemporary culture.
Thrive: A resource to encourage family faith at home.
Plus: Images and links to templates, music tracks and other online resources.

What makes a king? W E

You will need: images of several kings: Henry VIII, Charles III, Aslan the Lion, King Triton (Little Mermaid).

• Invite the young people to look at the images and discuss what they know about each of the kings.
• If they had to rank them, who of the royal leaders would be first and who would be last? What judgement criteria did they use in their choices?
• Ask: Which king do you like the best? Why? What do you think makes a good king? Are kings relevant to us today?

First impressions

You could also use the image and following questions to help introduce the theme.

Click on the image to view a larger version or use the Jump menu to go to This week's images. For artist's details, see this issue's illustrators.

Questions

• What point do you think the cartoonist is making here?
• What different kind of king might Jesus have been?
• What kind of welcome might Jesus get in today’s world?

Re-tell the story W E

You will need: copies of the cartoon storyboard grid  – one per person; multiple copies of the Gospel reading.

• Give each person a grid and a copy of the Gospel reading. Read it aloud together.
• Ask everyone to decide what they think the three most important moments of the story are, and to sketch them into a cartoon version, complete with speech bubbles.
• Share them with the group, inviting people to explain their choices.

Make a palm cross E S A

Consider why palms in churches today are woven into a cross

You will need: paper, scissors and either YouTube tutorial or another tutorial.

• Follow the tutorial and make a cross each.
• If it’s not the tradition in your church, explain that many churches give out palm crosses. Discuss why the palm is woven into a cross. What does this mean to the young people?

Join the crowd W S

Think about the crowds in the Gospel story

You will need: access to concert footage.

• Watch a clip from a recent concert – such as Taylor Swift or Ed Sheeran. Ask the young people to look particularly at the crowd. How are they behaving? Have any of the young people been in a big crowd? What did it feel like?
• Now discuss together some of the details about the crowds in the story – people throwing down coats, shouting, etc.
• Invite the young people to talk about the similarities between the biblical crowd and crowds at concerts.

or

Dress like a king! E S

Consider the difference between King Charles and King Jesus

You will need: image of Charles III with orb and sceptre (re-use from What makes a king?), plenty of junk modelling materials, sticky tape, paper, material/coats/blankets.

• Divide the group into two teams. Show everyone the image of Charles III. Explain that each team will have five minutes to recreate the Coronation scene using the junk/blankets, etc. Photograph the end results and decide which king looks the most realistic!
• Ask: How does this vision of kingship differ from what we see in Jesus?

Lay down your coat E S A

Pray about the things to lay down before Jesus

You will need: coat outline templates (one per person), coloured pens.

• Hand out the images of a coat. Invite everyone to think about the moment in the story where people lay down their coats before Jesus.
• Ask the young people to think about their relationship with Jesus. Are there things in their lives they need to lay down before him? Encourage them to write their thoughts on the coat images while you  play ‘What kind of king?’, Resound Worship.

Check-in: Connecting faith with everyday, real-life issues

Available by 10 am on Thursday 21 March 2024.

• Listen to ‘The Christ The King’, Bryan & Katie Torwalt on I’ve Got Good News.
• Invite the young people to think about what they have learnt today. Explain they will work together to act out today’s story but they should pause the action throughout and show what they’ve learnt – this could be acted out as part of the drama, or they may wish to freeze frame and narrate their thoughts.

Go with God 24/7 E S

Take your palm cross home and place it somewhere you will see it every day of the week. Think about the Palm Sunday story every time you see the cross, and ask God to remind you of the joy we have when we are part of God’s family.

Thrive

As you finish,
give out the Thrive
resource to encourage
faith at home.