Countdown
During the countdown, get the children in position with palm branches for the opening song.
Cornerstone Kids – Song: Hosanna (Ho, Ho, Hosanna)
Video with motions for kids to learn if desired:
Lyric Video For Worship Gathering:
Use the notes as a tool to help you understand the main truth about Jesus that we are trying to convey. The summary for each station is not meant to be read but to serve as a guide to get you started. Make your assigned station your own by meditating on the Scriptures, familiarizing yourself with the provided summaries, and reflecting upon what your aspect of Jesus means to you personally.
Station 1: The Road to Jerusalem – Nicci
When we read Matthew’s account of the crowds’ reception of Jesus as He rode into Jerusalem, it looks like people knew who He was and why He had come! They were shouting “Hosanna.” Hosanna carries the idea of “Lord, save us,” “save us now,” or “save us, I pray.”
They called on the LORD to save them, and they recognized Jesus as the Messiah, the Anointed One who could deliver them. They placed their clothes before His donkey for Him to ride over. It was an ancient custom (2 Kings 9:13) for citizens to throw their garments in the road for their monarch to ride over, symbolizing their respect for him and their submission to his authority.
Some cut palm branches and spread them on the road, too. Palm leaves are symbolic of salvation and joy. They recognized that through Jesus the “Son of David,” there could be freedom from Roman oppression. The crowd recognized Jesus as the Son of David, the most common messianic title, and cried out for His deliverance, essentially pleading, “Save us now, great Messiah! Save us now!”
Their shouts echoed the words of Psalm 118, a well-known praise psalm from the Hallel (Psalms 113–118). It was also considered a psalm of deliverance, sometimes called the conqueror’s psalm. Nearly two centuries earlier, the Jews had used the same psalm to celebrate Simon Maccabeus after he freed them from Syrian domination by delivering the Acra fortress.
They had seen Him perform many miracles over the past three years. He had just raised Lazarus from the dead! Perhaps now He would use His superpowers to overwhelm the world’s superpower and set up God’s Kingdom in Rome’s place. After all, what better time to celebrate another deliverance from an enemy than Passover, a feast to celebrate and remember Yahweh’s deliverance of His people from Egypt?
Yes, at first glance, the way the people received Jesus as He neared Jerusalem looks picture perfect, primarily through the eyes of the twelve. The past few years of following their Teacher, having given up all to do so, are seemingly close to paying dividends. But Jesus, seeing the people’s hearts, sees all the fanfare differently.
Read Luke 19:41-44: Hayden
But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. 42 “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. 43 Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. 44 They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize it when God visited you.”
Daniel had prophesied about the day Jesus entered Jerusalem. Gabriel told Daniel that from the day the decree was given for the walls of Jerusalem to be rebuilt (March 14, 445 BC), 173,880 days would pass until the anointed one, a prince would enter Jerusalem (Daniel 9:25). By this computation, the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem, being set apart as our Passover lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7) and bring peace between God and people was April 6, 32 AD.
He came to deliver His people from their sins, offering Himself as their sacrifice, yet they had a different type of deliverer in mind. A superhero king who would punish Rome for the suffering they had caused the people of Israel to experience.
In reality, the palm branches have a double meaning. Yes, they represented salvation and joy as they were a picture of the crowd’s hope of finally overthrowing their Gentile masters, which would lead to God’s Kingdom being realized and joy experienced with the son of David as king, but they were also a symbol of rebellion. They were a sign of defiance to their occupiers, but in a way, a sign of rebelling against God’s plan of a Messiah who suffers to bring incomparable salvation and joy to lives who recognize their spiritual poverty and lay their symbolic clothes and palm leaves before Him, surrendering their lives to Him.
This Easter, we pray that as we go on this journey together that leads us to the foot of the cross and beyond, you will be able to see Jesus for Who He has revealed Himself to be and be moved to worship Him for Who He is, not what we would like Him to be or think Him to be.
His entry into Jerusalem on the same day families all over the area were choosing their Passover lamb to set apart and sacrifice teaches us that JESUS is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, was being set apart for us (John 1:29; 2 Corinthians 5:7).
Prayer – Father, help us see Your Son for who He is today, Amen.
After praying, have children lay their palm branches down on the altar before going to sit with their families.
Congregation Worship: Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord
PLAY VIDEO: STATION 2 – The Upper Room
Station 2: The Upper Room – BK?
Our next stop is an open room on top of a house in Jerusalem. To accommodate the influx of people during the feast, those who were able provided space for their fellow Jews to remember the LORD’s mighty deliverance of their ancestors from Egypt.
On the eve of our Lord’s suffering and crucifixion, He was able to share a meal that He had been eagerly awaiting to share with His disciples (Luke 22:15). Everything about this meal points to who Jesus is and what He had come to accomplish.
For 1,500 years, the Jewish people celebrated the Feast of Passover by killing a lamb and offering it as a sacrifice to God. It reminded them of how Yahweh had delivered them from the death angel and their Egyptian oppressors. However, the blood of an animal could only cover sins; it could not take them away (Hebrews 10:1-10). Because of this, God sent prophets to explain that one day a human lamb would come and deal with the problem of sin once and for all. John the Baptist claimed that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed the once-and-for-all sacrifice the prophets foretold and for which the people had been waiting (John 1:29).
Moses and the people offered a lamb without defect as a sacrifice in obedience to the LORD. The Israelites painted the door frame of their homes with the blood of the lambs and entered their homes. By faith, they applied the blood of a lamb. God saved them from the death angel and redeemed them from their enemies as they trusted the word of the LORD and applied the blood of a lamb.
At the Last Supper, in the upper room, Jesus explained that He was the fulfillment of this instituted feast. All the lambs that had been sacrificed throughout the centuries pointed to Him. His body would be beaten, tortured, and killed. The Lamb of God would be slaughtered and His blood shed, providing the forgiveness of sin and a restored friendship with God for those who would place their trust in Him and His work.
This morning, at our second stop on the way to the cross, we remember Jesus’ work for us!
JESUS is the Son of man who didn’t come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).
The Lord’s Supper – Carson?
Station 3: The Garden – Cody
After the last supper, the opportunity that Judas had been looking for presented itself (Matthew 26:16; Mark 14:11; Luke 22:6). Jesus’ hour had finally come; it was time for Him to do what He had left heaven to accomplish. After ministering to His disciples on their journey from the upper room to the garden, Jesus sought His Father in prayer.
John tells us that Jesus prayed for Himself, His disciples, and all future believers. While John expounds on Jesus’s requests for His disciples, then and now, Matthew lets us see what Jesus prayed for Himself.
Read Matthew 26:36-39: Brittany?
Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” 37 He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. 38 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” 39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
Read Hebrews 5:7-9: Ryan?
While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. 8 Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. 9 In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him.
After Ryan finishes reading Hebrews, Cody to conclude by saying:
Jesus Christ fully identified with humanity—He understood people, felt their struggles, and shared in their experiences. As a true man, just like any high priest in the Tabernacle or Temple, He lived among us, though His earthly life was merely an interlude in His eternal existence. Yet, it was a necessary and profound one. During His time on earth, He offered up prayers and supplications, intensely agonizing over the suffering He would endure to bear the sin of those who believed in Him. In Gethsemane, on the eve of His crucifixion, His anguish was so intense that He sweated drops of blood. He felt the weight of sin, faced temptation, and experienced firsthand grief, pain, and sorrow. Though He was omniscient, He came to understand suffering in a new way—through experience—so that He could be the perfect, sympathetic High Priest.
When Jesus prayed to “the One able to save Him from death,” He was not seeking escape from the cross but assurance of resurrection. Hebrews 5:7 is more accurately rendered as “save Him out of death,” emphasizing His triumph over the grave rather than avoiding it (John 12:27; Psalm 16:8-11). His prayers were heard because of His reverent submission to the Father, reflecting His perfect obedience.
Although He was God’s Son, He learned obedience through suffering. Experience often teaches sympathy in ways nothing else can. We may read about pain or witness suffering, but only when we endure hardship ourselves do we fully grasp its depth. Jesus, though divine, was not exempt from suffering. Through His obedience, even to the point of death, He became the perfect High Priest—fully qualified to intercede for us.
As the perfect sacrifice, Jesus differed from earthly high priests in two key ways: He needed no atonement for Himself, and His sacrifice was once and for all. Unlike the continual offerings of priests, His single act of redemption provided eternal salvation. No priest, ritual, or law could achieve what He did in one moment. He perfected forever those who trust in Him.
JESUS is our sympathetic High Priest who intercedes for us!
Station 4: The Trials – Bradley
After Jesus’ arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, he was subjected to a series of trials before religious and civil authorities.
Hearing Before Annas (John 18:12-24) – Jesus was taken to Annas, the former high priest and father-in-law of the current high priest, Caiaphas. Annas questioned him about his teachings and disciples but found no formal charge. Jesus was then sent to Caiaphas.
Trial Before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin (Matthew 26:57-68, Mark 14:53-65, Luke 22:66-71) – The chief priests and elders convened at night, seeking false witnesses to accuse Jesus. Eventually, they condemned him for blasphemy when he affirmed that he was the Christ, the Son of God. He was beaten and mocked.
Morning Trial Before the Sanhedrin (Luke 22:66-71) – At daybreak, the Jewish leaders formally confirmed their verdict to make it legally binding. They determined to hand Jesus over to the Roman authorities since they lacked the power to execute him.
First Appearance Before Pontius Pilate (Matthew 27:1-2, Mark 15:1-5, Luke 23:1-5, John 18:28-38) – Jesus was taken to Pilate, the Roman governor, as the Jews sought the death penalty. They accused Jesus of claiming to be a king, which could be interpreted as treason against Rome. Pilate, however, found no basis for a charge and, upon learning that Jesus was from Galilee, sent him to Herod Antipas.
Trial Before Herod Antipas (Luke 23:6-12) – Herod, the ruler of Galilee, was pleased to see Jesus, hoping to witness a miracle. Jesus remained silent despite Herod’s questioning. After mocking him, Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate.
What would Pilate do?
Play Video: The Passion of the Christ: Pilate’s Dilemma, Barabbas’ Deliverance
After the video finishes playing, say:
Reluctant to condemn Jesus, Pilate offered to release him as part of a Passover tradition. The crowd, influenced by the chief priests, demanded the release of Barabbas instead. Pilate, though declaring Jesus innocent, ultimately gave in to the pressure and sentenced him to be crucified.
These trials demonstrate how Jesus was unjustly accused and condemned despite multiple declarations of his innocence. It reminds us that He is indeed the spotless and sinless lamb of God. Just like the lambs were tested for purity for five days, Jesus had been examined…the verdict….He is found innocent (Luke 23:13-15)!
Despite his innocence, Jesus is sentenced to Barabbas’ fate: crucifixion. Barabbas was guilty (Luke 23:19), but Jesus was guiltless. Barabbas, meaning “a son of a father,” was chosen over “the Son of the Father.”
You and I are Barabbas, like this rebel; we deserve our Sovereign’s death penalty (Romans 6:23). In this transaction by the crowd and its leaders, we see the life we live and the punishment we deserve in Barabbas contrasted with the life we are to live but cannot in Jesus. Yes, we see a vivid picture of how short we fall from God’s glorious standard (Romans 3:23), but we also see the depth of God’s love for us (Romans 5:8) as the Guiltless takes the place of the guilty, Barabbas’ place, our place, my place.
Read 2 Corinthians 5:21 – Aylah Turner?
For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
After Aylah finishes reading, Bradley concludes by saying:
God, the ultimate reconciler, initiated and executed the plan of redemption, as sinners cannot reach Him through their own efforts. Jesus, the sinless God-man, became the perfect substitute, bearing the full wrath of God for the sins of those who would believe. His death and resurrection secured justification by faith, imputing His righteousness to believers. Unlike false religions that demand human effort, Christianity proclaims a loving God who provided the only way to salvation. Through Christ’s sacrifice, sinners are made righteous before God and granted eternal life as God credits to repentant sinners Jesus’ righteousness.
JESUS is the guiltless One who takes the place of the guilty ones.
Station 5: The Suffering and Crucifixion of Jesus – Thomas & (James?)
We will journey through Jesus’ final hours using the following summary of events and items (purple robe, blindfold, crown of thorns, reed, nail, hammer, 2×4, cat of nine tails, etc.).
In Jesus’ final hours, He endured immense suffering, humiliation, and ultimately death. After being severely flogged, Roman soldiers placed a crown of thorns on His head, draped Him in a purple robe, blindfolded Him, and mocked Him as the “King of the Jews.” They spat on Him, struck Him with a reed, and ridiculed Him before leading Him away to be crucified. Burdened by the weight of His cross, He struggled along the path to Golgotha until Simon of Cyrene was forced to carry it for Him. Along the way, mourning women wept, but Jesus warned them of the judgment to come. Jesus was offered wine mixed with gall to dull His pain, but He refused to drink.
Upon reaching Golgotha, Jesus was nailed to a cross between two criminals. As He hung there, soldiers gambled for His garments, while onlookers, Jewish leaders, and even one of the criminals mocked Him. In His suffering, He still extended mercy, praying, “Father, forgive them,” and promising the repentant thief a place in paradise. He also ensured His mother’s care by entrusting her to John. Then, for three hours, darkness covered the land. Jesus cried out in agony, feeling forsaken, yet fulfilling prophecy. As He breathed His last, He declared, “It is finished,” and surrendered His spirit to the Father.
At the moment of His death, the temple curtain was torn in two, the earth shook, and tombs opened, signifying the profound impact of His sacrifice. A centurion witnessing these events proclaimed that Jesus was God’s Son. To confirm His death, a soldier pierced His side with a spear, fulfilling prophecy. Meanwhile, the women who had followed Jesus watched from a distance, witnessing the culmination of His earthly mission.
Read Isaiah 53:1-10 – Kaleigh? Haleigh?
Who has believed our message?
To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm?
2 My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot,
like a root in dry ground.
There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance,
nothing to attract us to him.
3 He was despised and rejected—
a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised, and we did not care.
4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
5 But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him
the sins of us all.
7 He was oppressed and treated harshly,
yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
8 Unjustly condemned,
he was led away.
No one cared that he died without descendants,
that his life was cut short in midstream.
But he was struck down
for the rebellion of my people.
9 He had done no wrong
and had never deceived anyone.
But he was buried like a criminal;
he was put in a rich man’s grave.
10 But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him
and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,
he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life,
and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.
Jesus is the suffering servant whose pain and sacrifice provide our healing.
Play Video: Out of the Grave
https://skitguys.com/videos/out-of-the-grave-easter
Station 6: The Resurrection and Beyond – Savannah?
Yes! Jesus walked out of the grave, leaving death behind! He appeared on and off to His disciples for 40 days, continuing to teach them about the Kingdom of God before ascending into heaven before their very eyes.
As they were fixated on their rising Savior, two angels appeared to them, promising that this same Jesus would one day return in the same way they had just seen Him leave. They returned to Jerusalem until they received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, birthing the Church!
Throughout the centuries, the Spirit has preserved and advanced the gospel of Jesus through Jesus’ followers. As we remain faithful to our King’s command to be disciples who make disciples, we also joyfully look forward to the day when Jesus returns to set all things right!
So that the words of the Apostle Paul can come to pass in their finality! Oh, death, where is your sting!?
The truth of His resurrection tells us that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life! Since death was not the end for Him, it is not the end for us! Death will not have the final word, for Jesus is also the returning King. He will set all things right, conquering His foes, the final of which is death!
Congregational Worship: He who is to come (Or another song on His return – Bradley and Savannah have final decision)
Spoken Word – Stephanie
After finishing the spoken word, say something like the following…
Hope has a name—his name is Jesus. You have heard who He is and what He has done for you this morning. Will you come to Him this morning? Will you give your life to Him? He is waiting for you. There will be people up here to pray with you or show you how to give your life to Jesus. Just come.
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