Teaching Goal: Teach the events of holy week—Palm Sunday to Easter.
Scriptures:
Matthew 21-28
Mark 11-16
Luke 19:28-24:12 (8 Days) Palm Sunday to the Resurrection.
John 12-20
Materials:
- 8 pieces of white paper
- Colored pencils or markers
- Glue
- Items you can use to represent different events
In Advance: Choose an eight day time period—Sunday to Sunday—to do this activity. It fits best during Easter week but can be done anytime during the year. Familiarize yourself with the events of Easter Week by reading Luke, chapters 19-24. Label each of the 8 pieces of white paper to represent one of the 8 days. You will have two Sundays. The first can be Palm Sunday and the second Easter Sunday. Find a place in your home to display the Sunday to Sunday calendar. Each day during the eight day time period, add events to the corresponding day of Easter week. Add fun by gluing items on the calendar that represent different events.
- Play theme song
- Pray
- Review last lesson
- Lesson and discussion
- Words written in bold are when the leader is speaking. Feel free to use your own words.
It is amazing how many events took place in the week leading up to the resurrection of Jesus! The New Testament gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John include 25 chapters on this one week. This week which really represents 8 days instead of 7, is also known as Holy Week.
Easter or Holy Week, began with people wanting to crown Jesus as their king and ended with the crowd shouting for Jesus to be killed. The week ended with his crucifixion and three days later, the resurrection.
ACTIVITY: We are going to make a calendar to record the events of Holy Week. Each of the next eight days we are going to add a piece of paper, representing a day, to our calendar. We will record the events of that day on the piece of paper. In reading the four accounts of Easter week, it is difficult to know the exact day of some of the events. Feel free to move an event if your understanding is that it should be on a different day.
Select a place in the house where you can display the eight sheets of paper which you will use to record events from the eight days of Holy Week.
Create a border for each piece of paper. Label the 8 pieces of paper with a day of the week beginning with Palm Sunday and ending with Easter Sunday.
Use a variety of pictures (from the internet), materials and colors when recording the events for each day.
Palm Sunday: Day 1
John 12:1 Mary anoints Jesus with perfume. (Could be Saturday, the day before.)
Luke 19:30 Disciples get colt from Bethpage (Mt. of Olives) for Jesus to ride.
Luke 19:35 Jesus riding on a colt and his disciples enter Jerusalem.
Matt 21:8 People lay down their coats and palm branches in front of Jesus.
Matt 21:9 People shout “hosanna” as Jesus enters Jerusalem.
Matt 21:16 Children praise Jesus.
Luke 19:40 Pharisees challenge Jesus about people praising him. Jesus responds that the rocks would cry out praises if the people did not.
Luke 19:41 Jesus cries for Jerusalem.
Luke 19:47 Jesus teaches in the temple.
Matt 21:17 Jesus spends the night in Bethany, about ½ mile from Jerusalem.
Consider using drawings or downloading graphics of a colt, Jerusalem and palm leaves.
Monday: Day 2
Note: The Gospels say that Jesus taught every day in the temple from Monday through Thursday. The stories recorded in the Gospels during the time of Holy Week have been divided between the four days. It is unknown whether Jesus told each story just once or if he repeated them at different times during his three years of ministry.
Mark 11:12 Jesus walks from Bethany to Jerusalem.
Matt 21:19 Jesus curses the fig tree that does not have fruit.
Mark 11:15 Jesus drives out the moneychangers in the temple.
Matt 21:23 Jesus’ authority is questioned by the Pharisees.
Luke 21:37 Jesus teaches the Good News in the temple.
Luke 20:9 Parable of Tenants.
Luke 20:20 Paying taxes: Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s.
Luke 20:27 Sadducees ask about resurrection and marriage.
Luke 21:1 The widow gives a mite.
Luke 21:5 Jesus teaches on end times.
Matt 21:14 Jesus heals the blind and lame.
Luke 21:37 Jesus spends the night on the Mt. of Olives, about ½ mile from Jerusalem.
Consider using drawings or downloading graphics of a fig tree and temple. Maybe even tape or glue a coin to the paper.
Tuesday: Day 3
Luke 21:37 Jesus walks from the Mt. of Olives to Jerusalem.
Luke 21:37 Jesus teaches in the temple.
Mark 13:32 Jesus teaches that the hour of his return is unknown.
Matt 21:28 Parable of two sons, one who says “no” and the other says “yes.”
Matt 22:1 Parable of the wedding banquet.
Matt 22:34 Jesus teaches that the greatest commandment is to love God.
Matt 26:3 Priests and captains of the temple guards meet to plot against Jesus.
Luke 21:37 Jesus spends the night on the Mt. of Olives, about ½ mile from Jerusalem.
Consider using drawings or downloading graphics of a scroll, Mt. of Olives and Jesus teaching.
Wednesday: Day 4
Luke 21:37 Jesus walks from Mt. of Olives to Jerusalem.
Luke 22:3 Satan enters Judas.
Matt 26:14 Priests hire Judas to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.
Luke 21:37 Jesus teaches in the temple.
Matt 23 Jesus is furious and challenges the Pharisees.
Matt 25:1 Parable of 20 virgins and their oil lamps.
Matt 25:14 Parable of the 5, 2 and 1 talents.
Luke 21:37 Jesus spends the night on the Mt. of Olives, about ½ mile from Jerusalem.
Consider using drawings or downloading graphics of 30 pieces of silver, a Pharisee or oil lamps.
Thursday: Day 5
Luke 21:37 Jesus walks from Mt. of Olives to Jerusalem.
Luke 21:37 Jesus teaches in the temple.
Matt 25:31 Jesus teaches about judgment and dividing the sheep and goats.
Matt 25:35 Jesus teaches to feed, clothe and provide care for those in need.
Luke 22:8 Peter and John sent to prepare Passover.
Luke 22:10 Man shows Peter and John the room for Passover.
Luke 22:14 Passover meal and communion.
John 13:1 Jesus washes the disciples’ feet.
Luke 22:34 Jesus predicts Peter’s denials.
John 13:18 Jesus predicts his betrayal.
John 14:15 Jesus predicts the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Luke 22:24 Disciples argue over who will be the greatest in heaven.
John 15:1 Jesus teaches that he is the vine and we are the branches.
John 15:18 Jesus predicts that the world will hate the disciples.
John 16:22 Jesus tells the disciples that their grief will turn to joy.
John17:1 Jesus prays for himself.
John 17:6 Jesus prays for the disciples.
John 17:20 Jesus prays for all believers.
Luke 22:31 Satan asks to sift Peter. Jesus prays for Peter’s faith.
Luke 22:39 Jesus and disciples walk to Gethsemane on the Mt. of Olives.
Luke 22:42 Jesus prays three times and the disciples fall asleep.
Luke 22:43 An angel appears and strengthens Jesus.
Luke 22:47 Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss.
Luke 22:50 Peter cuts off ear of high priest’s servant.
Luke 22:51 Jesus heals the servant’s ear.
Luke 22:54 Jesus arrested.
Luke 22:54 Jesus taken to the High Priest.
Consider using drawings or downloading pictures of a chalice cup, loaf of bread, Passover meal, garden of Gethsemane, praying and a sword.
Friday: Day 6
Peter denies knowing Jesus 3 times.
Luke 22:57 1st time with woman.
Luke 22:58 2nd time with man.
Luke 22:59 3rd time “one hour later.”
Luke 22:60 Rooster crows.
Luke 22:66 Daybreak: leading religious leaders assemble.
Luke 22:63 Guards beat Jesus saying, “tell us who hit you.”
Luke 23:1 Entire council takes Jesus to Pilate
Luke 23:7 Pilate sends Jesus to Herod.
Luke 23:11 Herod’s soldiers mock Jesus and put a robe on him.
Luke 23:11 Herod sends Jesus back to Pilate.
Luke 23:13 Pilate calls religious leaders.
Luke 23:14 Pilate finds Jesus not guilty.
Luke 23:18 Crowd calls for Barabbas to be released and Jesus to be crucified.
Luke 23:26 Simon of Cyrene carries Jesus’ cross.
Luke 23:33 Jesus and two criminals crucified.
Luke 23:34 Soldiers gamble for Jesus’ clothes.
Luke 23:36 Soldier offers Jesus a drink of sour wine.
Luke 23:38 Sign over Jesus says “King of the Jews.”
Luke 23:42 Criminal asks Jesus to remember him. Jesus says the criminal will be in paradise.
Luke 23:44 Noon.
Luke 23:44 Darkness from noon to 3 p.m.
Luke 23:45 Veil torn apart in the temple.
Matt 27:51 Earthquake.
Matt 27:52 Tombs open and dead are raised and walk around.
Luke 23:46 Jesus dies.
Luke 23:47 Roman soldier praises God when realizes Jesus was the son of God.
Luke 23:50 Joseph of Arimathea, member of Jewish high counsel, asks Pilate for Jesus’ body.
Luke 23:53 Jesus’ body is wrapped in cloth and placed in tomb.
Matt 27:62 Priest request guards for Jesus’ tomb.
Luke 23:56 Woman prepare spices for Jesus’ body.
Consider using drawings or downloading pictures of a rooster, Jesus on trial, cross and crucifixion.
Saturday: Day 7
Luke 23:56 People rested according to religious law.
Consider writing “Sabbath” in big letters.
Easter Sunday: Day 8
Luke 24:1 Early morning, women go to tomb with the spices.
Matt 28:2 Earthquake. Stone rolled away.
Luke 24:10 Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary- mother of James and several others return from the tomb and report to the disciples.
Luke 24:3 Jesus not in tomb.
Luke 24:3 Two angels at tomb announce that Jesus is risen.
Luke 24:9 Women rush back and tell the disciples what they saw.
Matt 28:11 Guards report to priest what happened. They are told to lie.
Luke 24:11 Disciples don’t believe at first.
Luke 24:12 Peter runs to the tomb.
Luke 24:13 Two men {one is Cleopas} walk 7 miles to Emmaus, Jesus appear to them.
Luke 24:16 The two men don’t recognize Jesus at first.
Luke 24:27 Jesus explains the scriptures.
Luke 24:30 Jesus eats with them and disappears.
Luke 24:44 The two men recognize Jesus and return 7 miles to Jerusalem.
Luke 24:36 Jesus appears to the disciples.
Consider taping a small piece of cloth to represent the remaining burial clothes. Draw or download pictures of the tomb, angels, holes in the hands and Jesus walking along the road.
Leave the completed calendar up for a week. Save it and display it each year during the Holy Week leading up to Easter Sunday.
Tools:
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