Easter Day

Sunday 5 April 2009

Monday - Anger and Unrest in Jerusalem

Station 1

This is where our journey to the cross begins – with palms, coats laid on the ground, and ‘Hosannas’ filling the air.  The Messiah was coming into town.  People expected a political king, coming to kick out the Romans to take over the town. Think of the joy that people felt as they saw Jesus enter the town.  Maybe you can use this moment to remember a time when you have been overwhelmed with joy and thank God for that moment. Take a palm cross if you’d like one either now or at the end of your journey as you leave the church.

 

Children: We’re at the start of our journey, we’re about to see lots of interesting things in the church and follow the journey as Jesus did throughout the week.  It all started with words of joy and happiness as Jesus came into town.  People thought Jesus would be a fighter who would kick the Romans out of town.  Can you think of a time when you felt a lot of joy?  Thank God for that time.

 

 

Station 2

Days later, the same crowds were shouting, ‘Crucify!’ Today, in some ways nothing has changed.  We are still fickle with the famous, loving them one minute and hating them the next.  Look at the news reports scattered around and spend a couple of minutes now praying for those who are in the public eye, either because they want to be, or because they have suddenly been thrust into the news. 

 

Children: Although people were excited to see Jesus at first, later on they were angry with him and wanted him dead.  This led to Jesus being very sad and hurt.  If you look in the papers you can see others who might also be sad and hurt and need to be prayed for.

 

 

Station 3

In the bible, in Matthew 21:16 it says ‘The men said to Jesus, "Don't you hear what those children are saying?"

"Yes, I do!" Jesus answered. "Don't you know that the Scriptures say, `Children and infants will sing praises'?"

Children were hugely important to Jesus and he knew how special they were.  The children also knew how special Jesus was.  A lot of different children use this church, including toddler groups, scouts, guides, cubs, beavers and junior church children.  Maybe you would like to think of a particular child that you can pray for who uses this church building or a child from the local area.  Feel free to write a name or initials on a post it note and add it to the reading.

Children: Jesus thought that children like you were really special.  He loved to spend time with children and saw them as friends.  Do you have a best friend or a couple of best friends that you could pray for?  You can write their name or draw a picture of them on a post it note and add it to the piece of paper with the reading on.

 

 

Station 4

On the Monday of Holy week Jesus went into the temple and saw the way that His father’s house was being treated.  There were people trading and running markets in a holy place of worship.  This made Jesus very angry and in response he turned over the tables and drove the people from the temple.  Take a look at the image of Jesus angry and use this time to read the story from Mark 11:12-18.


On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry.Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see whether perhaps he would find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. He said to it, ‘May no one ever eat fruit from you again.’ And his disciples heard it.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

 Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold doves; and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. He was teaching and saying, ‘Is it not written,
“My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations”?
   But you have made it a den of robbers.’ 
And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching.


  Sometimes we can think of Jesus as just a kind, caring man but he also showed other emotions.  He led a human life and felt real emotions.  You can use this time to just look at the image of Jesus and pray for those who make you angry.

 

Children: Jesus worshipped God in the temple a bit like the way we worship God in the church building. When he went to the temple, however, he saw things he did not like. There were men selling animals and running markets. Jesus was very angry and turned over the tables and forced the people out. He was angry because it was a place of worship. To remember this day in Jesus’ life you can colour in the picture.  You can either take the picture home with you or you could leave it at church.

 

 

Station 5

 

During the Monday of Holy week Jesus was hungry, while on his work he saw a fig tree that was bearing no fruit.  He cursed this fig tree and it withered in response.  Jesus told his disciples that if we have faith and do not doubt then we could do the same and other things and in fact all our prayers will be answered.

 

Maybe there is a situation in your own life that you don’t think can change, or a characteristic you wish you didn’t have.  Feel free to write on a piece of fig shaped card something about the situation or characteristic that you would like to change and hang it on a branch of the dead tree.  Maybe you can look at the tree that is alive while you share your prayer with God. 

 

Children: Jesus made a tree wither and die when it did not have any fruit on it.  Nature is something that God created that we can all enjoy.  Is there some bit of nature you want to thank God for creating?  Maybe you could write a name or draw a picture of it on a piece of card and hang it on the tree.  Take time to look at the tree that is still alive as you thank God for all he has created.

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