059 The Entry into Jerusalem - A Bible Story for Children

Matthew 20:29-21:17; 22:15-22, 34-40 - Mark 10:46-11:11, 15-19; 12:13-17, 28-34 - Luke 18:35-19:10, 29-48; 20:20-26 - John 12:12-19

Jesus did not go to Jerusalem often, for his enemies, the powerful leaders of Judea, were there. But when the feast of Passover was approaching, he called the apostles together. "We are going to Jerusalem," he said. "There all the things that the prophets have written and that I have told you about will happen. I will be handed over to the Roman rulers and condemned to death. I will be laughed at and beaten, and I will die like a thief. Then, after three days, I will come back to life again."

The apostles did not really understand what Jesus meant, but they continued on the road to Jerusalem with him and tried to forget what he said. As the group came into the town of Jericho, they passed a blind beggar named Bartimaeus sitting at the side of the road.

"What is happening?" asked Bartimaeus. "What is all this noise?"

"Jesus of Nazareth is going by," said someone in the crowd.

"Son of David, Jesus, have pity on me," cried the beggar.

"Be quiet. Hold your tongue," said the people in the crowd, but the beggar kept calling.

"Jesus, have pity on me," he shouted even louder.

Jesus stopped. "What do you want me to do?" he asked when the blind man came to him.

"Master, give me back my sight."

"Go, your faith has cured you," Jesus said. At once the man could see again, and he joined the crowd following Jesus down the road.

The group came into Jericho, where a huge crowd was waiting for Jesus. Among them was a man named Zacchaeus, who was very rich. He was eager to see Jesus, but he was too short to look over the heads of all the other people. So Zacchaeus ran ahead of the others and climbed up a sycamore tree. When Jesus came to the tree, he stopped.

"Zacchaeus, be quick and come down," he called. "I must stay with you today."

Zacchaeus climbed down from the tree as quickly as he could. He welcomed Jesus, but the people in the crowd were upset.

"Is Jesus going to be the guest of this sinner?" someone asked, for Zacchaeus was a tax collector who had cheated the townspeople. But Zacchaeus stood firm. "Here and now, Lord, I will give half of everything I own to the poor," he promised. "If I have cheated anyone, I am ready to repay him five times over."

"Today you have been saved, Zacchaeus," Jesus told him. "You will live forever in the kingdom of God, for I have been sent by God to save those who have led bad lives." And Jesus went with Zacchaeus to his house.

The next day Jesus and the apostles drew near the city of Jerusalem. When they reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of the apostles ahead.

"Go to the next village," he told them. "As you enter, you will find tied up there a donkey which no one has every ridden. Untie it, and bring it here. If anyone asks what you are doing, say your Master needs it."

The donkey was found, as Jesus had said, and was brought to him. The apostles spread their cloaks over the animal, and Jesus got onto its back,

Beyond the Mount of Olives, spread over the hills, lay Jerusalem, the holy city, gleaming in the sun. A road led out from the city walls, and lining it as far as anyone could see, were people who had come to greet Jesus. Many waved palm branches which was the way they welcomed great heroes.

As Jesus went by, the crowds carpeted the road with their cloaks, as if a king were passing.

"All praise to the son of David," the people sang. "Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord! Sing praise in the highest!"

The apostles walked behind Jesus, singing with the excited crowds. This was the greeting they had always expected for their Master. The apostles sang joyously, certain that Jesus was beginning his reign over the people of Israel. But some Pharisees were upset by all the noise. "Master," they cried, "tell your followers to be quiet. They are making a disturbance."

"If I told them to be quiet," answered Jesus, "Then the stones would cry out welcome."

So Jesus rode the donkey past the city walls and into Jerusalem. Excitement swept the streets. People hurried from every direction, shouting and waving. "Sing praise to the son of David! Hail to Jesus!"

Followed by a mighty stream of people, Jesus rode to the Temple. There he got off the donkey and climbed up the Temple steps. The joyous crowd suddenly fell silent. Jesus entered the Temple courtyard. All around him people were busy. The money-lenders were changing foreign coins for visitors, and peddlers were selling birds and animals for sacrifices.

Jesus came near, and in a sudden rush of anger, he threw over the tables of the money-lenders and the chairs of the bird sellers. "This is supposed to be a house of prayer," he cried, "but you have turned it into a place for thieves." With these words, he drove the money-lenders and peddlers out of the Temple.

The chief priests and leaders stood by but did nothing to stop Jesus, for the people in the Temple were crowding around him, shouting his praise and asking for his blessing. There were blind men and cripples, and Jesus cured them. "All praise to the son of David!" shouted the crowd.

"Do you hear what those people are calling you?" one of the priests angrily asked Jesus.

"I do," Jesus answered, and then he left the Temple to spend the night in Bethany.

Jesus awoke early the next morning and again went to Jerusalem. Once more he was greeted by crowds who followed him into the Temple. When the priests and leaders heard Jesus' words and saw how the people listened to him, they were afraid.

Jesus was teaching that the poor who lived according to God's way would enter the kingdom of heaven before the rich people who were so powerful on earth. He said that those who worked hard and suffered would be welcomed and would rest forever in heaven.

The rich and powerful leaders thought that Jesus was speaking against them. They thought that Jesus might lead the people against them and that the Roman rulers would find new leaders for Judea. So these powerful men decided to make Jesus say something that would anger the Romans. Then the Romans would arrest him. As part of this plan, a few Pharisees and powerful leaders came to Jesus with a question to trap him. "Master, you are on honest man," they said. "You follow the word of God, no matter what anyone says. For this reason we would like you to answer this question for us: Should we pay taxes to the Roman emperor?"

"Why are you trying to trick me?" asked Jesus, for he knew they wanted him to say something against the Romans. "Bring me a coin, and I will show you the answer."

When Jesus took the coin, he held it up and asked, "Whose head is on the coin?"

"Caesar's, the emperor's," they answered.

"Then give to Caesar what is his, and give to God what belongs to him," he replied Jesus.

The leaders were amazed at the wisdom of Jesus' answer and went away. They had failed to trap him.

Among the people in the temple there was a lawyer who had been listening carefully to Jesus. He was very pleased with Jesus' answers and wanted an answer to one of his own questions.

"Master," he said, "tell us which is the most important commandment?"

"The greatest commandment of all," answered Jesus, "is 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' And the second most important commandment is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Nothing is more important than these two commandments."

"Master, you have spoken the truth," said the lawyer. "There is nothing greater than to love God and to love your neighbors."

"You are close to the kingdom of heaven," Jesus said, and after that no one asked any more questions.

Category: Children's Bible Stories