The Greatest Is the Least (Last Supper) Lesson Plans Bible Story: Luke 22:7-20 Additional Scripture: Exodus 12:1-42, Matthew 26:17-30, Mark 14:12-26, John 13:1-30, 1 Corinthians 11:23b- 26 KEY/MEMORY VERSE Do this in remembrance of me. Luke 22:19d (NRSV) ROTATIONS THIS MONTH Holy Word Cinema: Watch the story of the Last Supper, Bible Background, and experience the Last Supper for themselves Discovery Destination: Explore the concept of remembering through a series of science like experiments/activities. Creation Station: Create a burlap placemat saying Remember Me to help remember Jesus in the Lord s Supper. Background Summary: The Passover Jesus and his disciples were devout Jews who celebrated all of the Jewish customs and feasts. One of the most important Jewish festivals was the festival of Passover. Each year on the Passover, Jewish families celebrated a feast to remember God s mighty acts of mercy and deliverance from slavery in Egypt. The Passover festival lasted for eight days one day for Passover followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven additional days. On the first night of Passover, Jewish families eat a special meal called a Seder (SAY-dur) and retell the Exodus story. Jews traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate this festival at the Temple as instructed by law (see Leviticus 23:29-30). The population of Jerusalem, normally about 150,000 200,000 would swell by an additional 80,000-100,000 people! For Jesus and his disciples this meant a walk of about 75 miles from Galilee. The walk was arduous, but this particular trip was difficult for Jesus for a different reason. By going to Jerusalem, Jesus knew He would encounter direct conflict from the people who were threatened by His teachings. He knew that His death was near. Jesus knew that this would be his last Passover with his friends. Early Church History: The Lord s Supper quickly became an established part of the early church. The first churches met in homes and the Lord s Supper was celebrated along with a meal, as was the first Lord s Supper. The meal was a way to 1 P a g e
satisfy physical hunger as well as spiritual hunger. This practice grew into what became known as love feasts. Over time the practice of love feasts fell out of favor among many denominations because of their potential for abuses for example drunkenness, gluttony and snobbish exclusion of others. Some denominations still practice love feasts today continuing the tradition of fellowship and sacrament as did the earliest Christians. The Last Supper/Lord s Supper Today: Christians celebrate the Lord s Supper as a sacrament (United Methodists and most Protestants recognize two sacraments: baptism and communion. Some denominations also recognize foot-washing as a sacrament. Roman Catholics recognize additional sacraments, including marriage, confirmation and last rites) The word sacrament comes from the Latin word sacramentum. Its original meaning was a sacred pledge or promise of absolute and sacrificial loyalty (originally among Roman officers). The early church father, Augustine, defined sacraments as signs connected with divine things. A sacrament is a common thing that reveals a truth beyond itself, bringing new meaning. The Last Supper is recreated each time we celebrate Holy Communion. The sacrament is known by several names: Last Supper, the Lord s Supper, Holy Communion and the Eucharist. Each name reveals something special about the different facets of the sacrament. The Lord s Supper reminds us that Jesus is the one who initiated the sacrament and He does the inviting to the table. Communion comes from the Greek word Koinonia and means fellowship with an emphasis on community. The Eucharist comes from the Greek word for thanks (eucharisteo) and reminds us that giving thanks to God for His mercies and grace is part of the meal. By understanding the meaning behind the Jewish Passover, we gain a better understanding of the meaning of Jesus actions. The bread of life and the blood of the covenant sustain our faith and remind us of the presence of God in our lives each time we partake of Communion. Throughout the Passover meal, Jesus tried to explain to His friends that His time on earth was coming to an end. The disciples did not understand. Jesus knew that they would face difficult challenges ahead and He gave them a way to come together to support one another and to remember Him. We continue this today. For Younger Children: The symbols of the Last Supper are abstract and may be difficult for children to understand. The idea of body and blood of Christ and given for you are probably beyond the comprehension level of most early elementary children. For these children, focus on the remembering aspect of Communion. Jesus asked us to set aside this special act as a way to remember Him and what He said and did. It may help to explain to the children that Jesus did not mean that the bread and wine were literally his body and blood. These were symbols that help us understand the Jesus is with us in a special way. Jesus words and their meaning: The three synoptic gospels differ slightly in their descriptions of the meal. But basically there are four components to His message: 1. the bread is the body of Jesus and it is for them (us). 2 P a g e
2. the cup represents the covenant blood of the new covenant (a new relationship between God and humanity, made possibly at the cost of Jesus life and death) 3. instruction to repeat this meal to remember what Jesus has said and done 4. hope for the future an affirmation of the full coming of the Kingdom of God, and a time when we will all eat together in unity at Christ s table. Jesus gives new meaning to bread and wine In the process of sharing the Passover meal with his disciples, Jesus departed from the standard rituals and rendered to two of the foods, a different understanding: Food Traditional (Old Testament) meaning New meaning Unleavened Bread Red Wine Israelites left Egypt in a hurry on a freedom journey, without enough time to let their bread rise. A toast to Israelite freedom. Red wine symbolizes the blood placed on door frames. The body of Christ broken for us. The blood of Christ an act of redemption, shed for the sins of the whole world. Jesus used this Passover meal to reinterpret food elements -- bread and wine -- to explain what he was about to do on the cross. Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, This is my body, which is given for you (Luke 22:19). The bread that Jesus described as his body would have been made without any leavening (yeast). Besides a historical connection to a rapid departure from Egypt, this bread had, and has, other layers of meaning: Deuteronomy 16:3 describes unleavened bread as the bread of affliction, representing the Israelite suffering in Egypt. Jesus suffered for all of us. Leavening was forbidden from Passover through the week of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12:17-20). Adding leavening to new dough literally infects it with microbes that cause bread to rise. Leavening was seen as a metaphor for sin and pride (puffiness). Jesus was describing his body as being free from sin. Likewise, Jesus offered wine as his blood, shed for the sins of the whole world. At a Seder meal a cup of wine is filled four times to remind the people of God s four promises: God would take them out of Egypt, release them from slavery, redeem them and make them a nation (Exodus 6:6 7). The third cup of wine was believed to be the one to which Jesus gave new meaning. Jesus was giving his body and his blood in death, so that we could receive life! 3 P a g e
And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood (Luke 22:20). Story: Luke 22:7-20 HOLY LAND CINEMA: Video & Last Supper Additional Scripture: Exodus 12:1-42, Matthew 26:17-30, Mark 14:12-26, John 13:1-30, 1 Corinthians 11:23b- 26 Key/Memory Verse: "Do this in remembrance of me." Luke 22:19d (NRSV) PURPOSE Teacher Preparation Read Bible Background and Scripture. Materials List Video Superbook The Last Supper DVD Last Supper set up in another room o Pita Bread o Grape Juice o Other cheese cubes, raisins, nuts, etc. o Small table o Blankets on floor, o Biblical oil lamps with battery operated candles o CD player with CD of Passover mood music already playing Dig - Main Content and Reflection: Say: Today we are going to talk about remembering. Have everyone stand up. Ask them about the following items. If they remember, have them move to one side of the room. If don t recall, have them move to the other side. You remember your first day of kindergarten. You remember what color shirt you wore last Tuesday. You remember what you had for breakfast this morning. You remember what you had for dinner last Monday. You remember the name of a friend. Say: It's hard to remember everything. There are some things that aren't so important to remember like what we ate for lunch. But there are other things that are very important to remember. Ask: Can you think of important things that we need to remember? (allow a few answers) 4 P a g e
Say: Our Bible story today is about a time when Jesus told his disciples to remember him. Jesus and his disciples were sharing a special meal together, the Passover meal. It was the last time that Jesus would share a meal with his disciples. That s why we call this meal the Last Supper. At this meal, Jesus gave his disciples instructions on how they could remember him. Listen to our Bible story from the New Testament Gospel of Luke. Read Luke 22:14-27. Ask: What did Jesus want his disciples to remember? What did he tell them to do that would help them remember Jesus? Say: Jesus told his disciples to break bread together and to drink a cup together. Ask: What do you suppose he meant by that? Say: Jesus told his disciples to gather together and share bread and a cup. When they did this it would help them remember Jesus. Ask: Do we do this today (gather together and share bread and a cup)? (Communion) Say: When we share Communion together we are remembering Jesus. Ask: Why do you suppose Jesus used bread and a cup as a way to remember him? (allow all answers) Say: Let s watch our video to learn more about the story of the Last Supper. Show the DVD The Last Supper. (Watch #1 Open, #2 Chris and Joy s Dilemma and #3 Bible Story and Resolution for the complete episode) After the movie, ask: How did the disciples react when Jesus began to wash their feet? What did Jesus want the disciples to remember about him by washing their feet? (That he came to serve and not to be served, and that we should do the same) Why did Judas react negatively to Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem and to him washing the disciples feet in the Upper Room? (This is not how a king/ famous person should behave.) What are some ways that we act more like Jesus in the way we treat our friends, our family, etc. Watch #5 Bible Background video on the The Last Supper DVD: Pause video for the when the two onscreen review questions are asked to allow students to offer answers to the questions, then press play to let the DVD reveal the answers. Passover/Last Supper Feast After the Bible Background video has finished, escort students to the room set up with small table, with pita bread, grape juice in individual cups, cheese cubes, raisins and nuts. 5 P a g e
Take the time to tell them the story of Passover in your own words, explaining that the Last Supper was a Passover feast, which recounts how, during the time of Moses, God freed the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt by the miracle of when God s Spirit passed over Egypt forcing Pharaoh to free the people from bondage, along with the parting of the Red Sea, and that after the Israelites reached the Promised Land, they celebrated this miracle every year in the Feast of Passover. Say Jesus gathered his disciples in the Upper Room for the Passover feast and used the occasion to institute the Lord s Supper, which we celebrate every month in church by taking bread, breaking it and saying, This is my body broken for you, do this in remembrance of me and how after supper, Jesus took the cup and said, This is the blood of the new covenant shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins, drink this in remembrance of me. Closing Allow the kids a chance to each some of the foods provided. When kids are finished eating, close with a word of prayer thanking God for sending Jesus as our Savior to die for our sins, and that we have the Lord s Supper as a reminder to help us remember God s love for all of us. 6 P a g e
DISCOVERY DESTINATION: THE IMPORTANCE OF REMEMBERING Story: Luke 22:7-20 Additional Scripture: Exodus 12:1-42, Matthew 26:17-30, Mark 14:12-26, John 13:1-30, 1 Corinthians 11:23b- 26 Key/Memory Verse: "Do this in remembrance of me." Luke 22:19d (NRSV) PURPOSE Children will explore the concept of "remembering" through a series of science activities. They will discover: how the brain is involved in remembering what helps us remember things how Jesus helped his friends remember really important things what can help us remember Jesus' words and actions today Teacher Preparation Read Bible Background and scripture. Materials List What's Missing? Part 1-2 o Passover/Communion objects or images that represent the images - Christian clip art can be printed onto cards or images can be obtained from the internet. Suggestions include: Moses, stuffed lamb, blood on doorpost, yeast, matzoh, chalice, 10 plagues, angel, Passover, Jesus, Lamb of God, cross, Bible, gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) o Tray or small table o Pillowcase o Towel or fabric large enough to cover the tray with items Random Chunks of Memory o Flip chart Markers Advance Preparation Requirements What's Missing? Part 1-2 o Gather or print out the objects/images. Place on a tray. o Cover with the towel or fabrics Random Chunks of Memory o On a flip chart write: o Page 1 - a list of random, nonsense words 7 P a g e
o o Page 2 - a list of words in random order (fruits, colors, animals, places, clothing) Page 3 - a list of words with like items "chunked" together (all fruits grouped together, animals together, places together, colors together. For example: orange, apple, banana in one group; blue, red, green in another group and so forth.) Opening Welcome & Lesson Introduction As children arrive, welcome them warmly. Tell the children they will perform several experiments to explore how we remember. How is our brain involved in remembering? What helps us remember things? How did Jesus help his friends remember really important things? What can help us remember Jesus' words and actions today? Today's session will explore these questions. Open with prayer. Loving and Faithful God, thank you for this day and for everyone who is here. Thank you for creating our amazing brains so it is possible for us to remember what Jesus did for us. Open our minds and hearts today to learn more about you. Amen. Say: Before we start our lesson, let's try an experiment. We'll see how well you can remember things on this tray. What's Missing, Part 1 This activity has two parts. In Part 1 children will look at, and try to remember objects without any explanation of their meaning. In Part 2, after having discussed the meaning of the objects, the children will repeat the activity. They will compare the amount of objects remembered in a set amount of time. Directions 1. Uncover the tray and have children look at the items for 10-15 seconds. 2. Have the children turn their backs. 3. Remove one of the items and place it in the pillowcase. 4. Have the children turn around. What item is missing? 5. Repeat the game for 5 minutes. Record the number of items remembered in that time on the flip chart. 6. Place the items back on the tray. 7. As the story is introduced, and then again while the scripture is read, hold up or point out the appropriate object. Say: Our story this month is one of the most important in the Bible. It tells about Jesus' last meal with his disciples; we call this the Last Supper. Jesus knew his time on earth was coming to an end. He wanted to spend time with his friends. He wanted to help them remember some very important things. What could he do to help them remember? Now this meal that they were going to share was the Passover meal. It was all about remembering. Many years ago, God's people were slaves in Egypt. Do you remember who God sent to rescue his people? (Card: Moses) Do you remember the story? Briefly review the Old Testament story of the Passover using the objects/cards to provide visual clues. (Cards: ten plagues, lamb's blood on doorpost, Passover, angel of death, unleavened bread) 8 P a g e
The Jewish people celebrated Passover each year. They used special foods to remember how God rescued them from slavery. Some of these foods are lamb (to remember the Passover lamb who died), salt water (to remember their tears from their harsh lives as slaves), unleavened bread or Matzoh (to remember that they didn't have time to let their bread rise before escaping) and wine (to symbolize the blood on the doorposts). So, on this special night, Jesus (Card: Jesus) and his friends were celebrating the Passover once again. But on this night, Jesus changed some things. He took some very familiar parts of the Passover meal and gave them new meanings. (Cards: Matzoh, chalice) Main Content & Reflection Say: Let's read about the story in our Bibles. (Bible) Ask: Where would we find a story about Jesus and his disciples? (New Testament, gospels) This story is so important it is found in all four gospels. (Card: Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) Help the children locate Luke 22:7-20. Read as the children follow along, or ask volunteers to read. As the scripture is read, hold up the appropriate objects on the tray. Discuss 1. What was the name of the meal Jesus and his friends were celebrating? (Passover) 2. Are there other objects on the tray that remind you of the story? 3. What new meaning did Jesus give to the bread and the wine? (his body and blood) 4. What is our memory verse? (Do this in remembrance of me. Luke 22:19d) Have children locate the verse in their Bibles. 5. What did Jesus want his disciples to do to remember him? 6. We continue to remember Jesus by eating of bread and drinking grape juice (wine) in our church. What is this called? (Communion) Say: Jesus knew that one of the best ways for us to remember was not just to tell us something. People learn best in different ways -- most people learn best by seeing, but some by hearing, and some by doing. Jesus was a great teacher. He often combined all THREE ways of learning (seeing, hearing and doing) in his teaching. The more ways of learning we include, the better we remember. What ways of learning have we been practicing today? (seeing, hearing, doing) Let's see if our memory has improved. What's Missing, Part 2 1. Repeat the What's Missing game. 2. Record the number of items the children can recall in five minutes. 3. If time allows, repeat the game, removing different objects, again for five minutes. 4. Compare the number of objects remembered in Part 1 and Part 2. Did learning more about the objects improve their memories? 9 P a g e
Random Chunks of Meaning In this activity children will discover the effect of "chunking" like items together on our memory. Say: The brain learns best when there is meaning attached. Jesus took the old symbols his friends knew -- the unleavened bread and the wine, and gave them new meanings. These were very familiar items to the disciples -- remember they celebrated the Passover every year. But now the bread and wine were going to mean something different. I wonder if the disciples would have remembered better if Jesus had used something totally different. Like milk and cake? Kool-Aid and pizza? Let's try an experiment that shows us how meaning helps with memory. Directions 1. Display the list of random words (written on page 1 of the flip chart). 2. Have the children look at the list for 30 seconds. Flip the paper over so the words are hidden. 3. Have the children recall as many words as possible in one minute. Write the words down as they name the words. 4. Next display the list of concrete words, listed on page 2. Repeat the process. 5. Which was easier? 6. Which had the greater number of remembered words? Say: Another way to help our memory is to do something called "chunking." Chunking means we group like items together. In our second list, what items could go together? (fruit together, animals together, places together, clothing together) Let's see if chunking helps us remember even better. 1. Display the list of "chunked" items on page 3. 2. Repeat the process. 3. Were they able to recall more words? 4. Compare the number of remembered words from each list. Which is greater? Say: There are other things that help us remember. For example: We are introduced to a guy named Baker. Just remembering his name can be hard. BUT if we imagine the man in a white apron with a baker's hat on, we remember better! Putting an image to the name helps the brain remember. We remember when we pay attention, when we think something is interesting, when we think about it and when we transform it into something that makes sense to us. As we read the gospels, we see the disciples doing these very things. They didn't always understand what Jesus meant. Sometimes his words or stories or actions felt like those random words on our list. But over time, and as they thought and remembered, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, they started to understand more and more about Jesus. They made connections. 10 P a g e They realized that the blood on the doorpost long ago was like (Jesus' blood on the cross and the blood he talked about as he drank the wine at the Last Supper). They realized that the Passover Lamb who died to save Moses and the Israelites was like (Jesus -- "the Lamb of God" who died to save us). They realized that the unleavened bread that the people ate at Passover was like (Jesus -- pierced with holes like the nails and sword that pierced Jesus, and had no yeast, a symbol for sin, since Jesus was without sin).
The disciples wrote down these new connections and understandings -- they wrote them in the gospels for us to read today. And for us to understand more about what Jesus has done for us -- his great love and sacrifice. Closing Say: Jesus wants us to remember him. He wants us to remember that God loves us so much, that he willingly came to earth to teach us, to show us His love and ultimately to die for us so our sins could be gone forever. Have each child choose one object from the tray used earlier and hold it quietly. Repeat the memory verse together, "Do this in remembrance of me." Then have each child say, "This week I will remember and say something that relates to the object they chose. 11 P a g e
CRAFT: BANNERS & TEXTILES WORKSHOP Story: Luke 22:7-20 Additional Scripture: Exodus 12:1-42, Matthew 26:17-30, Mark 14:12-26, John 13:1-30, 1 Corinthians 11:23b- 26 Key/Memory Verse: "Do this in remembrance of me." Luke 22:19d (NRSV) Objectives for Banners & Textiles Workshop Know the story of the Last Supper Identify some symbols associated with the Last Supper and Communion Teacher Preparation Read Bible Background and scripture. Materials List A piece of hemmed burlap to create a placemat for the Last Supper per student. Large needles big enough to use with yarn. If you can find plastic needles, even better! Skeins or balls of yarn in desired colors. You can have many colors and let the students choose their colors, or you can decide on a color scheme in advance and use only those. Chalk this will be used to draw the design lightly on the material first, then dust off after sewing. Bible opened to the passage Advance Preparation Requirements Lay out the burlap in your work area. Have some needles that are pre-threaded with yarn for those who may have trouble with threading needles. Have 12 lengths of yarn in whatever colors you have decided to use lying out where they can be reached. Plan to hold onto the needles and give them out to each child separately. You may wish to have a small area of the cloth with a design already stitched onto it as an example for them. Use chalk to write the words Remember Me in the center of the cloth horizontally. Depending on the age of the students, you may either draw symbols with chalk around the perimeter in advance, or let the children do their own. Opening Welcome & Lesson Introduction Welcome the students, have them sit in a different area from the work area so that their hands aren t distracted by the yarn. Ask: How many of you have ever sewn something with a needle and thread? Have any of you ever seen anyone sew? Well today we are going to sew. We are going to make something beautiful and useful for the church that reminds us of Jesus and the Last Supper he had with his disciples. 12 P a g e
Have everyone find the Bible passage (Luke 22:7-20). Give the context of the story, that this is right before Jesus goes to the cross. He knows, but his disciples still do not understand. Jesus is using this time to make sure that his disciples remember his sacrifice. (Who were the disciples? Followers and friends of Jesus. Who else are disciples? We are. So Jesus did this so we can remember, too). Read the passage, allow time for questions. Ask if they have heard any of these words before in worship service. (Someone will come up with Communion or Lord s Supper with some prompting). Explain that this is where Communion comes from. Main Content & Reflection Talk about the symbols Jesus is using wine/cup, bread. Why would he have used those instead of something else? (Everyday usage, remember him every day). Have them think of symbols that remind them of Communion/Last Supper. (Cup, bread, grapes, cross, etc.) Explain that they will be making a cloth that will be used especially for Communion (it will be laid on the table), and they will be decorating it with words and symbols that remind us of the Last Supper. Have them move to the work area. Show the already stitched area as an example. Show the chalked words/designs and explain that their stitches will follow the chalked outlines. Allow students to choose yarn, then show them (if needed) how to thread the needle and knot it at the end. Depending on age, you and your helpers may have to give a lot of assistance in this area. Show how to put the needle in and out of the fabric, following the chalk lines. Help them tie the ends off when they get near the end of their yarn or finish their design. Depending on how elaborate your design is and the age and skill of your kids, this may take longer than one week's session to accomplish. Closing In closing, have the children take turns telling about a symbol used on your cloth what it means, what Jesus said about it. Jesus said Remember Me. When do you most think about or remember Jesus? Pray after this that we would all remember Jesus and his sacrifice for us in our daily activities and as we eat our daily bread. ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS Adaptations - Younger Children Preschoolers obviously should only use needles with careful adult supervision! Joann.com has a listing for plastic needles - even preschoolers could use those without harm. However, as an alternative, they could certainly trace/draw onto a piece of burlap, using the same idea of symbols of Communion/Last Supper. 13 P a g e
Adaptations - Older Children Older children could do the same activity as shown here, but with more elaborate designs that they think of themselves. 14 P a g e