Palm Sunday\/Easter game pieces (PDF)<\/a>
\u2022 Two blindfolds
\u2022 Scissors
\u2022 Scotch tape<\/p>\nIntroduction:<\/h2>\n
1. Print out two copies of the game add-on and cut up the pieces along the dotted lines.
2. Place each set at the opposite ends of the working table.<\/p>\n
Instructions:<\/h2>\n
1. Divide the class into two teams.
2. Start with the pieces in order on each table. Make sure students understand what happened in each part of Easter Week as follows:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Palm Sunday:<\/strong> Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, and many people put palm branches down for the donkey to walk on as a show of respect for Jesus. Many people thought he was the Messiah, coming to rule Israel.<\/em><\/p>\n\u2022 Religious Leaders Plot to Kill Jesus:<\/strong> Jesus was a threat to the religious leaders because he performed miracles and had lots of people believing in him. They wanted the people to keep believing them, so they plotted to kill him.<\/em><\/p>\n\u2022 Last Supper:<\/strong> On Thursday night, Jesus sat down with his disciples to have Passover dinner. He broke bread and said it was a symbol of his body. Then, he blessed wine and said it was a symbol of his blood. He told the disciples he would be murdered and would rise on the third day, and his body and blood were a sacrifice for sins.<\/em><\/p>\n\u2022 The Arrest:<\/strong> After supper, Jesus and the disciples went into the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. The disciples fell asleep! Jesus prayed, and the soldiers came to arrest him after he was betrayed by his disciple Judas.<\/em><\/p>\n\u2022 The Trial:<\/strong> Starting that night, Jesus faced, Annas, Caiaphas, and Pontius Pilate. Pontius Pilate agreed to crucify Jesus between two rebels because the crowd demanded it.<\/em><\/p>\n\u2022 The Crucifixion:<\/strong> Jesus was crucified Friday at noon. He lived on the cross for three hours, then said to the Father, \u201cInto your hands I commit my spirit.\u201d And he died. There was an eclipse, an earthquake, and the very thick curtain inside the temple was ripped in two.<\/em><\/p>\n\u2022 The Resurrection:<\/strong> Some of Jesus\u2019 disciples, Mary Magdalene, and a few other believers saw the empty tomb on Sunday morning. Some saw angels who said, \u201cHe is not here; he is risen.\u201d Over the next 40 days, 500 people saw the arisen Jesus.<\/em><\/p>\n3. Have each team blindfold one of its members \u2014 perhaps the member that is not the best reader.
4. Scramble the cards when you are finished.
5. The blindfolded student is going to put the cards in order on the table, one event under the other.
6. Other students may tell the blindfolded student which card to pick up and where to place it. They may not touch either the blindfolded teammate or their set of cards.
7. The first team to get all seven cards in order wins.<\/p>\n
Closing:<\/h2>\n
Hold up one of the cards and touch it. This card is two-dimensional. A blind person could not tell what it says by feeling it. He would have to listen carefully for a voice of authority. All the while, he is hearing a lot of voices until someone calls for order! This was a challenging assignment!<\/strong><\/p>\nIt\u2019s a lot like the events of Easter Week for the disciples. They thought Jesus was going to reign on earth as king of Jerusalem. They didn\u2019t \u201cget it\u201d that Jesus was going reign as Lord of the entire world. They watched their Messiah go to the grave. They had no idea what was coming next!<\/strong><\/p>\nWe can often feel like we don\u2019t know what\u2019s coming next, and this game was a great reminder. The blind person couldn\u2019t see the cards. So he had to listen for some voice of authority, even though there were distractions.<\/strong><\/p>\nAs we go through life, let us remember that God has a plan! Just like he had during all the events of Easter Week! Let\u2019s remember to listen for the voice of God in our hearts to lead us into God\u2019s triumphs.<\/strong><\/p>\n