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The Last Supper of Jesus and The Holy Communion

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[Matthew 26:26-28]

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

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When Passover comes, almost every man of Israel goes up to Jerusalem to keep the Passover. Jesus and his disciples were going to Jerusalem to keep the Passover, which is one of the three yearly feasts.

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On the first day of the Passover, the disciples asked Jesus this question. "Where do you want us to prepare the food for the Passover?" "Go into the city and tell this to the certain man that you will meet. 'The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.'"

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The disciples of Jesus followed the command of Jesus. They went into the city, met a man and said what Jesus told them. Then, surprisingly, the man led them to a room big enough to keep the Passover.

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The disciples started diligently preparing food for the Passover in that place. Although the disciples did not know, this Passover would be the last Passover that Jesus was keeping before leaving the world. Therefore, this Passover had a very special meaning to Jesus.

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The twelve disciples gathered around Jesus to have their supper.
Then, the Passover meal began.

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However, while they were eating, Jesus told a very shocking thing. "I tell you the truth, one of you who is eating with me here will betray me. He will sell me to the high priest and to the elders."

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Upon hearing the words of Jesus, the disciples were very surprised.
They asked Jesus one after another. "Jesus, surely am I not the one?" "Lord, am I the one?"

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Jesus continued to speak. "I will go just as Father God has set for me. But woe to that man who betrays me! It would be better for him if he had not been born." At that moment, a disciple named Judas Iscariot said to Jesus. "Surely not I, Rabbi?"

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Jesus said to Judas Iscariot, "You have said it." Jesus already knew that Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, would sell him but Jesus did not run away from it and chose to go the way God had set for him.

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After saying this, Jesus showed them a very important ceremony to the disciples. Jesus took the bread and prayed. After his prayer, he broke the bread and shared it with his disciples.

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"Take and eat; this is my body."

Jesus said this because he knew that his whole body would be torn when he died on the cross to forgive our sins. Jesus was telling us that he would willingly sacrifice all his body to save us.

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Then, Jesus raised the cup and prayed. "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood, the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."

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The disciples drank the wine that Jesus gave. Jesus was saying that he would carry all our sins, be crucified on the cross and shed his blood to open up the way of salvation for us.

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Jesus knew all the pain he would soon suffer on the cross so Jesus had a last supper before his death. In that place, Jesus told the meaning of his death through this ceremony. After the ceremony, Jesus and his disciples sang a hymn and went up to Mount of Olives.

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The Holy Communion is a holy ceremony that Jesus made for us to remember and never forget the grace of his death on the cross, which was all for forgiving our sins. Every time we do this ceremony, believers of Jesus think about the love of Jesus, who died on the cross for us. We should remember the love of Jesus, who took the cross to save us and tell this love to our friends.

(You can change the conclusion of this sermon best suiting to your listeners of this sermon. We want to make it clear that the provided conclusion is only a sample conclusion provided by CTM.)