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The Last Supper

Games/ Bible Skills Workshop


Summary of Lesson Activities:

Children will review the story by playing several games as they learn about symbols of Passover and Communion.

Scripture References, Memory Verse, Theme and Objectives
Refer to first post in this lesson set.


Preparation and Room Set Up:

  • Review the Background Information, Behavioral Covenant, Teaching Tips and Lesson plan.
  • Preview the Rotation Music CD. Play the music as children arrive and during journaling.
  • Gather the supplies for the Remembering Game.
  • Prepare the Scripture Puzzle
  • Put the puzzle together.
  • Spray paint the puzzle and the puzzle box. Let dry.
  • Write out the memory verse (long version - including the Scripture reference) on the puzzle using paint markers. Add symbols if desired (cup and bread).
  • Paint the box to match the puzzle.
  • Let dry, then put the puzzle pieces in the box.
  • Prepare the Gospel Comparison Chart poster on a poster board or flip chart for Grades 3-5. (See example at the end of the lesson)

Puzzle Supplies:

  • Used young children’s puzzle (50 pieces or less)
  • Spray paint
  • Paint Markers

Supplies for Chart:

  • Poster board or flip chart
  • Markers
  • For Grades 3-5 make a headings only chart similar to the Gospel Comparison chart writing in only the Gospel headings and listing of events. Leave the spaces under each gospel heading blank. (You will be filling these in as you discuss with the children after they have read the gospel accounts.)

Important Note for Games/Bible Skills Workshop Leaders:

The purpose of the Bible Quest workshop is two-fold:  to develop Bible skills and to reinforce that knowledge by having fun with games. The games are not frills and fluff! Playing games helps to cement the knowledge and reinforce the skills you introduce during the Bible lesson.

Children learn best when actively involved, so please do not skimp on the games portion of the lesson! Follow the time guidelines to help you stay on track.  Remember – in the Rotation model, children study ONE lesson or story for 4 weeks, so it is not necessary to cover every detail in each session.

Time Guidelines:

Welcome and Introductions5 minutes
Bible study15 minutes
Remembering Games25 minutes
Reflection/Closing5 minutes


Lesson Plan

Opening:

As children arrive, have them work on the puzzle activity. Shepherds can assist with this and help the children review the memory verse. NOTE: The remembering game was so popular with the younger age group, that the teacher decided to include it for the older kids as well. As they arrived, children played the game. The teacher led discussion about the symbols included in the game.

Welcome the children as they arrive. Please wear a name tag and help the shepherds distribute name tags to the children. Begin each class with introductions. Tell the children that today you will be learning about Jesus’ last meal with his disciples before he was sent to die on the cross.

Ask:  What did the words on the puzzle say?  (Do this in remembrance of me)  Remembering is a very important part of our story today.

Opening Prayer:
Please begin each session with prayer. Amazing and Loving God, Thank you for all you have done for us, but most of all for loving us enough to send Jesus. Open our hearts and minds this morning as we learn and play together. Help us always remember how much you love us! Amen.ve ample time for the activity.

Study the Story

Introduce the Story

Jesus spent three years with his best friends, his disciples. He taught them about God’s love and Kingdom, walked with them, ate with them and showed them great miracles. Many people followed Jesus because of the amazing things he did and said and because he showed them God’s love. But others did not love Jesus. Many of the religious leaders were angry with Jesus. They thought he was a false teacher. They were more interested in their religious rules than truly loving and caring for others as Jesus did. And so they planned a way to have Jesus killed.

Jesus knew he didn’t have much longer to live. He and his disciples were in Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. If you knew you were going to die soon, what would you do? With whom would you spend your last days? Jesus chose to spend his last night with his disciples, his best friends.

Bible Study: Grades K-2:
The Picture Bible

Where would we find a story about Jesus and his disciples in the Bible?  (New Testament)

Help the children locate the story “Secretly in an Upper Room” and “The Lord’s Supper” page 641-645.

Read the story with the children as they follow along in their Bibles.       

Bible Study:  Grades 3-5:

NIV Adventure Bible

Where would we find stories about Jesus in the Bible? (New Testament, Gospels) The first four books of the New Testament are called the gospels. What does “gospel” mean?  (good news – these books tell us the good news about Jesus).

Our story this month is found in all four gospels. The first three gospels are: (Matthew, Mark, Luke). These gospels have a special name – synoptic gospels. This means they are “seen alongside.” Each writer described what he saw and remembered. Because different people see things in their own unique way, reading each gospel might differ slightly – having different details. Reading these different details can help us see more completely. We’re going to read the passages today and see if we can find different details. So you will need to read carefully!

Directions for reading: Divide the children into three groups and assign each group one of the gospel passages:

  • Matthew 26:17-30
  • Mark 14:12-25
  • Luke 22:7-20

Help the children locate their assigned passages. TIP: Find the NEW TESTAMENT quickly! (Thank you Carol Hulbert, First UMC, Ann Arbor MI) Find Psalms in the Bible (Psalms is located about in the middle of the Bible). Now take the pages on the right hand side of the Bible and divide about in half; you should come to the Gospels – the first books of the NT (probably Matthew, the first book of the NT).

Have children read the assigned passages silently.

Direct children’s attention to the flip chart/poster prepared earlier.

Read the first event listed on the chart and have each group answer according to the gospel they read. Note the similarities and differences and fill in the chart (use the sample at the end of the lesson as a guide) Repeat for the other events.

Were all the accounts exactly the same? (no)

Did we learn more by reading all three accounts? (yes, we got different details from each gospel)

Sometimes we may wonder why we need four gospels to tell the stories of Jesus. We can see that reading the gospels from different writers can show us new things, give us new insights and help us understand better.

Discussion:

What was the Passover (the special annual celebration of Jewish people to remember God’s mighty acts of saving them from slavery in Egypt. The foods that were served reminded the people of their experiences.) If time allows, use the book Journey to the Cross to help explain and review in kid-friendly terms)

  • Why was the sacrifice of a lamb so important? (payment for their sins and a symbol that they were serious about their repentance. It was their way of renewing their covenant with God and repairing any damage to their relationship with God)
  • How is Jesus referred in the Bible that tells us that He is the ultimate sacrifice for us? (the lamb of God)
  • What is the symbol of the body and blood of Jesus today? (bread and wine)
  • Why do you think it is important for us to celebrate the sacrifice?
  • What do we call the celebration of this sacrifice in church today? (communion)
  • What are some other symbols of Jesus and the church today? (fish, Bible, Sun, Ship, Bell, shell)
  • Why were the disciples and Jesus in Jerusalem?  (to celebrate the Passover)
  • Think back to our study of the plagues on Egypt. How was the blood of a lamb important?   (Painted across the doorways so the angel of death would pass over that house and not bring death to the oldest son. The blood of the lamb was used to save the children of Israel.)

When Jesus took the cup of wine and said, “This is my blood, shed for you”, he was telling us that his blood from his death would save us, just like the Passover lamb’s blood saved the Hebrew people long ago.  John the Baptist called Jesus the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”  Jesus was the ultimate Passover Lamb!

When you take Communion at church, what is the meaning of the bread and wine?  (Jesus gave his life for each of us.  The bread is a symbol of Jesus’ body. The juice is a symbol of Jesus’ blood. Blood is an important symbol for life in the Bible.  In Old Testament times, the priests sacrificed animals and sprinkled the blood on the altar as they prayed to God for forgiveness.  When Jesus died he was the perfect sacrifice – no other animals need to be killed to ask for forgiveness.  Jesus took care of that once and for all!  When we accept Jesus as our Savior and ask for forgiveness, God forgives our sins.)

The rest of the story… What happened after Jesus’ celebrated this meal with his disciples? (he prayed in the Garden, was arrested, tried, crucified, buried and ROSE ON THE THIRD DAY!)

Memory Verse
Each rotation we encourage the children to memorize the Rotation Memory Verse. Help the children locate the memory verse in their Bibles.

“This is my body given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”  Luke 22:19

Jesus told his disciples to remember him whenever they eat bread and drink the wine (juice). Each time we take Communion in church we can feel especially close to Jesus. We remember Jesus and how he lived and how he willingly died so our sins could be forgiven and we could be friends with God forever.

The Remember Game:

Guessing which items have been removed from the Seder Plate.

Supplies:

  • Pictures or actual examples of symbols of Last Supper grapes, bread (or Matzo), cup, lamb, cross, bitter herbs, feather, silver coin, praying hands, blood on doorframe, Memory verse written out, picture of the Last Supper (old teaching picture or download from internet), heart, stone, palm leaf.
  • Tray
  • Cloth to cover the items on the tray

Before children arrive, place the items out on the tray and cover with the cloth.

Directions:

  1. What did Jesus say to his disciples during their last meal? (remember me)
  2. What helps you remember things well?
  3. Jesus knew we remember things better when we experience them or see them, rather than just being told.  We’re going to play a game that will help us remember the story and learn some of the symbols of Communion.
  4. If you have a large group, divide the children into two teams and take turns.
  5. Remove the cloth from the tray and have the children look closely at the items for 10 seconds.
  6. Then cover the tray again. With your back to the children, remove one item from the tray without allowing them to see it.
  7. Uncover the tray again and ask which item is missing? Can they remember what they saw?
  8. Repeat until all the items are removed. Or place the missing item back on the tray and remove a different item.
  9. Once all the items have been removed, replace them on the tray one by one. Ask the children to explain their meaning in the story.
  • Cross – Jesus died on the cross so that our sins could be forgiven and we could be friends with God forever
  • Grapes – symbol of the wine during the passover meal
  • Bread (Matzoh – show the symbolism in the Matzoh, see background information) – Jesus broke the bread, symbol of Jesus’ body
  • Cup – the cups used during the Passover meal, the cup Jesus used saying this is my blood
  • Lamb – the spotless perfect lamb sacrificed at the first Passover, Jesus is the Lamb of God
  • Bitter Herbs – the bitter herbs that reminded the Jews of their harsh life in slavery
  • Feather – a reminder of Peter’s denial of Jesus
  • Silver coin – a reminder of Judas’ betrayal of Jesus
  • Praying hands – Jesus prayed during the meal and after the meal in the garden
  • Blood on doorframe – the final plague in Egypt, death of firstborn.  Those with the blood of the lamb on their doorframes were protected
  • Memory verse card – Do this in remembrance of me.
  • Picture of the Last Supper – the story
  • Heart – Jesus’ great love for us
  • Stone – to seal the tomb
  • Palm leaf – Palm Sunday
  • Small Bible – where we find the stories of God!     

Reflection:

The last ten minutes should be reserved for journal time. This is an opportunity for processing and reflection about what the children have learned.

Journal Questions (Optional):

Grades K-2:  Draw a picture of Jesus eating the last supper with his disciples.

Grades 3-5:  What is one thing you learned about God from today’s story?

Closing Prayer:
Encourage the children to come back next week for another workshop, and to invite their friends.   Remind the children of one word or concept from today’s session. Communion, remember, God’s love, sacrifice, Jesus, Passover Lamb are some possibilities. Ask for prayer requests and pray together, ending with the Lord’s Prayer.


Gospel Comparison Chart (for 3-5 Graders Bible Study)

Event

Matthew 26:17-30

Mark 14:12-25

Luke 22:7-27

Title in Bible

The Lord’s Supper

The Lord’s Supper

The Last Supper

What were they getting ready to  celebrate?

1st day of Feast of Unleavened Bread



1st day of Feast of Unleavened Bread when Passover lamb was to be sacrificed

Day of Unleavened Bread when the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed

What were Jesus’ instructions about celebrating the Passover?

Go into the city to a certain man

Tell him Teacher says appointed time is near

Will celebrate Passover at his house.

Go into the city,

find a man carrying a jar of water – follow him and he will show you an upper room that is prepared for the Passover

Same as Mark

What did they do?

Ate together lying down (reclining)

Same

Same

What did Jesus say about the one who would betray him?

The one who dips – said it was Judas

One of the 12,

the one who dips

His hand is with Jesus’ hand on the table

What did Jesus say and do differently at this Passover meal?

Took bread, blessed, broke it – this is my body; took wine, gave thanks and they drank – this is my blood of the covenant

Same as Matthew

“I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer”

took bread and wine, said “do this in remembrance of me.”

After eating they…

Sang a hymn, went to the mount of Olives

Sang a hymn, went to the mount of Olives

argued about who was greatest

The rest of the story…










A lesson written by Jaymie Derden from: State Street UMC, Bristol, VA

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Last edited by Neil MacQueen
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