The Last Supper: Conversations That Led to the Cross - Paperback

by William H. Willimon (Author)

Experience Lent through the lens of Jesus's most powerful mealtime parables. Travel with Jesus on the road to Jerusalem in this profound six-week Lenten study that explores the parables and stories Jesus told at tables along the way to his final meal. Will Willimon invites readers to experience how these table stories--about searching shepherds, welcoming hosts, prodigal sons, and rejected invitations--illuminate the deeper meaning of the Last Supper and Christ's sacrifice. Through engaging biblical exploration and Willimon's characteristic storytelling wisdom, readers will: - Discover how Jesus used meals to reveal the surprising nature of God's kingdom - Explore how stories of mercy, invitation, and radical hospitality prepare us for Holy Week - Understand why sharing bread and wine became the central ritual of Christian faith - Experience Maundy Thursday's profound significance in fresh, meaningful ways Each chapter concludes with thought-provoking questions for personal reflection or group discussion that connect these ancient stories to contemporary Christian life. This Lenten season, gather at the table with Jesus and his disciples to experience the journey from Palm Sunday to the cross through the stories that prepared the way. Willimon's accessible yet profound insights will transform how you understand both the Last Supper and your own place at Christ's table. In addition to the book, other study components include a Leader Guide and DVD.

Author Biography

Will Willimon is a lifelong Methodist. He is Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry at Duke University Divinity School and retired Bishop of the North Alabama Conference of The United Methodist Church, after serving for twenty years as faculty member and Dean of the Chapel at Duke University. As Bishop, he led North Alabama's 157,000 Methodists and 792 pastors. He has authored roughly a hundred books and is widely recognized as one of Methodism's most insightful, inspiring, and challenging voices.