Jesus Shared a Last Meal (Matthew 26; Mark 14; Luke 22)
The time came nearer for Jesus and His disciples to celebrate Passover together. Christ knew the betrayal would take place soon, yet He earnestly desired to break bread and recline at the table with His closest friends. He was aware of the suffering that was soon to come, too, yet He still took to the cross for our salvation; He endured it all for the joy set before Him.
The Passover celebrated the works of God on His people’s behalf, as He freed them from Egyptian bondage. Each year, they gathered so as not to forget their miraculous deliverance from slavery. Out of these age-old traditions came the Lord’s Supper—a celebration of His new covenant.
What was the significance of the last meal taking place on the first day of Unleavened Bread? How did this tie into the promises of God’s new covenant in Jesus?
The first day of Unleavened Bread was a time when the Israelites would sacrifice their Passover lambs. They observed this tradition in remembrance of the blood of the lamb, which signified that God should pass over their home amid the last Egyptian plague. Since that event, they would continue to sacrifice a lamb in memory of God’s faithfulness in saving His people.
Even though Jesus had predicted His death, the disciples still did not comprehend all that Jesus would suffer. As He offered the cup and broke bread at their side, they could not fathom all that Christ would soon endure for them to have forgiveness and eternal life in His name. While the priests before Him could only offer up a sacrificial lamb in their place, only Jesus could truly be the sacrifice needed to atone for sin. He was the promised eternal Lamb of God who died in our place that we may truly live.
Explain to kids that the disciples did not initially have the full picture of God’s great plan of redemption as we do today. During these significant moments we read about in Scripture, they only saw up close what Jesus was doing, whereas we get to experience everlasting life now, fully knowing Him as the object of our faith.
Christ Connection: God’s people had broken the old covenant, and God promised to make a new covenant to forgive sins. The new covenant says that everyone who turns away from sin and trusts in Jesus’ death and resurrection will be forgiven of his sins and will have eternal life.
Key Passage: We are memorizing Isaiah 53:1-12 during this quarter. Primary children will be memorizing Psalm 23.