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TEXT: 1 Corinthians 11:23-31
Judith was so happy. Her Uncle Matthew had come to spend a few days with them. He was her favorite uncle. Besides, he told the best stories! He had been a good friend and disciple of Jesus, and he never seemed to get tired of talking about his Lord. And Judith never got tired of listening.
Today the two of them had gone fox a walk together. Judith decided that it was time to have a story. "Uncle Matthew, please tell me about that special supper you had with Jesus, the last one before He died." Judith loved to hear him tell about that.
"I don't think I will ever forget that night," Uncle Matthew began softly, as he sat down on a large rock. He stared off into the blue sky. "It was the time of the Passover feast. Jesus and those of us who were His disciples were eating the supper in a large upper room.
"Jesus picked up some bread, gave thanks, and broke it apart. Then He passed it around to us. I remember how He explained that it represented His body. He said that we should eat it to remind us that He died for us. Then He took a drink from a cup. He passed the cup to each of us and told us that we should drink it to remind us that His Blood was shed for us. We realized it was something very important. He told us to do this often, to help us remember Him and what He did for us."
Judith closed her eyes, imagining the picture as her uncle spoke. Then she asked, "Did you know what He meant?"
"At that time, we couldn't fully understand what He meant. You see, we didn't know that He was going to die the next day. Of course, He knew that. But it wasn't until after He died and had risen, that we understood what He had been trying to tell us.
"Now when we are together as believers, we repeat what He did. We share some special Passover bread, and take a drink from a cup which we pass around to one another just as He did. It helps us to remember that Jesus died and rose from the grave so our sins could be forgiven. Someday He will come back and take us to Heaven, just as He said He would."
"That is such a beautiful story, Uncle Matthew," Judith said softly. "And I am so happy. Do you know why? Father and Mother have said that I may take part in the Lord's Supper the next time all of you come together for that special time. I believe in Jesus, and I know He lives in my heart."
"That's wonderful news, Judith," her uncle said. "Even though you are young, I know you understand the importance of this. Though you never saw Jesus, He is alive in your heart. And you want to remember what He did for you, just as we do."
PARENT'S CORNER
This lesson is about the first Lord's Supper. We are told in the Bible that this is to be repeated in remembrance of Jesus.
Talk about remembrances. Show your child an old program for some special event. Talk about how the program is a reminder to you of what happened at that time. A picture album is also a good reminder—it brings to mind things that happened in the past. Explain what happens at a communion service, and relate this to our remembering Christ and His offering His Body for us on the Cross of Calvary.
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