Passover/Last Supper

Bible Games Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Play "Password" to review the Bible story and information about the old and new covenants. See word list below.

Scripture Reference:

Luke 22:14-20

Key Bible Verse:

"This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in memory of me." and "This cup is God's new covenant sealed with my blood."

Leader Preparations:

• Read the scripture ahead of time
• Familiarize yourself with the game
• Gather the Materials

Materials List:

• Password Game

Presentation

Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction:

Greet the children and introduce yourself.

Open with prayer.

Dig- Main content and reflection:

Read the story of the Lord's Supper and the information/explanation of the new covenant from the attached story sheets.

(Story sheets were not included in the original post. We assume they meant a print-out of the story which contained the words found in the Password Word List below. Your 'password' game list of words would need to be drawn from your version/translation of the story.)

You may want to point out--especially to the younger kids--that the highlighted words and phrases are important for the game you will play later. Spend enough time on the story for the kids to be able to play the game without looking at their story sheets.

Briefly review the story to make sure the kids understand it.

Password Game:

(If you're unfamiliar with the game "password" look it up online. It's a clue/guessing game in which players must use synonyms (clues) to get their teammate(s) to guess the correct word.)

Divide into 2 teams, if there are enough children. Have the children sit down in one row, though still divided into teams.

One child from each team will give the rest of his/her team clues; the clue-giver should sit opposite his/her team, facing them.

Give the same word to the clue givers on both teams (see attached word list). Team A's clue giver begins by giving his/her team ONE word that should help them figure out the word you have given the clue givers. If Team A guesses correctly, give them one point and switch clue givers for both teams. Proceed with the next word. If Team A guesses incorrectly, Team B's clue giver offers ONE word as a clue to his/her team. If Team B guesses correctly, they receive one point, the clue givers are switched, and so on. If Team B guesses incorrectly, Team A gets another turn, with turns switching back and forth until someone gets the answer right.

Remember that you will need to adjust the words that you give the clue givers, based on the ages of the children.

Feel free to prompt, hint, and encourage as needed. If children clearly don't remember the details, give them a chance to re-read the stories and then continue the game.

About three minutes before the end of class time, end the game and come back together for a brief review of the lesson.

Suggested Word List:
(All words are highlighted on the story and information sheets)
table
apostles/disciples
Passover
meal
Kingdom of God
cup
wine
share
bread
broke
body
memory
covenant
blood
drink
suffer
evening
God
saved
Israelites
slavery
Egypt
sacrifice
lamb
door post
Jesus Christ
church
day
sin
death
pain
Christians
eat
celebration
thanks
forgiveness
love
communion
community

Closing:

Close with a prayer.

 A lesson written by Irvington Presbyterian Church
Indianapolis, IN 

A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability.

Last Supper

Game Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Bible Bowling quiz.

Scripture Reference:

Luke 22:7-20

Memory Verse:

Luke 22:19

Editor's Note:
The questions here could be used in any type of quiz game.
The Commmunion FAQ's are very interesting, and themselves could be questions (or a quiz) that the kids have to answer.

Leader Preparation:

• Read the scripture ahead of time.
• Gather the materials

Materials List:

• 10 plastic bowling pins
• Plastic bowling Ball
• Chalkboard/chalk (or paper/pen)
• Bibles (as reference)
• Masking tape (to mark where the pins go)

Presentation

Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction:

Greet the children and introduce yourself.

Open with a prayer.

Dig- Main Content and Reflection:

Bible Bowling Quiz

Rules:

• Divide into teams (? 2 teams) 
• Each team answers a question. If they get it right (from memory), one person from that team gets two chances to knock down the pins. If they get it right with help of a reference (bible), they get one chance to knock down the pins. If they get it wrong, no chances. If it is a “strike” and they have two chances to knock down the pins, set up all 10 pins again for their second chance.
• If they knock down 9 or less, the second attempt is with the remaining pin.
• Alternate teams for the trivia
• Let each person have a chance to bowl (alternate teams).

Scoring:

• 10 points for each correct answer without a reference (from memory).
• 5 points for correct answers with a reference.
• One point for every bowling pin knocked down.
  
  Have fun!

The Last Supper Trivia (Game) Questions
(Luke 22: 7 –20)

1. The bible story we read today was from what book in the bible? (Luke)

2. Is this book in the first half or last half of the bible? (Last)

3. Is the book of Luke in the Old or New Testament? (New)

4. Jesus and the disciples were getting ready to celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. What’s another name for this celebration? (The Passover) –Luke 22: 7
a. Birthday party
b. The Passover
c. Baptism

5. What is unleavened bread? (Bread made with out yeast)
a. Bread made without yeast
b. Yeast bread that has been flattened
c. Bread made to dip into soup

6. Jesus sent two disciples into the city to prepare the Passover meal to eat. Name one of those disciples. (Either Peter or John – don’t give away the second answer) – Luke 22: 8
a. Bartholomew
b. Andrew
c. Peter

7. Name the second disciple who went to prepare the meal. (Either Peter or John)
a. James
b. John
c. Judas

8. How did Peter and John know where to go? (Jesus gave them instructions – They were to find a man carrying a jar of water and follow him to a house) – Luke 22: 10
a. Jesus gave them instructions
b. They walked until they saw someone that looked friendly and asked to use his house.
c. They prayed

9. The owner of the house showed Peter and John a room where they could have the Passover meal. Where was this room located? (Upstairs) – Luke 22: 11-12
a. Basement
b. Living Room
c. Upstairs

10. At the first Lord’s Supper, who sat at the table with Jesus? (The disciples, the apostles, or name each one – Simon Peter, Simon, Thomas, Thaddeus, James, John, James Judas, Matthew, Andrew, Phillip, Bartholomew – They may use a “helper” to get the names – 2 S’s – 2 T’s - 4 J’s – and Map B) – Luke 22:14
a. Saul
b. David
c. The disciples or apostles

11. When did Jesus say He would eat His next Passover meal? (When the Kingdom of God comes) – Luke 22:16
a. When the Kingdom of God comes
b. When He got hungry
c. Tomorrow

12. Why was the Last Supper eaten in secret? (Because the religious leaders were trying to arrest and kill Jesus) Luke 22: 2

13. During the Passover meal, Jesus took a piece of bread, gave thanks to God, broke it and said, - what? (This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.) – Luke 22: 19 (This is the memory verse)
a. A table grace prayer
b. Eat up
c. This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.

14. After supper, he gave the cup of wine to his disciples and said, “This cup is God’s new covenant sealed with my _____, which is poured out for you.” What was it sealed with? (Jesus’ blood) – Luke 22:20
a. Glue
b. Wax
c. Blood

15. When Jesus said God’s new covenant was sealed with His own blood, what did He mean? (Jesus, himself, would die to save our sins)
a. He cut his finger to show us He cared
b. Jesus would die to save our sins
c. Jesus gave blood at the hospital for a sick person

16. What is a covenant? (A promise – a binding agreement)
a. A blanket
b. A promise – a binding agreement
c. A game

17. (Hard) What is the new covenant that Jesus talks about? (The new covenant replaces the old covenant. The old covenant was with Israel through Moses. It dates back to when God freed the Israelites from Egyptian slavery – which is why the Jews celebrate Passover – the same celebration that Jesus was having with His disciples at the Last Supper. Jeremiah predicted the new covenant in the Old Testament. -(Jeremiah 31:31-34)- It said God would write His law on our hearts, to be our God and we His people, forgive us and remember our sins no more) – Simplified - The Last Supper signified the replacement of the old covenant (set free from slavery) with the new covenant (set free from sin), which was sealed solely by the blood of Jesus.

18. (Hard) How did God bring us the new covenant? (Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ – The promise of eternal life – The promise of eternal freedom from our sins)

19. What did Jesus serve at the Last Supper? (Wine and unleavened bread)
a. Roast
b. Apples
c. Wine
d. Unleavened bread (without yeast)

20. What did the bread signify according to Jesus? (His body)
a. Food
b. Heaven
c. Jesus’ body

21. What does the wine symbolize? (His blood)
a. Fruit
b. His blood
c. Jesus was thirsty

22. Why do we share the Lord’s Supper now? (To remember Jesus – To remember that Jesus died so we can go to heaven –to remind us that Jesus died on the cross for our sins)
a. To remember Jesus
b. To remember that Jesus died so we can go to heaven
c. Because we’re hungry
d. To remind us that Jesus died on the cross for our sins

23. What do we call the Lord’s Supper today? (Communion)
a. Food
b. Passover
c. Communion

24. Repeat the memory verse now. (And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.

25. What is the text for our memory verse? (Luke 22: 19)

The Last Supper – Temple
“Communion Questions”

Read the bible story.

• Tell the kids to get their thinking caps on. We have a guest coming to class this morning. He wants to see if you can think of a question that will stump him about communion. 
• Invite a deacon, pastor, or respected member of the congregation to the class. (If you can’t find someone, that’s ok – you can answer the questions just fine. But it’s nice to give the kids someone else to look up to in their faith.)
• Have the kids ask the deacon/pastor questions about communion. 
• You can set an “altar” up in your classroom. Piano bench covered with a black or white tablecloth. Place the communion dishes on this. (Or you may want to take the kids up to the front of the church to see the altar and altar rail. This may stimulate more questions.)
• Talk about different types of bread (loaves of bread, pieces of bread, wafers) and different kinds of cups (small vs. chalice) – have examples of each, if possible.
• Look at the different kinds/types of communion glasses, common cups, trays & plates. Talk about taking communion by glass and wafer vs. by common cup/intinction.

These questions are meant to stimulate your thoughts and prepare for class. They are just a sample of what the kids might come up with during class. They are not meant to be memorized.

1. Where do you get the grape juice and bread for communion?
a. A member of the church buys the bread/wafer and wine/juice at a grocery store. Some churches have a member bake the bread for them. During the communion service, we pray that God will use these regular foods in a special way to grow closer to God.

2. How do you get the wine/juice in those little cups?
a. We fill a special big cup with the wine/juice to make it easier to pour it into the small glasses.

3. Where did the communion plates and trays come from?
a. Sometimes the church buys their communion plates and trays, but other times people give them as a gift to the church (as a memorial).

4. Why are the communion plates and trays so fancy?
a. Do you ever use special or fancy dishes at your house on holidays or birthdays? That is a way families make those times of celebration more special. We are doing that in the church, too. When we use pretty or fancy communion plates and trays it shows the congregation that this is a special service.

5. Who are the people up front that serve the communion?
a. The leaders of our church are called the deacons. They have been elected by the congregation to make decisions for our church. Only the deacons and the pastor may serve communion.

6. What does the name communion mean?
a. It means, “to share”. When we have communion we are sharing with God and with other members of the church.

7. I heard someone use the word “sacrament” when they talked about communion. What’s that?
a. The word “sacrament” is related to the word “sacred” which means “holy” or “set aside for the worship of God”. When we celebrate communion, we are setting aside the bread and wine/juice as a special way to worship God.

8. Why do we take communion anyway?
a. To remember Jesus and what He did for us. (Died for us).

9. Why did Jesus serve The Last Supper?
a. To remind His follower that He gave His body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins.
b. As a remembrance of The Passover meal. The Passover was a special meal when the Jews gave thanks for the time - hundreds of years earlier - when their ancestors - the Israelites - escaped from slavery in Egypt (Moses’ time). This was about the last plague in Israel. God “passed over” the homes of the people that had blood on their doors – and the first-born son was not killed.

10. Why is everyone so quiet during communion?
a. Being quiet is a way to show respect for something or someone. We are respectful toward God and the other people in church when we are quiet. It gives us time to pray and think about God.

11. We always go up front to take communion. I visited a church once, and they passed the bread and wine/juice to us while we were seated.
a. There are many ways of sharing the bread and wine/juice. The tradition in our church is to walk up front to the altar and kneel while we take communion. In some churches, they pass the trays along the pews. In others, they walk up front and dip the bread into the wine/juice cup to take communion. This is called intinction. The way we receive the bread and wine/juice is not as important as remembering Jesus.

12. What happens to the little cups after communion?
a. They are plastic and we throw them away. We used to use glass cups. They had to be washed.

13. Who can take communion?
a. It’s different in different churches. Some can be young children. Others have to wait until they are confirmed, but they all have to take some instruction before they take communion. In our church kids as young as 5 take communion.

14. I went to another church one time and they said I couldn’t take communion there. Why not?
a. Some churches have a rule that you must be a member of that particular church to take communion with them. If you are visiting a different church when they are having communion, ask your host, your parents, or the usher if you can share communion there, too. At our church, anyone is welcome to take communion as long as they believe in Christ and have received instructions on communion at their home church.

15. When they pass out the bread, they say, “The body of Christ broken for you”. What does that mean?
a. By saying this we remember that Jesus died on the cross for us – that his body was broken for us. These are also the words that Jesus said to the disciples when he shared bread with them.

16. Why do we call it “bread” when it is a little wafer?
a. This is bread that does not have any yeast in it. This might have been like the kind of bread that Jesus used. When the bread does not have any yeast – it is hard and crunchy, like crackers.

17. How about the wine/juice. Why do they say, “The blood of Christ shed for you”, when we pass the wine/juice.
a. Again this helps us remember that Christ died for us – that his blood was shed for us. This is also similar to what Jesus said to the disciples.

18. Who decides when we will have communion?
a. The pastor, the deacons, and the church council get together and make that decision. Right now we have communion on the first Sunday of every month.

19. Why do we put the bread and wine/juice on the altar?
a. To remind us that Christ is the ultimate sacrifice and was placed on the altar for us.

20. Why do we have both wine and juice to choose from?
a. Wine was very common at the time of Jesus because it was a way to preserve the juice. They didn’t have refrigerators as we do. We offer both so there is a choice. Some people prefer wine – because that’s what Jesus drank. Others prefer juice. (Alcoholics, children, etc) We feel it’s more important to take communion, than what liquid you drink.

21. I think it would be neat to have communion at home. Could we borrow the cups and plates to do that?
a. No. Not just anyone is allowed to offer communion. Communion needs to be led by a pastor. They have been given special training and authority to offer this sacrament to us. The pastor could come to your house. In fact, he does offer communion to the shut-ins – the people that can’t get out to church very easily.

22. How has communion changed over the years?
a. In many churches, communion has become more open. It used to be that many churches would refuse to let anyone other than their own members take communion. Now many churches offer communion to whoever comes to worship. It also is more open to younger children than ever before. This is all good, because communion is a gift of Grace from God. And as many people as possible should celebrate God’s love.

Closing:

Close with a prayer.

A lesson written by Rachel Haugland from: Elim Lutheran Church

Based in part on a lessson/quiz posted by Kirk of Kildaire Church

A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability.

The Last Supper

Game Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Grades 1-2: Buzz in to answer questions. Grades 3-5: Buzz in if they know the story word/phrase from the one or two word clue given.

Scripture Reference:

Luke 22: 7-23 and Mark 14: 12-26

Key Verse:

"Do this in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:19

Concepts:

• Communion is giving thanks to God, remembering Jesus, and letting God's spirit make us strong.
• The Last Supper was a Passover meal in Jerusalem before the crucifixion.
• The bread and wine are special symbols and we treat them with respect.

Lesson Objectives:

• Learn where to find the story of the Last Supper in the Bible.
• Learn the historical facts of the Last Supper as recorded in Luke.
• Relate the biblical account to how we celebrate Communion today.

Leader Preparation:

• Read the scripture ahead of time
• Gather the materials

Materials List:

• Buzzer Box
• Questions
• Whiteboard
• Extra Bibles
• Timer
• Dry-erase marker
• Stickers or other mementos for journals (optional)
• Skittles (optional

Presentation

Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction:

• As the children come in the door, count them off by color -- Red, Orange, Green and Purple -- and have them go to the area of the room that is designated with their color.
• Introduce yourself and make sure that everyone is wearing a name tag. Open with a brief prayer.

Dig- Main content and reflection:

Scripture/Bible Story:
Review the story, using this summary as a guide. Tell them they’ll need to remember the details in order to play a game afterwards. Unless this is the first Sunday of the rotation, let the children help you tell the story. This will give you an idea of how much they already know.

Jesus and his disciples were in Jerusalem during the time that the Jews celebrated the Passover. The Passover was a special meal when the Jews gave thanks for the time hundreds of years earlier when their ancestors, the Israelites, escaped from slavery in Egypt.

Jesus sent Peter and John to make preparations for the group to eat the Passover.

Jesus told them, "As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters. Say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher wants to know, where is your guest room, where he can eat the Passover with his disciples?' “The owner of the house will show you a large upstairs room, all furnished. Make preparations there." (Have you heard of “the Upper Room”? That’s the room where the Last Supper happened.)

Peter and John left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they got the Passover meal ready.

On the evening of the Passover, Jesus and his disciples gathered at the table and Jesus said to them, "I have really been wanting to eat this Passover meal with you, because soon it will be time for me to suffer, and this is the last Passover I will eat until the Kingdom of God comes."

Then he took a cup of wine, gave a prayer of thanks for it, and told the disciples, “Share this among yourselves, because I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God comes."

Then Jesus took a loaf of bread, gave thanks, and broke it into pieces, gave it to the disciples and said, "This is my body given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."

Then after the supper he took the cup of wine and said, "This wine is a symbol of my blood, which is poured out for you. It represents the new covenant.” (Remind them that they learned from the Noah story that a covenant is a promise. The new promise is that God will forgive our sins.)

Application:

1. The children are already divided into four teams, named for the four colors on the buzzer box – Red, Orange, Green, Purple. Have either four (one from each team) or eight players (two from each team) gather around a table with the buzzer box in the middle (One of the round tables from the main room is good for this). Each player holds a buzzer (the buzzer wires are color-coded; players on the same team hold the same color wire).

2. Grades 1-2: Explain that you will call out a question and players who think they know the answer should press their buzzer. The first to buzz gets to give the answer.

Grades 3-5: Explain that you will call out a clue to remind them of a word or phrase in the story (or related to the story). Most of the clues are one or two words – not definitions but just reminders of a word or phrase from the story. Players who think they know the word should press their buzzer. The first to buzz gets to give the answer.

After several questions, switch to the next group of players. Make sure everybody gets to play.

3. Scoring: Ask the shepherd to keep score on the white board. Award 5 points for a correct answer. No points for a wrong answer; let anyone who knows the correct answer tell it. (You can use a different scoring system if you prefer, but keep it simple.)

4. Tips: Try not to let one knowledgeable or fast-fingered child dominate the game. Rotating the players usually takes care of the problem, but you might run into a team that doesn’t want to rotate, wanting the sharpest member to play the whole time. In this case you might announce that anybody who answers three questions in a row will be retired as permanent champion to give everybody else a chance to compete. (You might as well make this announcement in the beginning when you have fifth-graders). Also, don’t let non-playing team members help the players; this in effect lets the fast kid answer by proxy.

Be sure they know the answer before buzzing. If they are buzzing and then taking too long to think of the answer, use the timer and give 5 seconds to answer after buzzing (this has not been a problem in the past).

You might have to adjust the game as you go along. If it turns out that eight players make the game chaotic, try letting just four play at a time. With the older kids, be ready to switch to the straight questions if the clue format isn’t working.

Note: When the buzzer system was used for the first time, first-graders had difficulty with the mechanics of operating it. If you’d rather not tackle using buzzers with first-graders, you can just divide them into two teams and alternate asking questions of each team. Let children take turns answering.

At the end of the lesson plan you’ll find a list of words and potential clues, and a list of questions. If you have the younger kids early in the rotation, you might ask the questions in the order given to reinforce the sequence of events. If it’s later in the rotation, they might know the story well enough to mix the questions up.

Wrap-up:
1. Recite the Bible memory verse. "Do this in remembrance of me.”

2. Discuss: Jesus said “do this in remembrance of me.” How do we do that today? (Communion service). What things do we have in the Communion service that were also in the Last Supper? (bread, “wine,” cup, table). What do we do to the bread? (The minister breaks it and the people share it). What does the bread represent? (Jesus’ body. Remind them that at the Kirk as we pass the bread, we say, “The body of Christ, broken for you.What does the wine represent? (Jesus’ blood. As we pass the grape juice, we say, “The blood of Christ, shed for you.Why do we have symbols for Jesus’ body and blood? (To remember that Jesus died for us.) The bread and wine are special symbols and we treat them with respect. (That means not treating them just like any old snack, and not running into the kitchen after the service and gobbling the leftovers.)

What was the first thing Jesus did when he picked up the bread? (Gave thanks to God.) In our Communion service, we also thank God, not just for the bread but for all God’s love and care. We also ask for God's spirit to be with us and make us strong. Communion is giving thanks to God, remembering Jesus, and letting God's spirit make us strong.

Different churches have different rules for who can take the bread and wine in Communion. Who can take the bread and wine in our Communion service? (In the Presbyterian Church, anyone who has been baptized is welcome to take communion.) What if you were baptized in another church? (You can still take Communion in the Presbyterian Church.) What if you visit another church? (Find out from your parents or members of that church what their rules are.) What if your parents say you’re too young to take communion? (That’s OK too. In some families, the children wait until they’ve finished confirmation class when they’re in eighth grade.

We have a special word for Communion and Baptism. Do you know what it is? (sacraments). The word sacrament is related to the word “sacred,” which means holy and set-apart. A sacrament is a special ceremony. It reminds us that God is with us, and we celebrate it because Jesus told us to. Communion is a sacrament because Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.” (The other sacrament is baptism; Jesus said to go and make disciples of people all over the world and baptize them.)

Reflection Time:
Have the shepherds pass out the journals. Optional: Give the children a sticker appropriate to the story, or some other memento to put in their journals. Grades 3-5: Ask the children to think about remembering Jesus and to write down five or more things they remember about Jesus. Grades 1-2: Ask the children to write or draw a picture of something they remember about Jesus.

Closing:
Prayer – Suggestion: Use a litany. (Explain what a litany is. Where have they heard a litany before? worship). Tell the children that you will say something that we want to thank God for, and when you pause, they are to say, “Thank you, God.” The shepherds can help them come in at the appropriate time.

For all of your love and care for us...
Thank you, God.

For the Communion service, which gives us a special way to remember Jesus...
Thank you, God.

For the new covenant, the promise that you will forgive our sins...
Thank you, God.

For your spirit, which guides us and helps us.
Thank you, God.
Amen.

Words for game (possible clues in parentheses)

TABLE (furniture )
DISCIPLES (followers, apostles)
PASSOVER (thanksgiving meal)
ISRAELITES (ancestors)
JERUSALEM (city)
KINGDOM of GOD (time of Jesus’ next Passover meal)
CUP (what held the wine)
WINE (what was in cup)
SHARE (divide)
BREAD (food)
BROKE (What Jesus did to bread)
BODY (what bread symbolizes)
REMEMBRANCE (memory)
COVENANT (promise)
BLOOD (Wine is a symbol of...)
DRINK (done to wine)
SUFFER (what Jesus expected to do soon)
EVENING (time of day)
SLAVERY (what Israelites escaped )
EGYPT (place Israelites escaped )
JESUS (whom we remember)
EAT (done to bread)
CELEBRATION (happy ceremony)
THANKS (prayer)
COMMUNION (Lord’s Supper today)
PETER AND JOHN (meal preparers)
UPSTAIRS (where room was)
SUFFER (what Jesus expected to do)


Questions (younger children)

• The Last Supper was a special meal What was it called?
  Passover
• Which disciples prepared the Passover meal?
  Peter and John
• Where in the house was the room
  Upstairs
• What did the Jews give thanks for at Passover?
  Their ancestors’ escape from slavery in Egypt
• In what city did the Last Supper take place?
  Jerusalem
• What time of day was the Last Supper?
  Evening
• What kind of furniture did Jesus and the disciples use at the Last Supper?
  a table (and we use a table today in our communion service)
• Who was at the Last Supper?
  Jesus and the 12 disciples
• When did Jesus say he would eat his next Passover meal?
  When the Kingdom of God comes
• What did Jesus say he would do soon?
  Suffer
• What kind of prayers did Jesus say during the meal?
  Thanks
• What was in the cup?
  Wine
• What did Jesus tell the disciples to do with the wine?
  Share it, divide it among themselves
• What kind of food is mentioned in the story?
  Bread
• What did Jesus do to the bread?
  Broke it into pieces and gave it to the disciples
• What did Jesus say the bread was a symbol of?
  His body
• What did Jesus say the wine was symbol of?
  His blood, or the new covenant
• What is a covenant?
  A promise
• What is the new covenant?
  God’s promise that our sins will be forgiven
• Finish this verse: Do this in...
  Remembrance of me (or memory of me)
• What do we remember when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper in church?
  Jesus, Jesus’s death
• What is another name for the Lord’s Supper today?
  Communion

Optional Activity for Grades 3-5: Play a few rounds of "who can find the passage first" to practice looking up passages and also to show them where in the other gospels the story is told. Call out verses for the students to search and read when they find them -- do this in pairs if you wish. Have them close their Bibles between turns. Suggested verses: Luke 22:19; Luke 22: 20; Mark 14: 22; Mark 14:23; Matthew 26: 26; Matthew 26: 27-28.

A lesson written by Kirk from: Kildaire Presbyterian Church
Cary, NC

A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability.

For our rotation on The Last Supper we did a workshop using games.  We really wanted them to get as much information as possible about the Last Supper, some of the political, cultural and religious issues at the time and how this experience of the Disciples became our celebration of Holy Communion.  Because of this we used a compilation of pieces from all 4 gospel writers (including John) to make the story complete.

In the games workshop we had the students become "Detectives".  First they had to be like journalists and ferret out answers to the famous 5 W questions:  Who, Where, What, Why and When.  They did this while the Scripture was read.After that exercise the class did a crossword puzzle that I made up and finally they did a word search.  For our youngest class, which includes pre-readers, I made a large puzzle with a picture of the Last Supper on it.  I took a photo that I liked and edited it to include hidden images like some unleavened bread, a goblet of wine, a lamb, jug of water and towel, etc.  Once these children put the puzzle together they had to find the hidden images and then they talked about the significance of them.  This was extremely successful.  However, attaching my edited picture to the puzzle and cutting it all out properly was extremely challenging and time consuming.   Here is the actual lesson plan for the older classes:

The Last Supper Bible Adventure Workshop

for Saplings (3^rd-6^th), Buds/Blooms (7^th-12^th)

Scripture Passage: 

Matthew 26:17-30

Summary of Lesson Activities:

The students will learn some important things about The Last Supper:  who the main characters are, where and when this event happened, what happened and why it’s important.  They will become sleuths who investigate to find these answers.  They will do a Word Search and Crossword Puzzle to complete their Detective work. 

Lesson Objectives: 

• The Last Supper was a Passover celebration
• The Last Supper was the time when Jesus instituted “Holy Communion”:  When we eat the bread and drink the cup we “Do this in remembrance of him” and in remembrance of the Last Supper (also called “The Lord’s Supper)
• The Passover meal took place in Jerusalem in an Upper Room because Jesus had to hide from the authorities. Their gathering was a secret.
• The unleavened bread they ate was the symbol of Jesus’ broken body.
• The wine was a symbol of the blood of Jesus and was a sign of the “New Covenant”—God had a covenant with Abraham and Isaac that saw the Israelites through the Old Testament.  The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross is the beginning of a New Covenant that God has with His people.
• Judas is the one who betrays Jesus
• The United Methodist Church uses grape juice instead of wine so that everyone, even those who can’t have wine, can receive communion.  It’s important that communion table be open to all.
• In our congregation we receive communion by “Intinction”—dipping the bread into the wine—because we have too many people to pass a cup around and we know a lot about germs now.
• The Disciples are also called The Apostles
• The Foot Washing ceremony that Jesus does for his Disciples is told to teach us that we should be servants of each other.

Supplies List:

• Poster
• Paper
• copies of Word Search
• copies of Crossword Puzzle
• one answer key for each game
• pens and pencils for the students. 

Leader Preparation:

• Familiarize yourself with the story (in the text box in the lesson plan rather than in the Bible).
• Familiarize yourself with the lesson plan and the important points.
• Familiarize yourself with the Game keys/answers.
• Make a poster listing the vocabulary words and the 5 W’s

The 5 W’s 

WHO?   Who are the main characters in this story?              

WHEN?  When does this story take place?           

WHERE?  Where does this story take place?

WHAT?  What are the major things that happen in this story?                  

WHY?  Why do all 4 gospel writers include this story in their book?  What is important about it?                   

Vocabulary

• “Passover” = “Feast of the Unleavened Bread”
• “Passover” Meal = “The Last Supper”
• “Last Supper” = “Lord’s Supper”
• The Last Supper= Holy Communion
• Foot washing = Servant
• “Old Covenant” from the Old Testament vs.  “New Covenant” that Jesus creates through his crucifixion

Presentation 

Opening - Welcome and Lesson Introduction:

Introduce yourself to the students in your class. 

Say:  Today you are all going to be Detectives.  We’re going to do an investigation of the story of The Last Supper.  The Last Supper is the story of Jesus and his Disciples right before Jesus is crucified. 

Dig - Main Content and Reflection:

Lesson for Bible Literacy: 

Ask:  Where in the Bible do we find stories about the life of Jesus?  (New Testament).  Who are the men who wrote about Jesus?  (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John).  What are their books called?  (The Gospels).  What does the word “gospel” mean? (Good news)

Say:  The story of The Last Supper is told by three of the Gospel writers:  Matthew, Mark and Luke.  The Gospel writer, John, doesn’t tell the story of the Last Supper but he tells the story of one thing that happens during the Last Supper. This morning we are going to read bits and pieces of each of their versions. 

Detective Activity #1  (15 minutes Maximum)

Say:  Instead of me just reading the story to you, you are going to be sleuths.  A good detective will look for facts as well as the meanings of things.  So, while I read this story to you I want you to listen for the 5 W’s:  Who, When, Where, What and Why?  These are also the questions a newspaper reporter asks when writing a story about something. (Pass out paper and pencils)  I’m going to read the story slowly so you can listen for the answers to the 5 W questions. Afterward we can go over it.  (Make sure you point out the poster to which they can refer. In the following passages I’ve highlighted where I think the important information is. As well as words that will be used in the games.)

Scripture Reading: 

Mark 14:12-16     On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” 13 So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city…Say to the owner of the house …‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” 16 The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.

John 13: 1-5, 12, 15   ^1-3 Jesus knew on the evening of Passover Day that it would be his last night on earth before returning to his Father. During supper the devil had already suggested to Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, that this was the night to carry out his plan to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had given him everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. And how he loved his disciples! ⁴ So he got up from the supper table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his loins, ⁵ poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel he had around him. ¹² After washing their feet he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? ¹⁵ I have given you an example to follow: do as I have done to you. 

Matthew 26:20-25   ^20-21 That evening as he sat eating with the Twelve, he said, “One of you will betray me.” ²² Sorrow chilled their hearts, and each one asked, “Am I the one?”   ²³ He replied, “It is the one I served first. ²⁴ For I must die just as was prophesied, but woe to the man by whom I am betrayed. Far better for that one if he had never been born.”  ²⁵ Judas, too, had asked him, “Rabbi, am I the one?” And Jesus had told him, “Yes.”

Luke 22: 14-15, 19-20  ¹⁴ When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. ¹⁵ And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. ¹⁹ And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁰ 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.”

 Ask the students to share their answers.  If they miss something be sure to add this information:

 The 5 W’s Answer Key: 

WHO?   Who are the main characters in this story? 

• Jesus, the twelve Disciples, Judas the betrayer

WHEN?  When does this story take place?

• Evening on the first night of Passover, or the Feast of Unleavened Bread

WHERE?  Where does this story take place?   

• In an upper room in Jerusalem so that Jesus is hidden from the authorities who will arrest him.

WHAT?  What are the major things that happen in this story?

• Jesus and the Apostles have a Passover Seder (which means “order” because the items were eaten in a very specific order )
• Jesus washes the disciples feet 
• Jesus says Judas will betray him 
• Jesus breaks the bread and says “Take, eat, this is my body.  Do this in remembrance of me.” 
• Jesus takes the cup of wine, shares it and says it is his blood that will create a new covenant

WHY?  Why do all 4 gospel writers include this story in their book?  What is important about it?

• Jesus shows, through the foot washing, that the master will be the servant
• Jesus creates our ritual of Holy Communion
• Jesus tells the disciples that, like the Passover lamb, he will suffer and be sacrificed very soon after the Seder.
• It reveals God’s plan of a new covenant created by Jesus’ blood—the new covenant replaces the old one that God made with the ancient Hebrews in the Old Testament.

Detective Activity #2:   Crossword Puzzle 

(The key is included at the end of this plan.)

Introduce the Crossword Puzzle to the students.  Divide them into teams of 2 or 3.  Tell them how to do a crossword puzzle. Have them complete the crossword puzzle in the small groups but if they get really stuck you can do it together as a large group. 

Detective Activity #3  Word Search (15 minutes Maximum)

If there is not enough time they can take the Word Search paper home with them.

(Divide the class into pairs so that each pair works together if necessary.  Pass out the papers.  Go over each word to make sure they understand why it’s been included in this game. At the end of the activity you can go over the key with them)

Closing:

End with a prayer.

Crossword Clues Key: 

DOWN

1. The second section of the Bible.          New Testament
2. Jesus is the Son of -__________.          God
3. During Communion we eat this.          Bread
4. This meal was called “The Last Supper” because it took place at the _____ of Jesus’ ministry.         End
5. By washing the Disciples feet Jesus showed that we are to be this.          Servants
6. Another world for “Disciple”          Apostle
7. Jesus gave his life for us because He _______ us.          Loves
8. The first section of the Bible.          Old Testament
9. When he broke the bread Jesus said, “Do this  ___ _____ ___ ___.”   In Remembrance of Me
10. At the Last Supper Jesus was facing his own _____.            Death
11. Torn bread is a symbol of this          Broken Body
12. What the Last Supper was a ______ Seder.          Passover
13. He betrayed Jesus          Judas
14. The method of Communion typically used in our church is called ____.  (Bread dipped in the cup)           Intinction
15. Jesus said this was a symbol of his blood.                    Wine
16. Do-Re-Mi-          Fa
17. The Lord’s Supper became this Christian ritual.          Holy Communion
18. The season of our church year when we remember (Commemorate) the Last Supper.           Lent
19. Judas was a ______________.          Traitor
20. The Passover Seder was set up on a _____.                            Table
21. For his followers, Jesus established an important one of these.           Ritual
22. Either-          Or
23. The room where Jesus and his Apostles were was called an  ______ room.           Upper
24. At the Lord’s Supper Jesus did this with water.          Footwashing
25. Jesus gave his _____ as a sign of the New Covenant with God.           blood
26. During the Last Supper Jesus was trying to ____ the Apostles.          Teach
27. We bake bread in an __ __ en          O-v
28. We celebrate this holiday after Maundy Thursday (the day we commemorate the Last Supper)         Easter
29. Jesus and the Disciples had to keep their Passover meal a _____.          Secret
30. Jesus washed this very dirty part of the Disciples body.          Feet
31. Even though the first 12 Disciples were men Jesus had many _____ amongst his followers.           Women           

ACROSS

1. Another title for the “Last Supper”          Lord’s Supper
2. What Jesus gave his blood to create          New Covenant
3. Passover bread was this          Unleavened
4. Jesus hung on the cross to ____ us.          Save
5. In United Methodism we use this instead of wine so everyone can share in the ritual of Communion.           Grape Juice
6. The Gospel writer whose book is the first in the New Testament    Matthew
7. During Communion we use a _____ of bread.          Loaf
8. A Gospel writer                    Mark
9. We say this at the end of every prayer          Amen
10. In a foot washing ritual we _____ the feet.          Bathe
11. Jesus’ death saves us from this          Sin
12. Gospel Writer          Luke
13. Homonym for “two”          To
14. During the Lord’s Supper the bread was _____.          Torn
15. “Seder” means “_____”.          Order
16. When Jesus broke the bread he foreshadowed this.          Crucifixion
17. Jesus knew that Judas would _____ him.          Betray
18. In United Methodism we use grape juice instead of wine  because it is important to us that we are this:          Open to All
19. The number of Apostles          Twelve
20. Jesus’ death created a new _____ of covenant.          Form
21. Jesus’ sacrifice will make us ______.          Whole
22. Jesus was __________ on the cross.          Sacrificed
23. The wine is served in a _____.          Cup
24. The Last Supper was in an Upper room because Jesus needed to be _____.           Hidden
25. The fourth Gospel writer.          John
26. The Passover Seder took place at this time of day.          Evening
27. The part of the Bible where we learn about the life of Jesus.          Gospels

 A lesson written by rotation.org member Cat Blue

A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability.