Jesus celebrates the Passover Meal
Props needed: bread and cup (we will take communion together as a class)
- Jesus had been preparing for His death since He came into Jerusalem on a donkey.
- Then came the time for the Passover Feast.
- A major annual Jewish celebration
- To remember the time God delivered the Israelites from Egypt
- God told the Israelites to prepare the Passover meal — lamb and unleavened bread — and to spread the blood of the lamb on their door posts so that the angel of death will pass over them.
A. Initiation of the New Covenant
- Jesus told His disciples to go make preparations for the Passover meal.
- As they were eating at the table, Jesus did 2 things:
- Took the BREAD and broke it, giving it to His disciples
- He said: “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
- Took the CUP, gave to His disciples
- Saying: “In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
- Took the BREAD and broke it, giving it to His disciples
- Jesus was foretelling His disciples that He was going to die; and when He died, He was cutting the New Covenant with God.
- Man could not keep the Old Covenant with God, so Jesus had to come to fulfill the Old on our behalf and start the New.
B. What did the bread and cup symbolize?
- BREAD: Jesus’ Body
- The unleavened bread had no yeast, was baked, pierced and striped; Jesus broke it before giving it to the disciples
- On the cross: Jesus’ body would be torn apart for us (broken). It would be whipped (striped) and pierced (by the soldier’s spear).
- CUP: Jesus’ Blood
- Just like the Passover Lamb’s blood was spread over the Israelites’ door posts, keeping them safe from the angel of death, Jesus’ shed blood caused God’s punishment and judgment for our sins to pass over us.
- Exodus 12:13 “When I see the blood, I will pass over you.”
C. What did the bread and cup symbolize?
- What does the bread and cup mean to me?
- BREAD: Jesus’ Body was broken so mine can be healed and whole
- Isaiah 53:5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
- When we eat the bread, we remember what Jesus has done on the cross for us and that His body was broken so that we can be healed.
- Whatever sicknesses we may have, we can see it on Jesus as He hung on the cross for us. And His divine health and healing becoming ours.
- CUP: Jesus’ Blood was shed for my complete forgiveness and righteousness
- Matthew 26:28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
- Under this New Covenant, it’s no longer about what we do or don’t do, but everything about what Jesus has done on the cross for us!
- When we drink the cup, we remember that Jesus’ blood paid the price for our sins so that we can stand before God totally forgiven! We have traded all our sins and unworthiness for His righteousness.
- Every time we eat of the bread and drink of the cup, we proclaim the death of Christ!
- We also proclaim that we are part of God’s covenant people.
- BREAD: Jesus’ Body was broken so mine can be healed and whole
D. Covenant Meal
- Have the kids sit down quietly. Pass out the bread and the cup.
- Hold up the bread. Say, “This bread symbolizes the body of Jesus that was broken for us so that we can enjoy His wholeness and healing. If anyone of you have a sickness, imagine Jesus on the cross with the same sickness … the same headache, or pain or flu. He took it all for you. So that today, you have His divine health.”
- Pray: Thank you Jesus that Your body was broken so mine can be healed and whole. Amen.
- Eat the bread.
- Hold up the cup. Say, “This cup represents the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross for you and me. This blood paid the punishment of our sins. So today we don’t need to be punished anymore. All our sins are forgiven and we can stand righteous before God.
- Pray: Thank you Jesus that Your blood was shed so that I can be completely forgiven and righteous before You.
- Drink the cup.
