Family Holy Week DevotionalSample

READ TOGETHER

Today is a day that many Christians call “Maundy Thursday.” Remember how Jesus and his disciples were in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover? Well this was the first official day of the Passover (also called the Festival of Unleavened Bread). Passover started in the evening with a special meal called the seder. So just like when Jesus asked his disciples to find a donkey on Palm Sunday, he again sent his disciples into the city to tell a “certain man” that they needed to use his house to prepare the Passover meal. And just like on Palm Sunday, everything happened exactly as Jesus said.

Jesus and his disciples prepared the Seder dinner at the man’s house and Jesus used this time to teach his disciples. We call this meal, “The Last Supper.” He knew that this would be the last time they were all together before he died. During the meal, Jesus told his disciples that one of them would betray him. They were each very upset by this, because they loved Jesus so much. But there was one disciple who loved money more than he loved Jesus. Remember Judas? The one who was so upset about Mary wasting the perfume? He had decided to betray Jesus for 30 silver coins (about one day’s pay). He went to the religious leaders and they plotted together about how to arrest and kill Jesus.

The Last Supper is very important to us as Christians. We celebrate Holy Communion in church now to remember the Last Supper and what Jesus said. On that night long ago with the disciples, Jesus picked up the bread and blessed it, then he broke it into pieces and gave it to his disciples. He said, “Take this and eat, for this is my body, broken for you,” Then he picked up a cup of wine and thanked God for it. He gave the cup to his disciples and said, “Take and drink, for this is my blood, which has been poured out to forgive the sins of many.” Jesus said these things to his disciples because he knew that very soon, he would sacrifice his body and pour out his blood on the cross. He would die for us and for our sins. Whenever we take Communion at church, we eat bread and drink wine or juice to remember that Jesus died for us.

After they finished eating, Jesus and his disciples walked together to a place called the Mount of Olives, to a garden at its base called Gethsemane. Jesus spent a long time praying to God in the garden, until Judas arrived with men to arrest Jesus. The men took Jesus to their religious leaders and they began to tease him, yell at him, beat him, and look for proof to be allowed to kill him. This began all of the trials and events that would lead to Jesus being sentenced to death on the cross, even though he had done nothing wrong.

Sometimes it can be easy for us to forget about Jesus when our lives get busy. We don’t always stop and talk to him, or thank him, or tell him how much we love him. Jesus knew this about humans, because even though he was God’s Son, he was also fully human! This is one of the reasons that he told his disciples to remember him every time they sat down to eat and drink. Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19). We need to do things in our lives, too, that help us to remember Jesus and what He has done for us.

TALK TOGETHER

1 - Talk about how you think the disciples would have been feeling during the Last Supper.

2 - How can we remember Jesus when we sit down to have a meal together? What about other times of the day?

PRAY TOGETHER 

Dear God, thank you for sending your Son Jesus to us. We want to always remember him and never get too busy to think about him. Jesus, you are so important to us! We love you and we are sorry for the times that we don’t remember you. You are the most important part of our lives. Thank you for loving us. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.