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Children’s Sermon

Mark 11:1-11 | John 12:12-16

Jesus Exceeds Expectations

March 24, 2024

Palm Sunday (Sixth Sunday of Lent)

Lectionary Year B

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ASK (a.k.a The On-Ramp)

Good morning!
[Show tennis ball] Can you tell me what this is? (a tennis ball)
And if I drop it from up here [hold ball up high] what do you think – what do you expect – the ball will do? (fall; bounce)
How high do you think – do you expect – the ball to bounce?
[hold hand above ground.] This high? Higher? [move hand up] Like up here?
OK -- let's find out what happens when I drop it…1….2….3…DROP!
[Drop the ball but then catch it (most likely with your other hand) before it hits the ground]
Whoa! Did the ball bounce like you expected it to? (NOOO!)
Why not? (Because you caught it!)
How do you feel about this thing that didn't happen even though you expected it to happen?

TELL (a.k.a. The Freeway)

A word I used a lot, just a minute ago, was the word, "expected."
To "expect" something or have "expectations" about something means we have thoughts and feelings about how something should happen.
One problem with expecting something, though, is that things don't always happen like we thought they were going to happen -- like with this tennis ball.
When expectations are not met, we might feel upset or cheated or sad and let down.
I bring this up because the crowd that surrounded Jesus in today's scripture story was expecting certain things from Jesus.
They expected Jesus to be their next king, which is why they were having a parade for him.
But guess what!? That's not what Jesus was going to do or become.
And that did upset some of the people, because that’s not what they were expecting.

SHARE the Good News (a.k.a. The Destination)

Thankfully, Jesus did not try to do the things that the crowd expected him to do even though that upset some of them.
Instead, Jesus listened to what God was telling him to do and then Jesus did those things.
And because Jesus did what God was telling him to do, then something happened for Jesus that was far better than what the people expected.
Instead of becoming a king, Jesus showed us something better – Jesus showed us that the life God offers us is something that cannot be taken away, no matter what happens.
When we trust God with our most important things, like Jesus did, then what God provides us is something bigger and greater than we could ever have expected!
And that is the good news for today. Let’s pray.

CLOSING Prayer

This is a repeat-after-me prayer.

Dear God,

Thank you for Jesus…

…who shows us…

…how to live a way…

…your way…

…that exceeds our greatest expectations.

Thank you and Amen

Originally posted March 15, 2015

Updated on February 24, 2024
Written and edited by Nathanael Vissia

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Supplies: A tennis ball or other type of ball that bounces and can be held (and caught!) with one hand

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