Denise Day Spencer

Another children’s object lesson based on the doctrinal summaries in the Disciple’s Study Bible.

Scripture: Matthew 28:19 and Luke 22:19-20

Object: a string around your finger

Today I want to teach you a new word: “ordinance.” Now that’s not a word you use every day, is it? But it is a word you’ll probably hear in the church. Sometimes we say we’re going to observe the ordinance of baptism or the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper. What does that mean?

An ordinance is something very special that we do in worship. It’s called “ordinance” because it’s something that was “ordained,” or commanded by God. Our two ordinances are baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. John was telling people to repent of their sins and get ready for the coming of the kingdom of God. Jesus came bringing the kingdom of God because He was God’s Son. When He was ready to go back to heaven after his resurrection, Jesus commanded His followers to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” When a new Christian is baptized today, he or she is identifying with Christ in His death and resurrection, and making a public confession that Jesus is Lord.

We also observe the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper, because Jesus said, “…do this in remembrance of me.” When we take the bread and the cup, we remember Jesus’ Last Supper with His disciples before His death. They were celebrating the Passover, when God delivered His people from death by the blood of the lamb. Jesus knew at the Last Supper that He was the Lamb who would die for the sins of His people.

Have you ever tied a string around your finger so you wouldn’t forget something? God gave us the ordinances so we would remember his great sacrifice for us.