Matthew 26:17-30; Mark 14:12-26; Luke 22:7-38
Jesus and His friends were in Jerusalem to celebrate a holiday together. The holiday was called the Passover. Jewish people celebrate the Passover every year to remind them of the time God freed them from slavery.
As part of the holiday, Jesus and His friends ate a special meal. Jesus picked up some bread from the table. Jesus said thank-you to God for the bread. Then Jesus broke the bread into pieces and gave some bread to each of His friends.
“Take and eat. This is my body given for you,” Jesus said. He compared the bread to His body.
Then Jesus took a cup and thanked God for it. “Drink from this cup. This is my blood shed for many people,” Jesus said. Jesus gave the cup to each friend.
The bread and the cup were reminders of what was going to happen soon: Jesus’ death on the cross. This special meal, called the Last Supper, reminds everyone who follows Jesus of His love and God’s plan to forgive sins.
