Communion: A Supper to Remember

Hold up Bible.
I bring my Bible along to church every week—why?
How do you know that everything written in here is true? (God said it)
If the Bible tells us to do something, should we do it?
Hold up camera
Lots of times I bring my camera along to church—Why do you think I take pictures? It helps us remember the things we have done together as a church. (Bring pics to demonstrate)
We remember best the things we see. That's why I try to bring an object for us to think about as we talk each week.

When Jesus was on earth, people had no cameras to take pictures, but He often used objects to help them understand and remember important things He was telling them.

The night before Jesus was taken away to die on the cross, He used objects to help His disciples understand and remember what was going to happen to Him.
He and His disciples met together for a very special meal—We call this their "Last Supper".

They called it the "Passover Supper", because God had commanded all Jews to eat this meal once a year to remind them of the time long before when their ancestors were slaves in Egypt. God provided a leader, Moses, to lead them out of Egypt. God's death angel went through the whole land of Egypt, punishing the Egyptians by killing the first born child in each family, but He did not kill the first born in the families of His own people who sacrificed a lamb and put its blood on the door posts of their houses.

When Jesus and His followers sat down, there was bread and wine made from grapes on the table. Jesus used both the bread and the wine as an object lesson for them. (Read Luke 22:19) First he broke the bread in pieces for them to eat and told them that it was like His body which would be hurt and killed on the cross. (Read Luke 22:20) Next, He took the cup of wine and said that it was like His own blood which God would accept as His payment for their sin (and ours).

When the disciples ate the bread and drank the wine, they still didn't understand everything Jesus had said, but they obeyed Him, anyway. Later, after Jesus had died on the cross, was raised up from death, and went to be with His Father in Heaven, they did understand what He had meant.

Ever since that time, those who have trusted in Jesus' death to take the punishment for their sin have remembered His sacrifice when they celebrate what we call the Lord's Supper or Communion. When Christians share the bread and grape juice or wine, it is a picture of what Jesus has done for us. Let us thank Him for it.

Picture of juice & bread to color.