Hello again, and welcome back to Kid's Fable Stories. Today's story is called A Supper to Remember. And this comes from Matthew chapter 26, John chapter 13, and 1 John chapter 1, verse 9. And a quick reminder that out of respect for each family's ages and stages of life, I have adapted some of this. So please read the scriptures referenced in the show notes, and from there you can decide to discuss further what's appropriate for your family. Today marks the beginning of a special series as we dive into Easter. Easter is more than colorful eggs and chocolate bunnies. It's a time when we remember and celebrate the most incredible and meaningful events in the life of Jesus. Why is Easter so important for Christians? Well, tell me out loud what is Easter? I'll wait. These are the times when we celebrate when Jesus died on the cross for us and He washed away all of our sins. Well, God rose from the dead. The people were in the tomb because they were sad. Then there was an angel and he said, go tell the world God isn't dead. Yes. On Christmas we celebrate Jesus' birth, and on Easter is when we celebrate the gift Jesus gave us when He died and rose again. It's a time when we reflect on the ultimate act of love, sacrifice, and justice that Jesus made for us. Easter is the big moment in the story of God's plan for our redemption, washing away our sins. Hurray! Hurray! So buckle up for a journey through the pages of the Bible as we set the stage for the events leading up to Jesus' death and resurrection. Let's jump right in. As we open the pages of the Bible, we find Jesus preparing His disciples for what is about to happen. Let's listen in. Jesus said to His disciples, As you know, the Passover is two days away and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified. I wonder how Jesus' disciples responded to what He said. Were they scared? Did they think, no way! That can't happen to Jesus! Do you think what Jesus said will happen though? Yes. Yes, because He is always right. Let's keep listening. Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the High Priest whose name was Caiaphas and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly. But not during the festival, they said. Or there may be a riot among the people. While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Lepper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were upset. Why waste of this? They asked. This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money could be given to the poor. Aware of this, Jesus said to them, Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her. While all this was happening, in the shadows, Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, quietly slipped away from the group. His heart, clouded by a betrayal that had been set in motion, led him to the religious authorities seeking to use this moment to turn against Jesus. What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you? Judas asked the chief priests and elders. They struck a deal that would seal the fate of the very one who had walked alongside him, shared meals, and performed miracles. Thirty pieces of silver exchanged hands, a price tag on the betrayal of Jesus. And from that time, Judas looked for a good opportunity to betray Jesus. Now listeners, we find ourselves in a room where something extraordinary is about to happen, the Last Supper. Have you heard of this? Yes. Let's continue. On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, Lord, where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover? He replied, Go into the city. To a certain man and tell him, the teacher says, My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house. The disciples did as Jesus directed them and prepared the Passover. Listeners, do you remember way, way back when God's people were in Egypt? There was a pharaoh. Sound familiar? The pharaoh treated them terribly and made them slaves. But who rescued them? God? Yes. Some of you may have said Moses. God did choose Moses to lead them out, but it was God who truly rescued them. Remember, God sent the plagues, part of the Red Sea. Well in order to remember that time and thank God for rescuing them, they had a celebration called the Passover. Okay, let's see what they are preparing to do for this special time. The disciples listened to Jesus and prepared the place to celebrate the Passover. In an upper room adorned with a warm glow of oil lamps, the air was thick with anticipation as Jesus and his disciples gathered for the sacred Passover meal. The atmosphere buzzed with a mixture of excitement and an underlying awareness that something significant was about to unfold. As they sat around a low table, laden with bread, bitter herbs and wine, Jesus took on the role of a servant. A basin filled with water stood nearby and Jesus, with love gleaming in his eyes, began to wash the dusty, grimy feet of his disciples. Please, Jesus, why are you washing all feet? Yeah, well we should be washing yours. The disciples, surprised by this unexpected act of servitude from their teacher, soon embraced the incredible humility and love in this gesture. Once the foot washing concluded, Jesus, his gaze filled with both tenderness and seriousness, addressed his disciples. I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover meal with you before I suffer. He shared. Truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me. Silence. Dishes stopped clanking. People stopped chewing. A sense of weight settled over the room as Jesus told them about the betrayer in their midst. They were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, Is it I, Lord? He answered, He who has dipped his hand in the dish will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to the man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. Do you remember who we heard will betray him? He made the deal for 30 pieces of silver. Say it out loud if you know. Judas. Yes. Judas, who would betray him, answered. I-I-Is it I, Rabbi? You have said it so. Jesus replied, Let's press pause. I have so many questions. If they all know it's Judas, I wonder if they try to talk him out of it. Did they try to get him to leave or maybe watch him closely, wanting to prevent it from happening? What did they have to think about all of this? Well, I don't know, but I'm always curious. Okay, back to our story. Then in the flickering light of the oil lamps, Jesus took bread and after blessing it, broke it and gave it to the disciples saying, Take, eat, this is my body. And he took a cup and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them saying, Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many, for the forgiveness of sins. As the disciples ate, they were not just partaking in a regular meal. They were sharing in a profound moment of intimacy with their teacher. The Last Supper is significant in Christian faith. It is filled with love, humility, and foreshadowing. That means showing what is to come. Jesus, knowing the events that would happen, used this time to establish a reminder for all of us of his sacrifice. The breaking of bread symbolizes his body, given for us. And the shared cup symbolizes his blood which seals the new covenant with forgiveness of sins. That is an incredible thing. Hallelujah. But the disciples still didn't quite understand exactly what Jesus was talking about. They didn't understand the depth of his words and actions in that moment. Well, that is it for our story today. But before we go, let's think of what we just heard. The very special meal we heard Jesus share with his disciples to celebrate the Passover is called the Last What? The Last Supper? Good. Do you ever see people take communion at your church? Yes. We do this because of the Last Supper. Communion is the way we remember this special moment. It's so important because it reminds us of what Jesus did on the cross. You heard Jesus talk about the bread and the wine, but he was saying they are symbols for something else. Jesus was saying, these things are like me. I will be broken for you. We heard Jesus say this would happen for the forgiveness of what? Sins. What's a sin? Guess out loud. Thanks for sharing. Sin is when we disobey God. So do you and I sin sometimes? Yes. Yeah, we do. But guess what? Jesus was the only perfect person. Not a single human. None of us are perfect, which means all of us sin. But there is good news. The Bible says that if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Because of Jesus, we are forgiven. We have a Savior. When you believe in Him, you are chosen in holy. In the Bible, Paul even calls Christians saints. Whoa. Wow. I hope that you can think about that this week. We have to stop for today. Next week we'll pick up in the garden. What do you think will happen with Judas? Tune in next week to find out. Thanks again for listening and, as always, bye for now.
