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(WT) Last Supper ~ Lord's Supper -- A Passover Seder (Drama) Workshop

Rotation.org Writing Team

Last Supper ~ Lord's Supper

A Passover Seder Workshop 

Summary of Activities

Students will prepare and participate in a shortened version of a Passover Seder —a ritual meal similar to the one Jesus and his disciples celebrated at the Last Supper. They will "taste and see" Jesus' words at the Last Supper, and make the connection to our present day celebration of  Communion (a.k.a. Lord's Supper, Eucharist), and hope in Christ. 

A student-friendly Passover Seder Liturgy is attached to this lesson as a Word doc that you can modify if needed. The meal may be celebrated by one class, or several combined, and may include family members and interested adults.

What is a Seder?

"Seder" is an old Yiddish (Jewish) word meaning "arrangement" or "order." It describes the ordered or scripted meal which Jews annually observe to celebrate God's saving grace in the Exodus, their freedom, and hope for a Messiah. Our "Sunday School Passover Seder" script is adapted from the traditional Seder liturgy. At its core, the Seder meal is a REMINDER of the past and a PROMISE for the future. The reminder is that God has saved us in the past, and will do so again through his Messiah. The bread and cup are central elements in the Seder, and were given additional meaning by Jesus at the Last Supper –the meal which Christian's celebrate as The Lord's Supper. These connections are made in the Seder script.

Scripture for the Lesson

Matthew 26:17-30

In place of a standard scripture reading, students will recite Seder blessings in Hebrew, and re-enact part of the Last Supper according to scripture.

Preparation and Materials

  • Read the Bible Background and scriptures.
  • Print the Seder handout. It contains setup instructions and the liturgy.
  • Print the Seder Child Script Cards handout.
  • table(s) and cushions
  • background fabric (optional)
  • candles and lighter (option: battery operated)
  • assorted costumes and/or headgear
  • Paper plates
  • Markers
  • Plastic cups
  • Church’s communion cup and communion plate
  • Baskets (for bread)
  • Several bowls of water and hand towels

Food items:

  • Eggs , boil brown eggs ahead of time
  • Lettuce
  • Bowls of salt water
  • “Afikomen” –a piece of matzah big enough for everyone to share that has some honey or sugary glaze on it and a napkin ("to wrap it in)
  • Charoset  “ha-ro-set”, applesauce mixed with graham crackers and cinnamon
  • Chazeret “haz-a-ret” and/or “Maror” –could use celery
  • “Zeroa” — traditionally lamb bones, substitute dried chicken drumstick bones
  • Bowls of salt water and horseradish
  • Lamb, but “lunch meat” roast beef can be substituted
  • Grapes
  • Pita bread or matzah crackers (or both)
  • Grape Juice in several pitchers


Time and Preparation Considerations

A traditional Seder might last upwards of 3 hours and include a full meal with extensive scripture readings. This lesson condenses many things, and leaves out others in order to fit into a typical 40-45 minute Sunday School class time.  If you have more than 45 minutes, you can extend the food preparation and time spent eating. 

Setting the Table and Atmosphere
Reclining at table was the traditional way to share the Passover meal in Jesus' day, and the kids will enjoy it. Recreate the Last Supper atmosphere by placing church tables in the shape of a U with their legs folded up so that the tables are on the ground. Place cushions around the table (if you put the tables near walls, students can recline against the cushions rather than sit on them). Set the table with candles (light them if your church permits it, or use battery operated candles, and turn off the overhead lights for dramatic effect). Candlelight also has the effect of calming and focusing student attention.  Consider hanging some cloth as a backdrop and across windows to increase ambiance. See the script for additional suggestions, the foods that are needed, and the order of the Seder.

paperplate

According to our Seder script, students will first create their own Seder Plate and bring it to the table. If you are short on time, a pre-printed paper-Seder plate can be found on Amazon (seen above), or the making of individual plates can be skipped.

Invite Special Guests
Seder is a celebration for family and friends of all ages. Invite older members and your pastor to join you at the table. Provide them with a script and a special role or story to share. Their presence will also facilitate student behavior.  Other roles are spelled out in the Seder handout.



Lesson Plan

Follow the Seder Handout



Notes

There are numerous online resources detailing traditional Seder foods, and serving up traditional "liturgies" (readings) for the Seder. Many of these resources, however, are not kid-friendly, and need to be adapted.  Please keep in mind, that Jesus took the meal and its rituals and made them his own. We cannot celebrate a Seder as if Jesus never spoke at his Last Supper. Seder liturgies vary across time and cultures. Some are quite long. Ours is designed for clarity and use by children in under 45 minutes.

Having clean feet to recline at the table was a practical and theological importance, and explains why Jesus washed Peter's feet.  Jesus accepts us and we should offer the same to others. In our Seder, we use the traditional Seder "hand washing" ritual to save time.

In the early church, the Last Supper quickly evolved into a fellowship meal of deep significance we know as the Lord's Supper. It became a family meal with Christ at the head of our table –a communion between fellow believers, and with the Spirit of Christ, binding one to another in common purpose and support. You will want to emphasize sharing and serving each other at the table to reinforce these key points.



View and/or print the attached Passover Seder handout. It is in Word doc format so you can modify it. Please remember to keep the following credit in your final copy. 


Written by the Rotation.org Writing Team
Copyright 2017, Rotation.org Inc.
The Seder handout is based on a Seder script posted by Neil MacQueen,
with additional material from members Barb Shackleford and Linda Aranda.

Attachments

Last edited by Neil MacQueen
Original Post
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