Important Symbols – Juice and Bread
Two symbols that rise to the top in our Christian faith are the juice and the bread as they bring to mind the poignancy of the Lord’s Supper and what it means. The bread represents the body of Jesus Christ and the juice, his blood – both pointing to his humanity and his divinity, and the sacrifice he would make on the cross, demonstrating God’s love for us that while we were sinners, Christ died for us.
Read Luke 22:7-23
7Then the Day of Unleavened Bread came when the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”
9 “Where do you want us to prepare it?” they asked him.
10 “Listen,” he said to them, “when you’ve entered the city, a man carrying a water jug will meet you. Follow him into the house he enters. 11 Tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks you, “Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ 12 Then he will show you a large, furnished room upstairs. Make the preparations there.”
13 So they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.
The First Lord’s Supper
14 When the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 Then he said to them, “I have fervently desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again[a] until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you, from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
19 And he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
20 In the same way he also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.[b] 21 But look, the hand of the one betraying me is at the table with me. 22 For the Son of Man will go away as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!”
23 So they began to argue among themselves which of them it could be who was going to do it.
Pray and ask God what it means to live a life of sacrifice. To help define this word for younger ears, use words and phrases like, “thinking of others needs” “showing kindness to others” “giving up something for someone else.” Paul talks about this in Philippians 2:3 “When you do things, do not let selfishness or pride be your guide. Be humble and give more honor to others than to yourselves.”
Set aside a special time and have the Lord’s Supper. Gather both bread and juice and locate in your Bible 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. Here is a version that may read better for younger children:
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
23 The teaching that I gave you is the same teaching that I received from the Lord: On the night when Jesus was handed over to be killed, he took bread 24 and gave thanks for it. Then he broke the bread and said, “This is my body; it is for you. Do this to remember me.” 25 In the same way, after they ate, Jesus took the cup. He said, “This cup shows the new agreement from God to his people. This new agreement begins with the blood of my death. When you drink this, do it to remember me.” 26 Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you show others about the Lord’s death until he comes.”
Content inspired by Faithful Families for Lent, Easter, and Resurrection by Tracy Smith – Chalice Press: 2021. All rights Reserved.
