Jesus Rides into Jerusalem

It was almost time for the special Passover holiday. Jesus and His friends were walking toward Jerusalem.

Jesus told two disciples, 'Go into that village. You'll find a donkey tied up with her baby. Bring them to me.'

They did exactly what Jesus said. They put their coats on the donkey for Jesus to sit on.

Then something AMAZING happened! As Jesus rode toward Jerusalem, HUGE crowds came out!

People spread their coats on the road like a carpet. Others cut branches from palm trees and waved them in the air!

'HOSANNA!' they shouted. 'Blessed is the King who comes in God's name! HOSANNA in the highest!'

It was like a parade! Everyone was cheering for Jesus!

When Jesus entered the city, everyone was asking, 'Who IS this?'

'It's JESUS!' the crowds said. 'The prophet from Nazareth!'

Hundreds of years before, a prophet named Zechariah had written that the King would come riding on a donkey. And here was Jesus, doing exactly that!

The people wanted Jesus to be their king. They didn't know that Jesus WAS a king—but not the kind they expected. He came to save people from sin, not from the Romans.

We celebrate this day as Palm Sunday—the day Jesus entered Jerusalem as King!