Lesson Seven

LESSON 7: THE LAST SUPPER

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE: MARK 14:12-42

14:47

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LESSON OBJECTIVES

Students will discuss that the Passover meal was ultimately about how Jesus’ death would free humanity from the power of sin.

Students will recall that Jesus wants us to always remember that he suffered to free us from our sins and provide the way for a relationship with God.

SCRIPTURE BACKGROUND & CONTEXT

Passover and the Last Supper:

The Passover meal commemorated the time when God delivered Israel out of slavery in Egypt. The first Passover meal occurred while the Israelites were still slaves in Egypt. Mark teaches us that the Passover meal was pointing towards an even greater event: Jesus, the sacrificial lamb, would free us from our sins by shedding his blood for us on the cross.

The New Covenant:

In Jeremiah 31:31-34, God promised to establish a new covenant, an everlasting bond between himself and his people. The old covenant was ratified through shedding blood (see Exodus 24). It is the same with the new covenant. Only this time, the blood will not be from an animal, but from Jesus Christ.

INSTRUCTION

WELCOME & REVIEW

In today’s lesson, we shall focus on Mark 14:12-42 and learn about “The Last Supper.”

Last week we learnt about “Jesus and the Temple.”

Can someone paraphrase what was happening in the temple and how Jesus reacted to it?

(Allow students to respond. Possible answers: The temple area designated for worship of the Gentiles (non-Jews) had been turned into a market. That angered Jesus so much that he kicked all the traders out of the temple. He did that because by converting the designated area into a market, people from other nations had no place to worship.)

INTRODUCTION

If you won a scholarship to study in a faraway country and were given a chance to call your friends for a farewell party, how would you plan it and whom would you invite?

(Allow students to respond. Possible answers: Hire the school hall as the venue, have a lot of food and music, invite close friends and family, have a thanks giving service, and have great speeches and performances.)

The lesson today focuses on the last meal Jesus had with the disciples before he was betrayed and crucified.

VIDEO CLIP

Let us watch the video clip entitled “The Last Supper.” Listen intently to what Jesus said about his body and his blood.

(After the video clip, release the students to sit together in their small groups for group discussion.)

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SMALL GROUPS

What is the meaning of Passover?
(Allow students to respond. Answer: The Passover meal was a meal that commemorated the time when God delivered Israel out of slavery in Egypt. It was instituted during the plague of the firstborns. Upon applying the blood of the lamb on their doorposts, the angel of death passed over the houses of the Israelites, and their sons did not die. Thereafter, Israelites celebrated it annually as a reminder of how God
delivered them from slavery in Egypt.)
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How was the Passover related to Jesus Christ?
(Allow students to respond. Answer: It ultimately pointed to Jesus Christ as the lamb of God that would die to take away the sins of the world. Those who believe in Jesus Christ are washed by his blood and become children of God. With Jesus playing the ultimate sacrificial role, no more lambs would be required for sacrifice during the Passover.)

Most churches have a way of remembering the Last Supper. What is it referred to as and what is its significance?
(Allow students to answer. Possible answers: It is referred to as Holy Communion, the Lord’s Supper, Lord’s Table, or Breaking of the Bread. It is a remembrance of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. A reminder that his body was broken, and that he shed his blood to save us from sin and bring us into God’s kingdom.)

Read Mark 14:22-24. How was the pouring out of Jesus’ blood connected to God’s kingdom?
(Allow students to respond. Possible answers: By pouring out his blood, Jesus Christ would establish a new way of relating with God. Unlike in the past where people offered the blood of animals for forgiveness of their sins, Jesus would pour out his own blood as the means through which people could have a relationship with God. Wholeness of the people would come from the breaking of his body. His blood would seal the new covenant.)

Jesus says the next time he and his disciples will drink together will be in the kingdom of God. What did he mean by that? (Hint: look at Mark 12:25 for help.)
(Allow students to respond. Answer: Jesus looked forward to the new creation that would only come through his sacrificial death. Although he was the king and was establishing God’s kingdom on earth, the kingdom of God will arrive in its fullness sometime in the future.)

What does Jesus teach us about greatness in God’s kingdom?
(Allow students to respond. Possible answers: True greatness comes through service, humility, and sacrifice. Jesus gave his life as a ransom for many. In humility, the King of kings served instead of being served and sacrificed his life for people instead of receiving sacrifices from them.)

In Mark 14:36, Jesus prayed that God would remove the cup from him. The cup represented the suffering he was about to face. It would be too painful, and he prayed that God would spare him the suffering. However, he also prayed for God’s will to prevail. The will of God was that Jesus would suffer on the cross, shed his blood, and deliver people of all nations from sin.

Thank you for all your responses. Let us rejoin the other groups so that we can close the session together.

APPLICATION

The followers of Jesus Christ celebrate Holy Communion with bread representing the body of Jesus and juice or wine to represent his blood. The bread and juice are symbolic elements reminding us that it is through the broken body of Jesus and his poured blood that we can have a relationship with God.

The suffering of Jesus Christ demonstrates that salvation is not a state we can win or work for. It is a gift of God to all people. We thank Jesus Christ that he suffered on our behalf. We have access to his kingdom because of his sacrifice: his broken body and his blood.

REFLECTION

Through his broken body and his blood, we have a relationship with God. By believing in Jesus, we get the gift of eternal life. What does this mean to you?

(Allow students to respond. Possible answers: It means that I can experience forgiveness, know God, have a relationship with Jesus, and have new life in him.)

PRAYER

(Ask a volunteer to thank Jesus Christ on behalf of all for suffering for all.)

Perhaps you would like to put your trust in Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. As others leave, please remain seated. I would like to say a prayer with you.

Lesson 6

Lesson 8

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Introduction

Alexis: Hey everyone, it's Alexis. Last session, Eli talked about how Jesus gave his life to restore us to God. But he did more than that. Jesus established a kingdom that is still going today. And that's what I'm talking about, the Kingdom of Heaven in the Here and Now. After Jesus rose from the dead, he spent about 40 days with his followers. After that, he gathered his closest friends and said this to them before ascending back into heaven:

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20)

Jesus’ final words to his followers are what we know today as the “Great Commission”. With those words, the followers of Jesus knew exactly what to do, and they went straight to work. Just kidding. No, they didn't. They kinda just stood there looking up. Take a minute to put yourself in their shoes - What would you do? God shows up and does something amazing; now it's your turn. What is your first reaction? Are you excited? Scared? A little bit of both? Describe how you think you might feel.

Empowered by the Spirit for Kingdom Living

I think one question Jesus' followers asked was, "What are we supposed to do?" Which is fair. It might be a question you’re asking. Maybe you're wrestling with something God’s doing in you, and you can't quite figure out what to do next. You're in good company. Jesus' followers went back to the place where they had been staying, and they waited for days. Imagine how that felt. Waiting on God can be tricky. It’s hard to tell if you're waiting in faith or hiding in fear. I'm sure many followers have prayed for God to give them a sign. Well, they got one. Listen to this:

Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:2-4)

The Holy Spirit came and filled the people in that room, and crowds from all over came running. And what happened next is really cool. The followers of Jesus emerged and began speaking to people from every nation in their heart language. In Acts 2, we read that about 3000 people joined God's kingdom that day!

So what does it look like to live in God's kingdom on Earth? Well, it means following the way of Jesus, our King. Think about that for a moment. Read Galatians 5:16-26. What does it mean to walk by the Spirit? Can you relate to the tension between your flesh and the Spirit that this passage describes? How do you see the Holy Spirit working in your life to produce the fruits listed in verses 22-23? Write down your thoughts.

Being the Church

Living in this freedom to follow Jesus, we are able to be what Jesus called “His Church.” The Church is the embodiment of God’s kingdom on Earth. Imperfect, but becoming more like Jesus every day. The Church isn’t a building or institution - it’s millions of followers of Jesus who, through the power of the Holy Spirit, do two things: They love God, and they love others. That’s simple to say, difficult to do, trust me. But we’re not alone. The Holy Spirit is working through us to build God’s kingdom on Earth and make us more like Jesus every day. I trust in God’s big mission, and I hope you do too. See you next time.

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