THINK TOGETHER
Have you ever seen the Lord’s Supper/Communion taken in church? What happens?
READ TOGETHER
Each year, ever since the Exodus from Egypt when God rescued his people out of slavery, the Jewish people would celebrate the feast of Passover. Passover was the day that the Israelites painted blood on the doorposts of their houses so that God would pass over them and spare the firstborn son in each family. By Jesus’ day the Passover feast had become a big meal eaten with your whole family to celebrate freedom from slavery.
Right before Jesus would die on the cross for our sins he too celebrated the Passover feast. But he didn’t do it with his family, his mother and brothers and sisters. He did it with his disciples. And when Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples he didn’t talk about Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt. Instead he talked about himself.
In the Jewish Passover meal, they would eat bread together. They called it the “bread of affliction,” or trouble, to remind them of how hard life was in Egypt. And then they would drink wine together. They called it the “cup of redemption” to remind them of how God rescued them from Egypt. But listen to what Jesus calls the bread and the cup of wine when he leads the disciples through the Passover:
Mark 14:22-25. 22 And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” 23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24 And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
What did Jesus call the bread?
What did Jesus call the cup of wine?
Jesus says that now the bread and the wine that we eat and drink together are symbols or pictures of himself, and his death on the cross for us. Jesus is saying that he is the new exodus, not from Egypt, but from sin. Through faith in Jesus we too can be rescued from our sins and the punishment that sin brings – separation from God. When we trust in Jesus we, like the disciples, are Jesus new family. And one day we will live forever with Jesus in “the kingdom of God.”
Because of Jesus we can know that we are forgiven of our sins and will live with God forever.
With Jesus we can take the Lord’s Supper in church and remember how much God loves us.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
Talk about how the Lord’s Supper is taken in your church. What is said and done? How often? What does it mean to you personally?
And here’s a good communion song for kids.
PRAY TOGETHER
Jesus,
You gave your life for me. Help me to remember that every single day.
Amen.
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