This weekend is known as Palm Sunday. It starts off Holy Week for Christians all over the world. In the Jewish world, this week leads up to the Feast of Passover. The time of Christ’s great sacrifice is near. As we read anew of Jesus’ triumphal approach to Jerusalem, being hailed as the “Son of David” and worshipped by the crowd, what does it have to do with us? Who do you say Jesus is?
What you will need: A Bible or your Bible app, a notebook, pen, and highlighter. The verses highlighted below are linked so that you can easily access them during your study time.
Jump Start
Leader: This section is designed to get discussions started, examine God’s truth, and apply it to our week. Life Group leaders should not assume everyone in their group is a Christ follower. Because they are taking part in a Life Group, they must have some openness to knowing more, exploring. Pray for the Holy Spirit to work and let Him lead you as well.
1. What famous person have you been in close contact with? Did you recognize them, or did someone tell you who they were?
2. Read Matthew 21:1-11. Are you a bit offended at verse 11? Surveys show 54% of those queried believe Jesus was a good teacher. Who do you say Jesus is? What Name of Jesus is the most precious to you? If He is the Son of God and your Savior, why is this important today to know who you would say He is?
Leader’s Note: We assume that people know who Jesus is. But statistics show that 54% do not know Him as Savior, Healer, Prince of Peace, the source of Joy, and the only Way to God.
3. Go with what you know. We can easily be offended by the fickle crowd at Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. (We know they turned on Him in less than a week.) But who is responsible for helping others find out who Jesus is? Read Matthew 28:19. What can you do? “Do you even care?” How does this tie into The Cove’s mission statement?
Leader’s Note: We—the ones who know Jesus—are responsible for telling others. We MUST care that others hear the Good News! The Great Commission to all His disciples is to go, tell, make disciples, and baptize. At The Cove Church, we will introduce our friends to Jesus, learn to follow Him, and celebrate His presence in our lives. “Introducing” covers both sharing the Gospel and inviting them into services. We need to do both!
4. Tell our stories. Read Mark 5:2-5 and 18-20. Who approached who? What did Jesus do? Then, what did the man want and what did Jesus ask him to do instead? Also read John 9:24-25. How was the blind man like the demonic of the Gerasenes? What do we need to learn from them both?
Leader’s Note: The demonic approached Jesus, asking that Jesus not torment them. Jesus healed the man completely, and then instead of allowing him to join the disciples, Jesus asked him to go home and tell his story. The blind man, under pressure to change his story or go into details that he didn’t understand, reverted to the bottom line: “I don’t know. I once was blind and now I see.” We can do that, even if we do not know every Bible verse or hard question about the Old Testament.
5. Our stories can change another person’s legacy. Read 1 Corinthians 9:22-23. What stories do you have of times that Jesus rescued you? Jot down just a few words that remind you of an entire story. Call out those one-word summaries. If someone in your Life Group asks you about the word you used, give a brief explanation of how Jesus met you in your struggles and healed, rescued, provided, or met you there. How can those words help you remember and connect with someone and help you share Jesus?
Leader’s Note: Leader, think of your own words and be willing to share and start off the “call out” part of this question. Think of words like anger, cancer, divorce, cutting, suicide, foreclosure, infertility, or anxiety. It doesn’t have to be a major crisis or horrible word. It can be anything that connects with someone’s pain and struggle and reminds you of God. Remember: people connect more with your struggles than they do with your successes.
Deeper
Leader: This section is designed for further use in your Life Group or for personal study. These can also be used as discussion points and ways to stay connected with your group throughout the week. Encourage your group to take time to walk through these questions, maybe as part of their quiet time.
The Triumphal Entry is a crucial part of the life of Christ. Let’s look at how prophecy was fulfilled, and some of the deep meaning revealed to us.
6. Read Matthew 21:2-7. Jesus sent His disciples to get a donkey’s colt (only Matthew’s Gospel notes the donkey and her colt). Look for symbolism and parallels throughout Israel’s history.
a. 1 Kings 1:32-35: (LN: on the day Solomon was anointed King, he rode a donkey, signifying peace.)
b. Zechariah 9:9-10: (LN: He comes righteous, humble, and bringing peace. The chariots, war horses, and bows will be stilled as He speaks peace to the whole world.
c. Genesis 22:1-14: (LN: Isaac rode on a donkey towards his almost-sacrifice, a foreshadowing of Jesus’ sacrifice.)
d. Genesis 49:10-12: (LN: When the patriarch Jacob blesses his sons, this is what was spoken over Judah. Jesus is the “Lion of the Tribe of Judah” and fulfills this prophecy.)
7. Compare Matthew 12:15-16 and 16:20 with Luke 19:37-38: (LN: In sharp contrast to earlier commands that His disciples keep quiet, now the crowd honors Him.)
8. Read 2 Kings 9:13: (LN: Spreading cloaks on the ground was an act of homage to royalty.)