Meals with Jesus #7: Why Jesus chose a meal to commemorate his death

Ready for Impact (10 mins)

Catch up on how things have been over the past week (over drinks and snacks if possible), taking time to let any new members introduce themselves. Then ask group members:

Where is your favourite place to go out for a meal? Why?

This term, we’re exploring some of the meals Jesus shared. Not only will this help us get to know Jesus better, we’ll see how the way he shared meals can teach us a lot as we experience student life today.

Ask for a volunteer to read Luke 22:7-22 to the group, praying a short prayer that, however much they’ve come to know Jesus, they’d know him better as a result of your time together.

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Impacted by the Word (20 minutes)

Imagine you were making a film adaptation of this account. What atmosphere would you try to convey? How would you light it? What kind of musical score would you use?
What do verses 8-16 tell us about Jesus?

Read Exodus 12:25-27.

How did the Passover meal remind people of God’s judgement and provision?
Back in Luke, what do the Passover and Jesus’ impending death have in common? (verses 19-20)
This meal is given to help Jesus’ followers look back to his death – but also to look forward to the coming of his kingdom (verses 16 and 18). How do you understand these two aspects to be linked?
Jesus says, “Do this in remembrance of me” – not ‘think this’, or ‘feel this’. Why do you think Jesus decided to leave his followers with a meal to remember him by?

The meal that Jesus inaugurates is known by different names – including the ‘Lord’s Supper’, communion and the ‘Eucharist’ (taken from the Greek word for ‘gratitude’).

The meal is rich in symbolism. At once, Jesus connects this meal to the historical events of the exodus, his death in a few hours’ time and the future hope of the new creation. Jesus also identifies the bread and wine as somehow not just representing but mysteriously presenting his body and blood to us today. To all this, the Apostle Paul adds a further theme: communion is also an act of unity. As we each share in the same bread and wine, we remind ourselves of our common hope in Jesus (1 Corinthians 11:27-32).

Clearly, Jesus’ plan was that the Lord’s Supper should stand at the centre of the church’s worship. It is a tangible sign of his presence, a means of relating (‘communion’) with him, and a re-enactment of our freedom from slavery through his death and resurrection. In this, the Lord’s Supper dramatizes our common union with Christ in a way that mere words cannot.

Jesus instructs his followers to eat bread and drink wine in remembrance of him. Does this mean we should share the Lord’s Supper in our CUs?

Probably not. After all, we don’t do everything Jesus commanded in CUs. CUs have a limited, specific, missional focus for making Jesus known among students. There are many things that Jesus commands that make sense to be done in a local church under the oversight of recognised church leaders. Baptism and sharing the Lord’s Supper are just two examples; caring for orphans and providing for the poor would be others.

There might also be different opinions in your CU about exactly what is going on when we share the Lord’s Supper and we want to be sensitive to that.

Rather than celebrating the Lord’s Supper as an Impact Group, help the Christians in your group get excited about when the time next comes to celebrate it in their local church setting.

Impacting Our Hearts (10 minutes)

Jesus could have chosen any means as a way of remembering him. But he specifically chooses this meal. Throughout history, the church has followed Jesus’ instructions: the Last Supper is one of the most commonly depicted episodes of Jesus’ life, often portrayed in paintings and stained-glass windows.

Why is it important for Jesus’ followers to be frequently reminded of this specific episode?
Is there anything from this episode that’s new to you or jumped out afresh?

If you’re part of a church family, you will likely take communion with them.

When taking communion with your church family, what could you do to dwell on and enjoy what we’ve seen today?

Impacting the University (15 minutes)

Jesus deliberately makes his death the focal point of his ministry.

Write the following words on a piece of paper and discuss how the cross brings good news in some of these areas: forgiveness, justice, hope, meaning, suffering, peace.

The Lord’s Supper also reminds us that God’s primary means of engaging the world with his love is through his people, gathered into local churches. CUs comprise of students from a range of local churches, united together in the gospel. Being part of a local church is an essential part of being a follower of Jesus.

If you are part of a church, what are some of the things you love about your own church family?

Up to one-third of students say they’d try church if they were personally invited (probably even more at Christmas time!).

How do you think attending church might help your friends gain a clearer vision of Jesus?

Think and pray together about who you could invite to church this week.

Wrap-up – TACOS 🌮

Thank You – Thank everyone for coming, and ask someone to thank God for your time together in prayer.

Ask – Ask those who are new to reading the Bible if they’d like to explore Uncover, a set of sessions in Mark’s Gospel, allowing them to investigate one of the earliest accounts of Jesus’ life alongside one of you.

Church and CU – What does the CU have planned ahead? And what help would group members value in finding a local church?

Others – Who else could you invite to join your CU Impact Group next week? These friends don’t need to be followers of Jesus and may really appreciate being invited.

See You Soon – Tell the group where and when you’ll meet next week, and arrange who will bring snacks. (You might like to alternate healthy and less healthy weeks!). See if anyone would be up for sharing a meal or just hanging out in the meantime!