Jesus’ Last Meal

Jesus had a short life. He died at about the age of thirty-six. He only spent three years telling people about God’s kingdom. Jesus’ words and works were very important. But Jesus’ most important work came at the end of his life. In fact, His death was His greatest work.

God gave His Son Jesus so that we could live forever. Let us see how and why God gave Jesus for us.

Did you Know? 

• Jews from all over the world went to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover.
• On Passover, Jews remember how God saved Israel from slavery in Egypt.
• God sent his angel to punish the Egyptians. This angel ‘passed over’ Israel and did not punish them.
• ‘Flat bread’ is bread with no yeast. Israel had to leave Egypt quickly. They could not wait for the bread they had baked to rise.

The Meaning of the Story

Every country has its special festivals. Many countries celebrate Christmas. The Chinese celebrate the Chinese New Year. The most important festival for Jewish people is ‘Passover.’

One night, Jesus was celebrating Passover with His friends. This was His last meal with them before He died. He took some bread and broke it into pieces. This was a picture of how He would die for them. Just like bread, His body would be broken. He told His friends to ‘eat’ this bread. He meant that they should believe that His death would take away their sins.

Then He poured out some wine. The wine was a picture of his blood. In a few hours, Jesus’ blood would be poured out. He told His friends to drink the wine. It meant that they were entering into an agreement with God. If they trust in His Son, Jesus, God promised to take away their sins.

Who is Jesus?

When Jesus was born, the angels told the shepherds that God had sent ‘a Savior’. What would Jesus save us from? How would Jesus save us? At the Passover, Jesus told His friends that He would save many people from their sins. Jesus told them He would save us by dying for us. God wants us to trust Jesus to take away our sins.

Thinking about the Story 

1. What did Jesus mean when He called the bread His body?
2. What did Jesus mean when He called the wine His blood?
3. What does the Passover meal teach us about Jesus’ death?