Last Supper | Tables | Mitch Harrison

Why is being a loving person so hard? The night before Jesus would give his life, he gave the disciples a new covenant confirmed by the cross and a new command to love others, and he loved them. As he washed the feet of the disciples, including the one who would betray him and the one who would deny him, Jesus displayed the full extent of his love. 1 John 4:19 explains, "We love because he loved us first." How are you receiving the love of Jesus so that you may share it with others through your actions? Who might you need to show love to?

KEY VERSES

  • Luke 22:19 NLT: He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

  • Luke 22:20 NLT: After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.

  • John 13:34 NLT: So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.

  • John 13:35 NLT: Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

  • 1 John 4:7-8 NLT: Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

  • 1 John 4:20-21 NLT: If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.

  • John 13:1 NLT: Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end.

  • John 13:3-5 NLT: Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God.So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.

  • John 13:8 NLT: “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.”

  • John 13:9 NLT: Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”

  • John 13:15 NLT: I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.

  • 1 John 4:10 NLT: This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

  • 1 John 4:19 NIV: We love because he first loved us.

HEARING WHAT GOD IS SAYING

One of the best ways to hear what God is saying right now is to look at what He has said in the Bible with a few friends. Discovery Bible Study is an easy-to-use way to hear from God, make good changes in our lives, and share with others what God is up to. Grab some friends, pick a verse or story from above, and dive deeper into this week’s message.

Recap

+ Reconnect

To begin the study, each person answers these questions:

  • What are you thankful for?
  • What is causing stress for our neighbors and people around us?
  • What can we as individuals or as a group do to help?

+ Recap

  • Have someone retell the story from your previous meeting.
  • Did you live out your response from last week?
  • Did you tell anyone else about the story from last week?

Discovering What God Is Saying

+ Read and Retell the Bible Story

  • One person reads the story out loud to the group.
  • Someone else in the group retells the story in their own words as they remember it, and others fill in what’s missing.

+ Read and Look

  • Read the passage again (different version if possible)
  • What does this passage say about God, Jesus, or His plan?

+ Read and Look Again

  • Have 1-2 more people retell the story as if they were telling a neighbor outside their home.
  • What does this passage say about people in general?

Doing What God Is Saying

+ Consider

  • What in me needs to change to better DO what God is showing me today?
  • How will you respond to/obey this passage in a tangible, perhaps even costly ways in the next 47 hours?
  • Have someone record these for prayer time, and for the beginning of the next meeting.

Sharing what God is saying

+ Praying Together

  • Take prayer requests
  • Pray together

+ Share

  • Who in your life needs to hear this story?
  • Who could you invite to study the Bible like this?

Become a Partner

Every time you give in Jesus’ name, you make a difference in others AND you make a difference in your own life! Partnering together in generosity helps accomplish things together that could never be accomplished alone! You can partner together in giving today with a single gift, or schedule recurring giving using your checking account, debit, or credit card.

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