Matthew 26:17-30; Mark 14:10-32; Luke 22:14-28; John 13:1-20

It may be one of the most memorable scenes from the life of Jesus. It has been recreated in paintings and stained glass. All four gospels tell about it in some fashion. Jesus ate a final meal with his disciples before his death.

As the editors compiled the Spark Story Bible for children, they included the bread and the cup from the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) and the foot-washing from John in one comprehensive account of Jesus’ love for his followers:

Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world. He wanted to share his last Passover meal together with his 12 closest friends, the disciples. Jesus loved his friends and wanted to show them his love in a caring way….

We know the story. We can close our eyes and picture Jesus serving his followers and then laying down his life for them. And when we think about this great act of love, we picture ourselves in this story, too.

Prayer

Dear God, let me touch and taste and feel Your great love for me, as I strive every day to be a faithful follower of the same Jesus who died so that I might live. Amen.