The Last Supper

Video Workshop

Note:  This church calls their Video Workshop "Cast Your Net".

Summary of Lesson Activities:

The children will view the "Jesus" video segment on the Last Supper, discuss the old and new covenant, then sign their own covenant (relating to the Sunday School).

Concepts:

• At the Last Supper, Jesus delivered the message of the "New Covenant" (agreement/promise) of God's forgiveness of our sins through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.
• The disciples didn't quite understand Jesus' message and were confused at the Last Supper. Like them, we need Christ's Spirit to help us understand.
• We continue to celebrate Jesus' special meal and remember his message because he told us to "do it to remember me."

Scripture Reference:

Luke 22:7-20.

Leader Preparation:

• Watch the Jesus video ahead of time
• Gather the materials

Materials List:

• TV/DVD player
• “Jesus” Video. The Jesus video is also known as The Jesus Film and it can be downloaded for free or watched online at https://www.jesusfilm.org/watch
• Posterboard to write the New Classroom Covenant on
• Red pens

Lesson

Opening:

Greet the children and introduce yourself.

Study:

Scripture/Bible Story:
Luke 22:7-20. Encourage the children to use their Bibles in looking up verses. Set up the story by reading out loud or have the students volunteer to read a verse.

Tell them they will watch a segment of the video “Jesus” where The Last Supper is taking place. Explain to them that Jesus had been preaching His message, and while many people have come to know Him as the Son of God, He has also made many enemies among the religious rulers who feel threatened by Him. His life is now in danger. But He is willing to risk His life as part of God’s plan to get the message through – the new covenant. It is now Passover in which an unblemished lamb was sacrificed as a seal of a covenant between God and Israel. Passover symbolizes the act by which God freed the slaves from captivity & Egyptian rule. Jesus wants to have a secretive Passover meal with his disciples and friends. The Passover meal commemorated the new covenant offered to the faith community by God who sets us free from our sins. Jesus’ blood sealed the new covenant

View the Jesus Video

After the “Welcome and Introductions” and the “Scripture/Bible Story” have them watch the video at the cued place (just before Jesus is tells Peter and John to go ahead of him to Jerusalem to prepare a place for the Passover meal). It should last about 5 minutes (finish with the Last Supper).

After setting up the story and watching the part of the video of the Last Supper, discuss and answer questions.

1. What is another name for the Last Supper? The Passover meal
2. What did Jesus serve at the Last Supper? Wine and unleavened bread (bread without yeast) because they were in such a hurry to prepare the meal they left the yeast out.
3. What did the bread signify according to Jesus? His body
4. What does the wine symbolize? His blood
5. Why do we share in the Lord’s Supper/Communion now? To remember Jesus for what he did for us.
6. Review the memory verse now: “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:19. Have children repeat.
7. What is a covenant? A binding agreement or promise.
8. Why would Jesus refer to the cup as the “new” covenant? There must have been an old covenant.
   
   Tell the kids you are going to talk about the old covenant. Ask them if they know what the old covenant is.
   
   A "covenant" is an old word for "an agreement, a promise." 
   
   The old covenant is God’s agreement with Israel which was first given through Abraham and Moses. it was God's agreement with the people of Israel that he would "be their God," and they would "be his people."  The Passover Meal which Jesus celebrated with his disciples at the Last Supper, celebrated this Covenant and the story of God's rescue of his people from slavery in Egypt.
   
   Jesus announced a "new" Covenant, a new promise that the people's sins would no longer be counted against them, and that God's love was for all people, and not just Israel. Jesus' death on the cross "sealed" (signified, proved) that this new agreement was true and happening now. And his resurrection was proof that Jesus was indeed the Messiah sent to deliver this all important message.
   
   The "replacement" of the old covenant with the new covenant was predicted by the prophet Jeremiah, with which the Jews (including Jesus’ disciples) would be familiar. Have the children open their bibles to Jeremiah 31:31-34 and read it together. (You will want to read it to the younger children.)
   
   
9. What does God promise to do in the new covenant according to Jeremiah? Write His law on our hearts; To be our God and we His people; Forgive us and remember our sins no more.
10. How did God bring us the new covenant? God brought us the new covenant through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ – which was to come the day after the Last Supper (Good Friday).
11. What sealed this new covenant? Jesus’ blood.

Signing a New Covenant for our Class

Tell the students that they will get to seal or sign a  CLASSROOM covenant or agreement as part of this lesson about Jesus' promise of the "New Covenant sealed in his blood."   We will sign it by writing our names using RED MARKERS and a RED THUMBPRINT.

NOTE:  The original lesson writer's "covenant" is not attached. You will have to come up with your own. Write it on a posterboard and decorate it with some Bible images.

A Sunday School Covenant is a positive statement of how each student agrees to act when they are in class.   Here are several statements you might want to adapt.

• I promise to try my best to arrive on time ready to learn God's Word.
• I promise to treat my fellow students and my teacher as I want to be treated, with respect, friendliness, and compassion.
• I promise to share my thoughts, ideas, and questions, and to respect others when they do the same.
• I promise to be helpful like Jesus asks us to, and to help others feel the love of God through my attitude and actions.
• I promise to try my best to remember Jesus' message and share it with others.

Signing-Closing:

Have everyone paint their thumbs red with the marker and press their THUMBPRINT next to their name or each line of the Covenant as a "seal" on their promise that says, "I really mean this."  Close with a prayer asking the Holy Spirit to help us fulfill our promises.

A lesson written by Heather Brooks with improvements from the Rotation.org Content Team