Palm Sunday School Lesson for Teenagers

Scripture: Luke 22:17-20

Topic: When Jesus ate with his Disciples

Background: This lesson would be taught during a Sunday morning breakfast club for teenagers. Once a month the youth meet to cook breakfast and then we try to relate the lesson to food. Last time the Middle School breakfast club met a middle school student led his peers in a devotional that went through the various stories of Jesus sharing food with his disciples. This Sunday we are going to focus on one of those stories and how it relates to Easter.

Opening:

1. Ask, “Have you ever helped plan a party?”

a. Ask the students to share about the various things they did to prepare (send invites, decorate, blow up balloons, set the table, plan games, order food).

2. Say, “For some families, Easter is a time of celebration, a party of sorts.”

a. Ask, “What does your family do to celebrate Easter?” (family gets together, we eat dinner together, Easter egg hunt, attend church services, go to Maundy Thursday or Good Friday at church)

b. Ask, “How do you prepare for those celebrations?” (set the table, buy new Easter clothes, fill and hide eggs, go to special church services)

3. Say, “Jesus helped his disciples prepare for the first Easter by celebrating the Passover with them.”

Bible Study:

1. Ask a volunteer to read Luke 22:7-13

a. What Jewish holiday were they celebrating?

b. What did Jesus ask Peter and John to do? What did he ask them to say?

c. Who helped Peter and John? Could you imagine being that person who helped them? What would that have been like? How do you think you or your parents/guardians would have responded?

d. Who prepared the room? Who made sure the room was prepared?

2. What is the Passover?

a. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passover

b. http://www.jewsforjesus.com/

3. Ask a volunteer to read Luke 21:14-16

a. Describe this scene – what do you think this looked like? (table, chairs, table cloth, disciples lounging around, everyone listening attentively)

b. What crazy thing did Jesus just say? Do you think the disciples heard and understood his words? Why or why not?

c. What did Jesus mean by his words?

4. Ask a volunteer to read Luke 21:17-20

a. How many cups were there? Loaves of bread?

b. What did Jesus say after the first cup? What does this mean?

c. What did Jesus say after the bread? What does this mean?

d. When did they drink the second cup? What did Jesus say after the second cup? What does this mean?

e. So Jesus, says he will not drink of the vine until the Kingdom comes, then he shows that his body will be broken, and finally he says that his blood will be poured out with a new promise.

Summary:

When Jesus held up the cup and the bread he was claiming that he was the Passover Lamb that would take away their sins and release them from the power of death.

Do any of you remember how in the story of the Exodus the Israelites placed lamb’s blood on the outside of their homes above the door? Why did they do this? (so that death would pass over and the first born dwelling inside would not die.) In a similar way Jesus’ blood has covered our lives!

Life Application:

The disciples Peter and John and the unnamed person prepared the Passover meal for the disciples. What are some ways that we can prepare for God in our lives?

In many ways God prepared the meal and helped connect all of the people in order to make the meal happen. How have you seen God connect people in your life?

Jesus used the meal to tell the Disciples what would happen to him on the cross. Jesus said that through his crucifixion a new promise would be made. This promise offers us new life.

When we live by the old promise, we are trying to, however unsuccessfully, follow God’s law. But when we live by the new promise, we discover that we can’t successfully follow God’s law, but we can receive God’s love and grace and eternal life anyways. What is one way this next week you can cherish God’s love, grace, and the gift of eternal life?