Meeting Aim
To explore – and to some extent experience – how Palm Sunday sets up the story of Jesus’ cross and resurrection by establishing who he is. Background preparation You’ll need lots of cheap bin liners, sticky tape and (ideally broadsheet) newspapers for the donkey activity; various printed images of Jesus; paper and pens, blu-tac, and Bibles for the rest of the session, plus a means to screen the movie clip if you’re using it.
Background Preparation
You’ll need lots of cheap bin liners, sticky tape and (ideally broadsheet) newspapers for the donkey activity; various printed images of Jesus; paper and pens, blu-tac, and Bibles for the rest of the session, plus a means to screen the movie clip if you’re using it.
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Human Donkeys
Begin by explaining that in today’s session we’ll be looking at the first event of Holy Week: Palm Sunday. It’s famous for palm leaves (obviously) and a little donkey, on whose back Jesus rode into Jerusalem. That’s where we’re going to start – split into teams of four or five, and hand out black sacks, sticky tape and newspapers. Explain: the aim of this game is to create the best ‘donkey’ in five minutes. The donkey can consist of one or two team members (think pantomime horse), plus a costume made out of these simple resources. After five minutes, you’ll ask your ‘donkeys’ to walk from one end of your venue to the other – the designs should be judged both on artistic merit and ability to hold together. Award a prize to the team with the best donkey.
Optional - Series Link
If you’re running the four-part series, show a clip from your chosen movie. The clip should be the moment where the main heroic character is introduced. Some examples: The Lion King – opening shot as Simba is held aloft; Star Wars – Princess Leia under attack; Toy Story – Woody comes to life, or Buzz’s arrival. Ask: what do you notice about how the main character is introduced? What do we learn about them? How does this introduction set up the story? Explain: all movies follow basically the same structure – and the Easter story fits it perfectly. This session looks at the ‘opening shot’ of the Easter movie – Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.
CREATE-A-HERO
Ask: Who in the group enjoys or is good at drawing? Ask those people with their hands up to find a nonartistic partner – hopefully you’ll end up in pairs with at least one artist in each. Now set your pairs a challenge – you have ten minutes to come up with a new superhero; a man or woman with superhuman abilities who is capable of saving the world from deadly threats. If time allows, they should also imagine what kind of vehicle the hero would travel around in. The ‘artist’ in each pair should draw a quick sketch of their creation. After the ten minutes has passed, invite each pair to quickly show their hero to the group; then blu-tac the drawings around the venue for the rest of the session.
Key Point #1:
When their prophets told them a saviour was coming, Israel was expecting a superhero – a superhuman giant or great military leader who would overthrow Roman rule and restore their nation to international dominance. Instead they got a rabbi on a donkey. God’s idea of a superhero is not the same as ours.
A STRANGE SCENE
Draw the group together, and hand out Bibles to those who need them. Then read Mark 11:1-11. Ask the group what they notice from the passage. Which bits leap out particularly? Draw their attention to some of the more striking, even strange moments in the reading. Get them to talk to those around them about the following questions:
• What do you make of the whole colt episode? What’s its significance? Why do you think they get away with taking it?
• Why do people throw their cloaks and branches down?
• What’s the significance of the line (NIV version): ‘He looked around at everything?’
Key Point #2:
This is a strange scene, but a deeply symbolic one. Jesus is riding into Jerusalem not on some snorting stallion, but on a humble colt. Even so, the people bow to worship him… but the picture will be very different just a few days later.
STEP INTO THE STORY
Invite everyone to find a space, and encourage them to put away distractions and switch phones onto silent. Explain: for the next few minutes you’ll be engaging in a dramatic role-play exercise which needs your full concentration (what you’re actually going to be doing is an ancient monastic approach to reading the Bible!). Ensure the room is quiet (silent if possible) and then encourage everyone to focus on their breathing; then on the noises within the room; then on the sounds outside it. This exercise should get everyone relaxed and quiet. Now explain that you’re going to read the story again, but this time they should imagine they’re actually there – in the story, as Jesus’ disciples. Read slowly, and pause between verses, feeling free to ask prompting questions like ‘what can you see?’ and ‘how does this make you feel?’ Invite them, within their imaginations, to explore the story in three dimensions, using all the creative power of their five senses. What is going on around them, and what does it mean to them? Most importantly, what do they see of, and learn from, Jesus? If this goes well, it could take all of your time. Otherwise, when you reach the end of the passage start again, but this time they should imagine that they’re members of the crowd. After running the activity again, ask the group to feedback on what they felt, saw, and perhaps experienced of God though taking part in it.
Key Point #3
The opening act of Jesus’ history changing week is important because it establishes who he is – humble yet worthy of worship; a powerful king yet not the messiah who was expected. The way that those around him perceived him is crucial to the developing story – that’s why we’ve spent some time looking at him through their eyes.
Closing Reflection
To finish, make some images of Jesus available on card or paper – enough for one per person. Choose various images – from film portrayals to classic works of art. Invite everyone to spend some time in silent prayer with one or more images, asking Jesus to make himself more real to them today and in the weeks ahead.
