Last Supper

THE LAST SUPPER

Objectives:

  1. Children should be able to tell the story of the Last Supper in their own words.
  2. Children should identify the major figures in the icon.
  3. Children should know that the Last Supper was also the first Communion.
  4. Children should be able to name bread and wine as the Communion foods.

 

Possible Lesson Plan:

  1. Open with prayer.
  2. Read the story of the Last Supper in the Beginner’s Bible, pages 437-445, the Children’s Bible Reader, pages 236-242, or the Read with Me Bible, pages 366-381. Supplement with the Golden Children’s Bible, pages 440-447 if desired. What did Jesus wash before supper? Why? What foods did He bless? Who was going to betray Him? Review the story with the icon, identifying the characters, the bread, and the wine. We celebrate the Last Supper on Holy Thursday with the 12 readings of the story.

 

  1. True/False Questions:

True                                                     False

            Jesus washed his disciples’ feet.                     Jesus washed his hair.

            Jesus blessed the bread and wine.                  Jesus blessed the broccoli.

            Judas Iscariot went to betray Jesus.                Peter went to betray Jesus.

            Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.    Jesus danced a jig in the garden.

            The disciples fell asleep.                                 The disciples prayed with Jesus.

            Judas kissed Jesus to betray Him.                   Judas cut off Jesus’s ear.

 

  1. Review the story of Moses and Passover in the Read with Me Bible. Jesus and His disciples were celebrating Passover dinner at the time of the Last Supper. In fact, Jesus is called the Paschal lamb. How is He like the Passover lamb? The lamb saved God’s people from death, just as Jesus was soon to save all people from death. Make an "Egg Carton Last Supper": Print the icon full page size, preferably on cardstock. Leave bottom intact, but cut around the top bodies of all the figures around the table, especially the two on the ends, cutting them down to their hands on the table. Discard the background, leaving figures and table. Cut the top off an egg carton. Then cut the bottom in half lengthwise. Cut off the two end sections, leaving 4 sections. Place upside down. Glue table legs to what is now the front, and table top to the 4 egg cups. Bend the figures up.

 

  1. Have a foot-washing: Have the children sit in a circle with shoes off. Take turns washing each others feet. Why did Jesus wash His disciples’ feet?

 

  1. Talk a bit about Holy Communion: What do we eat and drink for Holy Communion? Why are these foods special? When was the first Communion?

 

  1. Bake Prosphora to use during Holy Week: Tell the students that this is the bread that Father uses for Communion.  It would be best to mix the dough at home:

3 cups warm water                                          Mix warm water and yeast

2 tablespoons fast rise yeast                                        first

5 pounds bread flour                                       Add flour, salt, and cool

3 cups cool water                                                        water and knead.

1 ½ tablespoons salt

Let the dough rise during Liturgy in the kitchen (not in oven). Divide into a loaf for each child and let the children knead and shape the loaves and stamp them. Take them home again to bake. Help each child to make a list of relatives, living and dead, for Father to pray for.

 

 

  1. Close with prayer.