Every year, the Feast of the Passover is celebrated. Children may ask what it is all about. Here is a simple to explain the event to children and to those who wish to know the origins of the Passover Feast.
It was time for the Feast of Passover. On this day each year the Jews were to eat a special Passover meal. The meal reminded them of the time God led the Israelites from Egypt.
The disciples came to the Lord Jesus and asked, “Where do You want us to get ready for the Passover?”
The Lord Jesus said, “Go into the city
and find a certain man. Tell him that the Master says, ‘My time is near. I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.’ “The disciples obeyed the Lord Jesus; then they prepared the meal for the Passover.
When night came, the Lord Jesus and His twelve disciples sat down in the house to eat. While they were eating, the Lord Jesus said, “One of you will betray Me.” He knew that one of His disciples would help His enemies.
The disciples felt sorry. They hated to think that any of them would do such a wicked thing. “Lord, am I the one?” each of them asked fearfully.
The Lord Jesus said, “The one who dips his hand into the dish with Me is the one who will betray Me.”
The disciples and the Lord Jesus did not use silverware to eat. Instead, they used their fingers to dip pieces of food into a dish of stew.
The Lord Jesus already knew what would happen to Him. He knew that He would die soon.
“Woe unto the man who betrays the Son of man,” the Lord said. “It would have been better for that man if he had never been born.” “Son of man” is another name for the Lord Jesus.
Judas, the disciple who would betray the Lord Jesus, then asked, “Master, am I the one?”
The Lord Jesus said to Judas, “You have said it.”
While the disciples were eating, Jesus picked up some bread and blessed it. He then broke it into pieces that He gave to the disciples. “Take. Eat,” He said. “This is My body.”
He then picked up a cup and thanked God for what was in it. He gave each disciple a drink from the cup. “Drink all of it,” He said. “This is My blood, which is shed for many people so that they can have their sins forgiven.”
The Lord Jesus said, “I will not drink the fruit of the vine until I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
The Lord was reminding the disciples that He had not come to rule like an earthly
king. His kingdom is in heaven ( John 18:36).The disciples and the Lord Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
Symbolisms and Practical Application
The Lord Jesus knew that He was going to die soon. He knew that Judas was going to turn Him over to His enemies.
The Lord wanted the disciples to remember His last meal with them. He wanted them to remember the things He had taught them. Most of all, He wanted them to remember that the purpose of His death was to forgive sins.
The bread was not really Jesus’ body, and the juice was not really His blood. The Lord told the disciples that the bread would remind them of His body. The juice, which was made from grapes, would remind them of how the Lord bled and died on the cross for them.
Christians still obey Him by remembering His last supper with His disciples. Churches have special services called communion services. When Christians eat the bread and drink the juice, they remember that the Lord’s body hung on the cross. They also remember that the Lord Jesus shed His blood for them.
The Lord Jesus knew that He would rise from the dead. We know that someday He will come to earth again. Until the Lord Jesus comes, we are supposed to remember how He died for us.
When the Lord Jesus hung on the cross and shed His blood, He took the punishment that we deserve. The Bible says that all people deserve to die and to be separated from God forever because of their sins.
The Lord Jesus loves you so much that He died in your place. He wants to save you so that you can live forever in heaven with Him.
references:
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/holidaya.html
Passover By David Rose, David W. Rose, Gill Rose
The passover feasts and Old Testament sacrifices explained; By Anne Wright
© Athena Goodlight
