Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome (2 minutes)

Hi, everyone! This is the final lesson of our Superbook adventure, “The Last Supper.” We have been learning about being a humble servant just like Jesus. Who can tell me what the meal was called that Jesus shared with His disciples? The Last Supper, or Passover.

What did Jesus do as a humble act of service for His disciples at that meal? He washed their feet.

What did He tell His disciples to do, also? To serve others as He had served them.

I really enjoy worshipping God with all of you! Let’s sing The Salvation Poem together. As we sing, let’s think about how Jesus came to serve us and was willing to die on the cross for us! That was the ultimate sacrifice — putting us first over His own life! If you have not asked Jesus to come into your heart and be your Savior, there is no better time than today!

Play Video 7: (Song) The Salvation Poem (3 minutes)

Be sure to preview the song so you can sing along with the children.

The Salvation Poem

SuperTruth and Discussion (3 minutes)

Our SuperTruth for today is, “I will follow Jesus by serving others like He did.” Let’s say that together.

While Jesus lived on Earth, He set an example for us to follow. We have been challenged to serve others as secret servants. Can two volunteers —a boy and a girl — share how they have served someone since our last lesson?

That’s really great! Let’s continue to serve others as Jesus did!

Introduce Condensed Bible Story Video (1 minute)

If all children watched the Bible story video in a previous lesson, omit it here and go straight to the SuperVerse.

To refresh our memories about the Bible story and to help any children who didn’t see it in a previous lesson, let’s watch a short version of the Superbook episode to see how Jesus became a servant and taught others how to serve with a humble attitude.

Play Video 4: Condensed Bible Story (8 minutes)

Condensed Bible Story

Superbook takes Chris, Joy and Gizmo to Jerusalem, where crowds cheer as Jesus enters the city on a donkey. When Jesus washes His disciples’ feet, they learn that greatness in God’s kingdom means serving others.

Play Video 10C: SuperVerse Graphic 3

Graphic loops 2.5 minutes without audio; turn off or freeze video after children repeat verse.

SuperVerse Graphic 3

SuperVerse Discussion (2 minutes)

Our SuperVerse, Ephesians 5:2, says,

Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. 

Live a life filled with what? Love.

Following whose example? Christ’s, Jesus’.

He loved us and offered Himself as a what? Sacrifice for us.

A pleasing aroma to whom? God.

Let’s all say the whole SuperVerse together. Ready? Children repeat verse.

Children will have more time to learn the SuperVerse in Small Group.

Introduce Signposts Video (1 minute)

Now we have a special video about the Jewish feast of Passover, which was the last supper Jesus had before He died on the cross.

Play Video 6: Signposts (4 minutes)

Signposts Video

Prayer and Send-Off (2 minutes)

Let’s pray before we go to our small groups. Dear God, Father, we praise You once again for Jesus coming to Earth to be a humble servant. Help us to follow His example so we can live a life that is pleasing to You. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Today in Small Group, you will practice serving one another in a bowling game. Have fun!

Teachers take children to Small Group classes for Grades 1–3 and 4–6. If the combined group is small, all children may stay together for Small Group time. 

Game

Divide the class into two teams. Have an adult or sixth grade helper assist in keeping score. The children will serve each other by setting up their team’s cups into a pyramid: four on the bottom, three on the next level, two on the next row, then one at the top. Each player on a team will get two turns in a row to try to knock down all the cups by rolling the ball. That player then will serve by stacking the next player’s cups. Have a helper keep score of how many cups each team stacks up - rather than knocks down - to reward the efforts to rebuild. The team with the highest score wins.

Did you prefer stacking the cups or rolling the ball?

Yes, it would be fun to just roll the ball over and over and have others stack the cups and return the balls to you, wouldn’t it? But, we learned something very different from Jesus and how He lived His life on Earth. He didn’t come to Earth to be served—He humbled Himself and came to serve others!

Alternative Play Ideas:

• The game can be played with two balls - one per team - by returning the ball before each roll.
• As an added connection to the SuperTruth, substitute a rolled-up sock for each ball and emphasize that we are to follow in Jesus’ footsteps.
• For smaller classes, play with one set of cups and work as a group for the highest score possible.

Teaching

The Passover Cards are disc shape to resemble loaves of unleavened bread.

If possible, display the actual elements your church uses for communion—grape juice/wine, wafer/bread—as an additional visual aid during the presentation.

In our Superbook video, we watched how Jesus, on the night before His crucifixion, celebrated the Passover meal with His disciples. Let’s look a little deeper at what Passover is and what took place in the upper room that night.

1. Hand the Last Supper Cup to a child, who removes Card # 1 and reads it aloud. Passover.

The Celebration of the Passover remembers the night Moses led the Israelite slaves out of Egypt. God instructed each Israelite family to sacrifice a perfect lamb and to spread its blood on the doorposts of their homes. When God’s angel went throughout Egypt to kill all the firstborn, he would “pass over” any home with the blood on the doorpost. Everyone inside was protected by the blood of the lamb. The Egyptian houses did not have the blood on their doorposts, so their firstborn sons died. This was the last plague that God sent to Egypt to convince Pharaoh to let God’s people go. Jesus shared the Passover meal with His disciples on the night before His crucifixion. Each year, the festival of Passover is still observed and celebrated by Jewish people today. The Passover meal is called the Seder—“SAY-der.”

ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION FOR GRADES 4–6

In Exodus 6:6, God spoke to the Israelites through Moses,

“Therefore, say to the people of Israel: ‘I am the Lord. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment.’”

God did what He promised the Israelites and delivered them from physical slavery in Egypt! This verse is a signpost to how Jesus rescues us from spiritual slavery to sin. He freed mankind by the blood He shed with outstretched arms on the cross. By that blood, we are covered and cleansed from our sin and protected from God’s judgment. Peter said in 1 Corinthians 5:7:

Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us.

2. Let’s look inside the cup for card #2. Hand the Last Supper Cup to a child, who removes Card #2 and reads it aloud. Communion—The Bread. Matthew 26:26

Have children turn to Matthew 26:26. Read the verse aloud slowly as they follow along.

As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then He broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is My body.”

Christians today observe this special meal. What do we call it? Communion, the Lord’s Supper, Eucharist, etc.

Jesus broke the bread tear the disc shaped paper in half and blessed it hold the paper up in front of you. The communion bread reminds us how Jesus sacrificed His body for our sins.

ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION FOR GRADES 4–6

Isaiah 53:5 says:

But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.

Jesus willingly submitted to unbelievable physical punishment when He was whipped and nailed to the cross. He understood that this would happen when He broke the bread, saying, “This is My body.”

3. Now, look inside the cup for Card #3. Hand the Last Supper Cup to a child, who removes Card #3 and reads it aloud.Communion—The Wine. Matthew 26:27–28

Have children turn to Matthew 26:27–28. Read the verse aloud slowly as they follow along.

And He took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, for this is My blood, which confirms the covenant between God and His people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.”

Hold up the cup.

The second element in communion, the wine or grape juice, represents Jesus’ blood. His blood was shed, or poured out, for our redemption. Redemption means to redeem or purchase back. He said this is a covenant—or sacred agreement—between God and His people. When we drink the cup, we remember how Jesus paid the price for our sins and set us free by shedding His precious blood on the cross.

ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION FOR GRADES 4–6

1 Corinthians 10:16–17 says:

When we bless the cup at the Lord’s Table, aren’t we sharing in the blood of Christ? And when we break the bread, aren’t we sharing in the body of Christ? And though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body.

Through communion, we, the church, the body of Christ, become united as one through His body and blood!

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Let’s talk about our Superbook challenge. Have you been using your Superbook Secret Servant Packets as a reminder to serve others? Would anyone like to share how you have been able to serve? Allow time for children to share. Please continue to pray and look for opportunities to serve! Give packets to any children who missed the previous lessons.

SuperVerse

When we live a life filled with love and service, God is pleased! That reminds me of our SuperVerse, Ephesians 5:2! Have children look up and read Ephesians 5:2:

Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

Separate the children into two teams, each standing single-file. Place a card pile face down on the floor in front of each team. Place the prepared posters on the wall or floor across from each team. When you say “Go,” one player from each team chooses a random word card from the team’s pile and races to the poster. The player then peeks under one flap over the word(s) believed to be a match to the word card. If correct, the player tears off the flap to reveal the word(s). If incorrect, the player closes the flap, races back and puts that word card at the bottom of the team’s pile. The next player in line takes a turn. The first team to uncover the entire verse wins.

Great work on uncovering your verses! Jesus loved us and sacrificed His life for us. God was pleased with Jesus’ sacrifice because His obedience fulfilled God’s plan of salvation for us. God is pleased when we follow Jesus’ example by loving and serving others.

Alternate Memorization Activity

Divide the class into four groups and have each group make up a simple motion for one section of our SuperVerse, Ephesians 5:2. After a couple of minutes, have the groups come together to say and act out their section of the verse in the right order:

• Live a life filled with love,
• following the example of Christ.
• He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us,
• a pleasing aroma to God.

Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

Note: Younger children may not be able to memorize the SuperVerse. They may simply repeat it several times, while older children may memorize part or all of it. Be sure all children understand its meaning.

Prayer

Our SuperVerse today, Ephesians 5:2, says,

Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

Who knows what an aroma is?

An aroma is a smell, fragrance or odor. Pass around the cloth sprayed with perfume. I brought in something sweet that I enjoy smelling. Do you like it?

Do you think that all aromas are pleasing to smell?

No, not all aromas are pleasing. I brought in something else for you to smell. Would anyone like to smell this aroma? Allow volunteers to smell it and describe it to the class. God is not pleased with all kinds of sacrifices.

Read Hosea 6:6:

I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know Me more than I want burnt offerings.

Sacrifices without obedience and love are not a pleasing aroma to God! That kind of sacrifice would be like this vinegar! Hold up the vinegar.

Let’s ask God to help us live a life filled with love and humility, serving others! Romans 12:1 says,

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him.

That verse says it all, doesn’t it; we are to be a living sacrifice to God! Hold up the sweet smelling object. When we serve God and others in obedience and humility, it is a pleasing aroma to God!

Let’s pray. I will pause after each phrase so you can pray it out loud, too:

Dear Lord Jesus, …

Help us to live a life of love …

and sacrifice for others …

as we follow Your example. …

You came to serve and not be served. …

You love us so much that You died on the cross. …

This was a pleasing aroma to God. …

Help us show our thanks for Your sacrifice …

by serving others as You did. …

In Your name we pray, Amen.

Spoon Object Lesson

Recite the SuperTruth: “I will follow Jesus by serving others like He did.”

Please find someone you don’t know very well to be your partner. We are going to have some fun “serving” each other today! Have the partners sit next to each other with a bowl of dry cereal in front of each of them. What are some things that might keep us from serving others?

Sometimes we are so busy thinking about our own needs that we don’t notice the needs of others. We may even see others’ needs but don’t have the time to stop and help!

Imagine that you could not bend your arms at all! Let’s all hold our arms straight out in front of us without bending them. Now, how are you going to eat your cereal? Try to figure it out—but remember, you can’t bend your arms! And you are not allowed to eat directly from your bowl! The children will not be able to feed themselves while keeping their arms straight, but they can feed each other. Remind them not to use the same spoon to feed more than one person. Have extra spoons available, if needed.

There are many ways to serve others. Sometimes things that look small or unimportant to us are big to someone else. For instance, taking out the trash or bringing in the groceries or newspaper for someone who is unable to walk would be a tremendous help. Offering a bottle of water to someone working outside on a hot day would be a blessing to them. 

Jesus said in Matthew 10:42:

“And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of My followers, you will surely be rewarded.”

Paint Craft

Today, we have been learning about Jesus’ sacrifice of love for us and how He served others. Our SuperTruth today says: “I will follow Jesus by serving others like He did.” Today, we are going to decorate some gloves that we can use when we serve others.

Give each child a paint smock to wear as you distribute the gloves and markers or colored pens. Have children write their name in the palm of each glove.

Read John 13:15–17:

“I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.”

Jesus had just finished washing His disciples’ feet. This was normally an act that was done only by a servant, certainly not the Son of God! Jesus told His disciples that He set an example for them to follow. Do you think Jesus was just talking about washing feet?

No, He was talking about serving others in any way they could with a humble attitude. Jesus told them that if He, their master and teacher, did this, they must do the same. What did Jesus say would happen if they followed His example? God would bless them!

Since we are Jesus’ followers, God has called us to serve others, too! Have children decorate the gloves and write one letter of the word S-E-R-V-E on each of the glove fingers.

Use these servants’ gloves as a reminder to serve others like Jesus did; in humility and love.

Encourage them to use the gloves in some helpful acts of service:

• Yard work
• Taking out the trash
• Scrubbing the bathroom
• Dusting
• Washing a car or bike
• Caring for a pet
• Cleaning windows

Ask the children for other ideas for them to use their gloves while serving.

Shoes Object Lesson

Have you ever heard it said that someone was “following in their footsteps”? It means to copy or imitate the way someone lives his/her life. What do you want to be when you grow up?

Hold up a shoe or image. Who wants to be a ____? Ask the same question for each type of shoe and briefly discuss the responsibilities that a person in that job would have. Ask how they think that person could serve others and show God’s love.

No matter what shoes you wear when you are grown up, remember to follow in Jesus’ footsteps! Who can tell us our SuperTruth for today? “I will follow Jesus by serving like He did.”

Who knows what a sermon is?

Many people don’t ever go to church—so how can they ever hear a sermon about Jesus?

Did you ever think that you are a living sermon?

Some of your friends may not come to church, but if they know you’re a Christian, they will watch you to see what one of Jesus’ followers does. This is why it’s so important for us to follow in Jesus’ ways and treat other people with kindness, gentleness and humbleness. If we are rude, proud, angry, or mean, what kind of sermon will we be “preaching” with our actions?

What kind of message does Jesus want us to preach with our actions?

Jesus wants us to love others. What would you say love is?

Some people think love is a just a warm and fuzzy feeling. But the Bible describes love in a different way. Have children look up and read 1 Corinthians 13:4–5:

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.

Discuss how the passage lists very practical actions not feelings. Explain any words or phrases that the children don’t understand.

No matter what activity or job we do, we always need to follow Jesus’ example of love and treat others as He did.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, help us remember to follow in Your footsteps, especially when we are tempted to be proud, impatient or angry. Give us Your power to love and serve others. We want to live for You so we can bring honor and glory to Your name. Amen.

Paper Craft

When Jesus shared the Lord’s Supper, or communion, with His disciples, He gave them bread to eat, representing His body that was broken. He gave them wine to drink, representing His blood that He shed for the forgiveness of sin. The wine the disciples drank was contained in a large cup or goblet that was passed around. Today we are going to make a Last Supper cup to take home as a reminder of the sacrifice Jesus made for us!

Have children decorate the patterns, carefully cut them out, then write their names on the reverse side. They should tape the top of the cup together first, then the bottom.

Guest Speaker

Read Matthew 26:26–28:

As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then He broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is My body.” And He took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, for this is My blood, which confirms the covenant between God and His people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.”

Introduce the guest speaker who will discuss your church’s understanding of communion.