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10. The Life of Paul

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© David A. Jones.
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OBJECTIVES:
1. To explain what the Passover means to a Jew.  It was a memorial of a historical event.
2. To portray the Passover environment in the Upper Room.  A feeling of gratitude ought to prevail.
3. To make clear that, in the midst of pain and sorrow, devotion and perplexity, Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper.
4. To point out how precious the Lord’s Supper is to those of us who celebrate it today.

SCENE No. 1. A street scene in Egypt, showing the marking of the door with blood.
DEVELOPMENT:
Note: Review the historical event and why the door had to be marked by blood.
- Somewhere around the year 1462 B.C. before nightfall in Egypt, the Israelites were celebrating the first Passover.
- The last Passover that would be of any value in God’s eyes was the one kept by Jesus just before He suffered and died.
Cmt. The picture called the Last Supper, painted by Leonardo de Vinci should have had as its title the First Supper.
- Explain the steps that were followed in the first Passover:
1) The animal was kept for three days;
2) the  lamb was then killed;
3) its blood caught;
4) then applied to the door;
5) the lamb roasted;
6) the unleavened bread; and
7) the meal eaten with bitter herbs.
- The whole family would eat the roasted meat while waiting for the Lord’s call to leave Egypt and go into freedom.
- From that time on, the Israelites were to celebrate the Passover every year as a solemn feast of Jehovah. See Ex. 12:14a.
- In the years subsequent to the establishment of the Passover, the children ask questions which allow the parents to explain the reason for the blood marked door and Israel’s departure from Egypt.
Sug. One of the details that should be stressed regarding the Israelites is the importance of applying the blood. To leave it in the basin would indicate a lack of obedience and the offered protection would be lost.
Apl. It is most important to respond obediently to what God provides for our salvation today, the Lamb of God.
- Obedient to the law of Moses, Jesus celebrates the Passover with His own.
- To celebrate the Passover was to recognize the price paid for freedom obtained in a past day.
- It was a declaration that they were now free from all the Israelites had suffered in Egypt before the Lord intervened on their behalf.
- The Israelites rejoiced greatly on account of this.
- Just as God had provided a complete salvation for His people in Egypt, so also He has for us in Christ Jesus, the Lamb of God.
- Freedom from Egypt meant the end of their slavery.
Apl The Passover lamb is a figure of Christ Jesus, God’s Son, who came to save (set free) the sinner from the slavery of sin.   See John 1:29.

SCENE No. 2. In  Jerusalem.
DEVELOPMENT:
-. The disciples ask the Lord in what place He would have them prepare for Him to eat the Passover. Matthew 26:17
- They do not ask IF He is going to eat it, but instead take it for granted He will do so.
- Peter and John are sent to prepare the Passover with instructions for finding the place.   Luke 22:7-13.
- Even as the Lord knew the name of Zacchaeus without having seen him previously, and just as He knew where to find the colt on which He entered Jerusalem,  He also knew about the man who carried a pitcher of water.
Apl This man represents the Holy Spirit of God who guides those who seek, to a place where they can have fellowship with the Lord.
- The householder showed real love to the Lord Jesus by having “a large upper room, furnished and prepared” for Him. (Mark 14:15).
Apl  We should recognize the lordship of the Saviour over everything we have and are.
For example, we should use our feet for the Lord, as well as our bikes and cars.
- Judas had already gone secretly to the chief priests to negotiate with them his betrayal of the Lord.
- From then on, he seeks an opportunity to carry out his intentions.
- There is an air of excitement in Jerusalem.  The governors have demanded the arrest of Jesus, and there are those who think that He ought to be declared king.
- Despite all this, the Lord goes quietly on His way, knowing that His hour is near.

SCENE No. 3.  In the upper room.
DEVELOPMENT:
- The Lord takes part in the Passover meal with his 12 disciples.
- The order of events on the night of the Passover supper seems to be as follows:
1)  The Lord and the disciples take their respective places at the table.
2) An argument starts again about who should be the greatest.
3) Jesus washes the feet of the disciples.
4) Judas is identified as the traitor.
5) Judas leaves the upper room.
6) The institution of the Lord’s Supper.
7) Jesus’ ministry found in John 13:31-14:31 and other teachings in Matt 26, and Luke 22.
8) Jesus’ words spoken during the walk from the Upper Room to the Garden, including John 15 and 16.
- While they celebrated the Jewish Passover Feast with Jesus,  Judas is pointed out as the one who would betray Him.
Note: It is not necessary to mention Judas in any detail for the next lesson deals with his betrayal.
- When Judas leaves the room the disciples do not really understand what he is going to do.
- This traitor leaves the presence of Him who declared He was the Light of the world.
- He goes into the blackness of a night of darkness. He goes from the darkness of that Passover night to the blackness of an eternity without Christ.  John 13:30.
- When Jesus took the bread and broke it, and when He gave them the cup, symbols of His body given and His blood shed, Jesus leaves with His disciples a memorial feast that will remind them of Him until He come.

SCENE No. 4. Application with objects to represent important things and others to show essential things.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE LESSON:
- Some things in life are very IMPORTANT, and others ESSENTIAL.
- We have objects that help us to remember things that are IMPORTANT.
- Some examples are:
- a watch to remind us of our commitments.
- a bank to remind us that it is important to have savings.
- newspapers and books about important events.
- Other things are ESSENTIAL, that is, of the greatest importance.
- We ought always to remember the importance in daily life of prayer, Bible reading and that the coming of the Lord is drawing near.
- The Lord’s Supper reminds us of Christ and His sacrifice, since the bread, the symbol of His body, separate from that which represents His blood, speaks of death.
- On taking a portion of bread and eating it, we remember that our sins were what caused His body to be broken for our sakes.
- As we remember Christ, we recall that He rescued us so that we could serve Him with our praises and with a life yielded to Him, in response to His love.
- In the same way, as he takes the cup, the believer recognizes the value of the blood of the New Covenant for the remission of sins. Mt 26:28 Mr 14:24 Lu 22:20 1Co 11:25
- We thus show or proclaim the Lord’s death until He come, and upon recalling His soon return, we are made more conscious that the time is limited for honoring and serving Him here on earth.  1 Cor. 11:26.
- As we remember the Lord Jesus, we are reminded that he saved us to serve Him with praise and a life given to Him, as a response of our love toward Him.

THE LORD’S SUPPER
With regards to the Lord’s supper, the following points are important.
1. The celebration of the Passover was the first stage in the meetings of the Lord Jesus with his own.
2. The institution of the Supper was something separate, the second stage.
Cns. It was at the end of the Passover celebration the Jesus surprisingly rose, took bread, gave thanks to God, and then passed the
bread to the disciples saying, “Take, eat, this is (represents) my body”.   Mat. 26:26
- The same procedure followed with the cup.  “Drink ye all of it, because this is (represents) the blood of the new covenant that is shed for many. Mat. 26:27-28.
- The old covenant was based on the blood of animals sacrificed to provide access to God, an act that had to be repeated constantly.
- The new  covenant established a new basis—the blood of the Lord Jesus and his sacrifice on the cross to provide access to God, which would have an eternal effect for those who believe on Him.  This covenant is greater since it is eternal in it’s scope.
- Read carefully  Heb. 9:6-28 Heb. 10:1-10.
- The Lord Jesus requested that this new act be repeated “in memory of me”.
“IN MEMORY OF ME”.  The celebration of the Supper is an act which produces gratitude in the heart of all those who appreciate what the Lord Jesus did to save us.
- Expressing gratitude is a form of adoration.  To adore is to mention to the Father the feeling of appreciation the believer has for the great work done by the Lord Jesus.   John 4:23.
- DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME  This requires a conscious effort to think of what the Lord Jesus did and to formulate expressions of thanks.  When one ceases to wonder, one ceases to worship.
Sug.  Ask the students to think about something special in their parents, their grandparents, or in others and to mention it.  Then give them an opportunity to mention something special about the Lord Jesus. In this way, they will have an understanding of what it means to worship.
Cns. The first act of adoration is when a repentant sinner expresses gratitude to God through the Saviour Jesus Christ.
- With reference to the word  “ANNOUNCE” in 1 Cor. 11:26.  The celebration of the Lord’s Supper is also a preaching of the Gospel.
- It is possible that some of your students have been present in the Breaking of Bread.
Sug. The teacher might think about inviting some of the students who have never seen a Breaking a Bread to be present one Sunday, seated behind.  A previous explanation will be necessary of what takes places, telling them they can observe and afterward can ask questions.  It would be wise to mention they will not participate, but are there as observers.