Note to the Teacher

The key phrase for this lesson is “We beseech.” The discussion encourages students to talk about the links between the imagery of the psalm and Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem for Passover, which we celebrate on Palm Sunday. The activity helps youth understand the concept of beseeching or fervently asking for more. Times are based on a fifty-five-minute lesson period but may be adjusted.

ICEBREAKER/GAME/ORGANIZING ACTIVITY (15 minutes)

“51 Youth Ministry Games & Icebreakers”

READ SCRIPTURE (5 minutes)

Today's scripture reading involves the idea of “the power of humility.” There are two scriptures, and as they are shared, encourage youth to look for parallels between the stories (gates, waving branches, etc.) and how imagery for Jesus’ life and actions in Luke are hinted at in the psalm. This particular psalm would have been shared during Passover, which is the celebration for which Jesus and his disciples had come to Jerusalem.

Read Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29, and Luke 19:28-40.

Listen to “You Will Be Found” from Dear Evan Hansen (If you or the youth have other songs they would like to include or make links within discussions, please be creative. It simply takes a bit more planning.)

DISCUSSION (15 minutes)

Psalm 118:2, 19-20 mentions gates and righteousness. In Luke, Jesus enters the city gates and is proclaimed by others as righteous, although he enters the city on a young donkey in a humble manner. Is there something about humility or humbleness that excites people about Jesus?
Psalm 118:22 uses a metaphor. From what you know about Jesus and the way that Holy Week plays out from today until Jesus’ crucifixion, who is the cornerstone, and who do you think are the builders?
Listening to "You Will Be Found," do you hear any phrases that link what the poor of Jerusalem might be feeling as they see Jesus enter the city?
Have you ever experienced a time when you felt lost or unseen, like the song describes, or like the people lining the street for Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem might have felt? Are lost and unseen the same feeling, or not? Why?
Palm Sunday marks Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, but we know that by the end of the week, he will be crucified. Jesus knows this is a strong possibility as he enters the city. His disciples are not as sure of what will happen during Passover week. How might Psalm 118 and the lyrics from "You Will Be Found" help us find hope when things seem uncertain?
The crowds welcomed Jesus with joy in Luke 19, but many later turned against him. What does this tell us about how people’s perceptions of a person or an idea can change quickly? Does that still happen today, and can you share any examples?
Psalm 118 describes God as a refuge, and Luke 19 shows people longing for a savior. How do these passages reflect the idea in "You Will Be Found" that someone is always there for you?
Why do you think God asked for this to be part of Jesus’ time on earth? Do you think God asked too much of Jesus? Do you think God might ask too much of people today?

ACTIVITY AND DISCUSSION (20 minutes)

Take this lesson to the next level by playing a game that has to do with “beseeching” or asking fervently for more.

“More or Enough?”

Give each teen an empty cup or bag.

Show them a large bowl of candy/prizes and tell them: “You can take as much as you want—there’s plenty to go around. But there will be a catch.”

Allow them to take some (or a lot). They don’t yet know the catch.

The Catch – A Test of Beseeching versus Humility

After everyone has taken their share, say:

“If you took only one or two pieces, you get to keep them all.”

“If you took a handful or more, you must give half back.”

“If you took a huge amount, you must return all of it.”

Discussion Prompts:

How did you decide how much to take?
Did you assume there was an unlimited supply?
How did you feel when you had to give some back?
Would you have done differently if you knew the catch beforehand?
When humanity asks (beseeches) God for more, does God always provide what is asked? How and why do you think that?

Say something like, “Palm Sunday shines a light on the crowds that shouted, ‘Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord’ on Sunday and ‘Crucify him!’ just days later. The worship notes for this Sunday remind us that “within each of us is the capacity to claim Christ and reject him almost at the same time.”

Can you think of ways this happens in our lives? [One example: We attend church on Sundays to worship and pray but then just as faithfully avoid the kind of discipleship Jesus teaches about in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) the rest of the week.]

Close in the traditional manner for your group, including prayer.

TOTAL TIME: 55 minutes