Holy Week - Palm Sunday

I love Easter.  It's my favorite holiday.  Last year we had really well thought out activities every day of Holy Week as we prepared to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord.  This year, I had to tone it down a bit because I realized there was no way I could prepare an entire Messianic Seder alone while taking care of a seven week old.  So, we're still doing activities everyday, but they're just less involved than last year.  Hopefully, it will still be as meaningful to the kids.

Yesterday, Palm Sunday, starts off the Holy Week celebration for Christians.  I explained to Hunter and Charlotte that Palm Sunday is the day that we remember Jesus riding into Jerusalem for the Passover feast.  I reminded them of the first Passover and why the Israelites celebrated it every year, telling them that it was a big holiday like Christmas is for us.  Then we talked about how Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey colt, as a king would.  And that the disciples spread their coats onto the colt's back, as they would for a king.  And that the people raised palm branches in the air when Jesus rode through, as for a king.  And that the people shouted praises at Jesus, as they would at a king. 

We practiced shouting, "Hosanna!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"  I explained that Hosanna means, "Lord save us!" (I actually didn't know that until home group the night before!).  And told Hunter and Charlotte that the people didn't understand that Jesus would die to save us from our sin, but thought that he would become their king and save them from the mean king that ruled over them.

So, we went into the yard (actually James and H and C did, while I sheltered Grey from the cold inside) and gathered leaves.  They kids excitedly brought them in and we did leaf rubbings to remember the palm branches that were raised for our King.  The true King...