1 Corinthians 10:16-17
Rich Lanning
March 2
Gather
A copy of Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper”
A Bible
Introduction
Look at the picture of Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.” Try to find the following:
- Spilled salt (in front of Judas Iscariot, third from the left of Jesus as you look at the painting)
- The shape of Jesus if you outlined him (a triangle)
- A disciple pointing to himself (Philip, third from the right of Jesus as you look at the painting)
- Someone holding a knife (Peter, whose hand is near the spilled salt)
- A bag in the hand of a disciple (Judas)
Background
Of course, we don’t know what Jesus or his disciples actually looked like, and this painting is not accurate to the event, but it can help us think about the occasion in which Jesus first taught what we call “the Lord’s supper.”
Ask: What do you know about the Lord’s supper that we see in the picture? [accept whatever answers the children give as a transition into the next section.]
Looking into the scripture passage
Read: Matthew 26:26-28
This is the record of Jesus’s actual last supper.
Ask: Does Jesus say anything that sounds strange to you? What does he tell the disciples to eat and drink? Does he mean that the bread is actually his body? Are the disciples eating Jesus’ arm? Are they actually drinking his blood?
No! the bread and the cup are a picture of what Jesus was about to go through.
What was that? [His death on the cross, where his blood would spill and his body die.]
Ask: What do you know about communion (or the Lord’s supper) that we observe at church?
Have you ever heard the pastor say as he prepares to hand the bread to those who will be serving it, “These are the gifts of God for the people of God?” What are the gifts he’s talking about?
Read: 1 Corinthians 10:16-17
Paul is writing here about the Lord’s supper.
Ask: What does Paul call the communion cup? [The cup of blessing]
What is a blessing? [something that benefits us, that makes us better off]
How did Jesus’ death make us better off?
Pastor Rich listed three ways:
- The forgiveness of sins (1 John 1:7-9)
- Adoption as sons (Eph. 1:5-8)
- An inheritance (Eph. 1:11; Romans 8:17)
Can you think of more?
Apply the passage
Have the children explain back to you all that they can remember about the Lord’s supper.
Spend time in prayer, thanking God for what he has done through the death of Jesus.
Memorize
And when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
1 Corinthians 11: 24
Practice the verse
Write the verse onto the loaf of bread print-out. Cut in into pieces and let the children put them back together to get the verse in the correct order.
Extra Stuff
Songs to sing
“Behold the Lamb (Communion Song)” (Gettys)
“Remembrance (Communion Song)” (Matt Redman)
Books to read (these can be borrowed from the Kidstuff table in the church foyer)
God Made Me for Worship by Jared Kennedy
