Hi, my name's Ms. Minton, and welcome to this Christianity, Beliefs and Teachings lesson on Jesus Christ, Resurrection and Ascension.

By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to explain Christian beliefs about the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, including the importance and influence of these beliefs today.

Now we'll be drawing upon knowledge of Jesus' crucifixion within this lesson, but there'll also be lots of new learning.

Please don't worry though because I'm here to help you through each step of our lesson and by the end, you'll achieve this outcome.

So let's get started by taking a look at our keywords for today.

We have ascension, resurrection, and salvation.

Now, the word ascension refers to going or being taken up, and it's the event 40 days after the resurrection when Jesus returned to glory in heaven.

The resurrection refers to the belief that Jesus rose from the dead on Easter Sunday and conquered death, and salvation refers to the deliverance from sin and punishment as a result of Jesus being crucified on the cross.

Now our lesson today will have three parts.

We'll start by looking at Christian beliefs about the resurrection, we'll then look at Christian beliefs about the ascension, and finally we'll look at the importance and influence of these beliefs.

So let's get started and take a look at Christian beliefs about the resurrection.

Now, the word resurrection can be used in two different ways within Christianity.

One way is that it refers to the general belief that human beings will be raised from the dead in the afterlife.

But another way is that it can be used specifically to refer to Jesus being raised from the dead after his crucifixion.

Now, when Christians use the word resurrection to refer to this event, it's often called the resurrection.

And the Bible teaches that when Jesus died on the cross, his body was taken down and placed in a tomb instead of being buried, which would have been the usual thing to do.

Now, the reason that Jesus wasn't buried straight away is because there wasn't enough time to prepare Jesus' body with spices and oil, which is known as anointing.

And the reason there wasn't enough time is because it was about to be the Sabbath, which is also known as Shabbat in Hebrew.

Now Shabbat or the Sabbath is the Jewish day of rest, which occurs each week starting on a sundown on a Friday and ending at sundown on Saturday.

And because Jesus died on a Friday afternoon, this meant that there wasn't enough time for burial before Shabbat began.

Now on the Sunday morning, once Shabbat was over, some of Jesus' female followers went to his tomb to anoint his body and prepare it for burial.

Now, there are differences between the four gospels as to which of Jesus' female followers were present at the tomb.

But all four of the gospels agree that Mary Magdalene, who was one of Jesus' closest female followers, was present at the tomb.

Now the Gospel of Luke chapter 24, verses two to six describe what happened when the women went to the tomb, and it says this, "They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.

In their fright, the women bowed down with their faces to the ground.

But the men said to them, 'Why do you look for the living among the dead? He's not here, he has risen.

'" Now, I'd like you to pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me, or have a think to yourself, according to this passage, what did the women find when they went to the tomb? Off you go.

So according to this passage, when the women went to the tomb, they found that the stone had been rolled away and Jesus' body was gone from inside the tomb.

Now, this passage also says that two men in clothes that gleaned like lightning appeared.

Now, I'd like you to pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me or have a think to yourself, how might Christians interpret this teaching? So how might Christians interpret the two men in clothes that gleam like light? Off you go.

Now, some Christians interpret these two men as being angels who came to deliver an important piece of news to the women.

Now, I would like you to pause the video again, but this time I'd like you to talk to a partner or have a think to yourself about what the two men said to the women and what that might mean.

Off you go.

So according to this passage, the two men told the women that Jesus had risen, which means that he had resurrected, he had come back to life after death.

Now in the gospels of Matthew and John, there's a reference to one or more angels being present at Jesus' tomb during this moment, and that supports the interpretation that the men mentioned in the Gospel of Luke might have been angels.

So let's check your understanding.

True or false, the Gospel of Luke states that two angels appeared to the women who visited the tomb to tell them that Jesus had risen.

Fantastic, that statement is false, but why is that statement false? Well, it's because the Gospel of Luke actually says that two men appeared to the women who visited the tomb, not that two angels appeared.

However, many Christians do interpret the two men as being two angels.

So well done for identifying that that statement was false and for identifying the reason why.

Now after the tomb was discovered to be empty, there are different teachings across the four gospel accounts as to what happens next.

In the Gospel of Matthew, the next thing that happens is that Jesus appeared to the women who found the tomb empty.

In the Gospel of Mark, the women flee in fear.

In the Gospel of Luke, it says that the women tell the disciples about the news that Jesus has risen, but that the disciples don't believe them.

It then goes on to say that later, Jesus appears to the disciples.

And finally, the Gospel of John says that Mary Magdalene sees Jesus first but mistakes him for the gardener.

Now in two of the accounts, the first people to see Jesus don't actually recognise him.

Now I'd like you to pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me or have a think to yourself about what this might mean.

How might Christians interpret this? Off you go.

So many Christians interpret Jesus being unrecognisable to show that he's been resurrected into a glorified form.

So in other words, he's been resurrected into a state of perfection.

Now, as well as the accounts of Jesus' resurrection across the four gospels, there are also references to the belief in the resurrection across other sources within the New Testament.

And an example of these is 1 Corinthians.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verses three to eight, St.

Paul confirmed Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection.

He also confirms Jesus' appearances and claims that Jesus actually appeared to 500 different people.

Now I'd like you to pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me or have a think to yourself about why St.

Paul's teachings on the resurrection are important.

Off you go.

So as part of your thinking time or your discussion, you may have considered that St.

Paul's teachings on the resurrection are important because they confirm that the resurrection happened and they do this because they are consistent with the gospel accounts.

You might have also considered that Paul mentioning 500 witnesses suggests that witnesses could confirm the resurrection.

You may have also considered that for many Christians, Jesus' resurrection being confirmed by St.

Paul teaches that humans have the possibility of resurrection too.

And this is actually something that is also discussed in 1 Corinthians 15 in verses 12 to 14.

So let's now check your understanding.

The resurrection and appearances of Jesus following the resurrection are confirmed in A, Genesis, B, Corinthians, C, Revelations or D, Exodus? Fantastic, the correct answer is B.

The resurrection and the appearances of Jesus are confirmed in Corinthians, well done.

It's now time for you to have a go at a task.

I would like you to describe Christian beliefs about the resurrection of Jesus.

Now here's some guidance that you might find helpful when responding to this task.

You might like to offer a point by giving a Christian belief about the resurrection of Jesus and then develop that point by describing what Christians believe about this.

You can then repeat that process by offering a second point and developing your second point as well.

Now for each part of your answer, you should try to include a range of religious and specialist terms. And then for at least one part of your answer, you should use a source of wisdom and authority.

Now, that could be an exact or paraphrased quote or it could be a general teaching from a named source.

You should then accurately apply that source of wisdom and authority to the point and the question.

So pause the video and have a go.

Well done for your work during that task.

So you are asked to describe Christian beliefs about the resurrection, and your answer might be similar to this.

One Christian belief about the resurrection of Jesus is that Jesus rose from the dead three days after his crucifixion.

The Gospel of Luke supports this belief when it describes some of Jesus' female followers finding the tomb empty, showing that Jesus must have come back to life.

Another Christian belief about the resurrection of Jesus was that he was unrecognisable after his resurrection.

The accounts of Jesus' resurrection teach that he was not always recognised when he first appeared to his followers, which might suggest that he came back to life in a glorified form.

Now you can see here that I've used the Gospel of Luke as my source of wisdom and authority.

You may have used a different source of wisdom and authority that better supports your point.

And if you have, that's absolutely fine as long as you've been able to accurately apply that to the point that you've made.

So well done again for your work during that task.

We're now moving on to the second part of our lesson, which is to look at Christian beliefs about the ascension.

Now on the screen you can see a picture of a piece of artwork.

Now I'd like you to pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me or have a think to yourself about what event this piece of artwork is showing.

Off you go.

So this artwork is depicting the ascension of Jesus and the ascension of Jesus refers to Jesus being taken up into heaven 40 days after his resurrection, so 40 days after he came back to life after his crucifixion.

Now, Christian beliefs about the ascension come from the New Testament, particularly in the Gospels of Luke and John, as these two gospels provide more detailed accounts of Jesus' ascension.

Now the Gospel of Luke chapter 24 verses 50 to 53 says this about the ascension, "When he had led them out of the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them.

While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven.

Then they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they stayed continually at the temple, praising God." Now in this passage, the word "them" is used quite a few times and the word "them" or "they" refers to the disciples.

Now we know this, I'd like you to pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me, or have a think to yourself about what Christians can learn about the ascension from this passage.

Off you go.

So from this passage, Christians can learn that the ascension is when Jesus was taken up to heaven.

And before this happened, Jesus blessed his disciples.

And then after this happened, his disciples worshipped him.

So let's check your understanding, which keyword refers to Jesus being taken up to heaven and is described in the Gospels of Luke and John, A, resurrection, B, ascension, C, crucifixion, or D, salvation? Well done, the correct answer is B.

Ascension is the key word that describes Jesus being taken up to heaven.

And this is found in the Gospel of Luke and John, well done.

Now, for many Christians, the ascension shows that Jesus is with God in heaven.

And Asher, who's a Pentecostal Christian, explains his beliefs about this.

He says, "I believe that Jesus physically went up to heaven as described in the Gospel of Luke.

This means that Jesus, the Son is with God the Father in heaven today.

Now many Christians also share Asher's belief that Jesus is with God in heaven today.

And this is reflected and confirmed in the Gospel of Mark which says this, "After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God." Now I'd like you to pause the video and either talked to a partner, talk to me or have a think to yourself, how might Christians interpret this passage from the Gospel of Mark? Off you go.

So Christians may interpret this passage as showing that Jesus was physically taken up to heaven and he now resides in heaven with God the Father.

So he lives in heaven with God the Father.

So let's check your understanding.

True or false, many Christians believe that Jesus was taken up to heaven and is now with God the Father? Fantastic, that statement is true.

But how do we know that this statement is true? Well, it's because the Gospel of Mark says that Jesus was taken up into heaven and he now sits at the right hand of God.

So that shows that Jesus was physically taken up to heaven and is now with God the Father.

So well done for recognising that that statement is true and for identifying the reason why.

It's now time for you to have a go at a task.

I'd like you to complete the table to explain what the gospels teach about the ascension of Jesus.

On the left hand side of the table, we have sources of authority that are already completed for you.

These are Luke chapter 20, verses 50 to 53, and Mark chapter 16, verse 19.

I'd like you to complete the right hand side of the table explaining what each of these sources teach about the ascension.

So pause the video and have a go.

Well done for your work on that task, completing the table to explain what the gospels teach about the ascension of Jesus.

Now, your responses might look similar to this.

For the gospel of Luke chapter 24 verses 50 to 53, you may have said that this source teaches that Jesus ascended, was taken up to heaven, after blessing his disciples.

It also teaches that Jesus' disciples continued to worship him after he ascended to heaven.

And then for Mark chapter 16, verse 19, you may have said that this source teaches that Jesus into heaven and was seated at the right hand of God and that many Christians believe that this means Jesus is physically in heaven with God the Father.

So again, well done for your work on that task.

We're now moving on to the third and final part of our lesson, which is to look at the importance and influence of these beliefs.

Now, Jun is considering the importance of the belief in the resurrection and ascension of Jesus for Christians.

And he says, "I think that the belief in the resurrection and ascension of Jesus is important to Christians because these events prove to them that Jesus was the Son and the incarnation of God." Now, many Christians agree with Jun and many Christians believe that without the proof of the resurrection and the ascension, Christianity would not exist as we know it today.

So these beliefs are fundamental to the religion of Christianity.

Now I'd like you to pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me or have a think to yourself about whether you can think of any other reasons that the belief in the resurrection and the ascension of Jesus would be important to Christians.

Off you go.

So as part of your thinking time or your discussion, you may have considered that the resurrection shows the power of good over evil and life over death, or that the resurrection of Jesus supports the belief that resurrection is possible for ordinary people in the afterlife.

Or you might have considered that the ascension supports the belief in heaven because Jesus ascended, went up, into heaven.

Or you might have considered that the ascension marks the completion of Jesus' earthly mission.

So it marks Jesus' earthly mission being over and him going up to heaven to be with God the Father.

Now, one of the most significant reasons that the belief in the resurrection and ascension of Jesus is important to Christians is because it confirms that Jesus' death gives the hope of salvation.

And many Christians consider the resurrection to be proof that Jesus' death was the ultimate sacrifice and that Jesus through his death, paid the price for the sins of humanity.

And this means that the sins of humanity have been forgiven by God through Jesus' sacrifice.

And many Christians believe that this means that humans have the possibility of life in heaven with God as part of the afterlife if they accept Jesus' sacrifice.

So let's now check your understanding.

Which of the following is not a reason that the resurrection and ascension are important for Christians, A, they confirm the hope of salvation, B, they show the power of evil over good, C, they prove that Jesus is the Son and incarnation of God or D, they support the belief in the afterlife? Fantastic, the correct answer is B.

The resurrection and ascension do not show the power of evil over good.

Actually they show the power of good over evil.

So well done.

We're now going to hear from some people who are Christian and they're going to explain to you the importance of their belief in the resurrection and ascension and how these beliefs influence them.

So first we have Richard, who is a Seventh Day Adventist, and he says this, "My belief in the resurrection and ascension of Jesus influences my beliefs about life after death.

And in turn, this influences my behaviour and actions during this life.

I believe that Jesus' resurrection proves that resurrection is possible in the afterlife for the righteous.

For this reason, I try to behave in a way that is consistent with the teachings of the Bible and I try to please God." Next up, we have Asher, who is a Pentecostal Christian, and he says this, "My belief in the resurrection and ascension of Jesus have a profound impact on my life because they're so important to me.

I believe that the ascension of Jesus marks the end of his earthly mission.

In the Book of Acts in the Bible, it teaches that 10 days after Jesus ascended, the apostles received the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, which enabled them to spread the word of God now Jesus was in heaven.

This influences me to spread the word of God through my words and actions." So let's now check your understanding.

True or false, only the belief in the resurrection influences Christians? Fantastic, that statement is false, but why is that statement false? How do we know that it's false? Well, it's because the belief in the ascension also influences Christians.

For example, Christians might be influenced to continue Jesus' mission on earth now that he's ascended into heaven.

So well done for identifying that that statement is false and for identifying the reason why.

It's now time for you to have a go at a task.

Lucas has started to plan how he'd respond to the statement below, and I'd like you to help Lucas by completing the table that's on the next slide, adding further points of view about the statement.

The statement is, "The belief in the resurrection is more important than the belief in the ascension for Christians." Discuss the statement showing that you've considered more than one point of view.

You must refer to religion and belief in your answer.

Here is the start of Lucas's plan.

Lucas has supported that the belief in the resurrection is more important by saying this.

"Many Christians consider the resurrection to be proof that Jesus' death was the ultimate sacrifice and provide salvation for humanity." Lucas has then offered a different point of view and argued that the belief in the ascension is more important by saying this.

"However, the ascension provides confirmation of the existence of heaven.

The Gospel of Mark says that Jesus ascended into heaven and is with the Father." So I'd now like you to pause the video and complete the table by adding further points of view about the statement.

Off you go.

Well done for your work during that task.

Your response might look something like this.

To support the belief that resurrection is more important, you may have said that the belief in the resurrection also provides confirmation of the afterlife.

And many Christians believe that Jesus' resurrection is proof that ordinary people will resurrect too.

And for a different point of view, supporting that the belief in the ascension is more important, you may have said that, on the other hand, the ascension can influence Christian actions in this life.

Many Christians believe that they should continue Jesus' mission by spreading the word of God like the apostles did when they received the gift of the Holy Spirit, and we find this in the Book of Acts.

So well done helping Lucas complete this plan.

We've now reached the end of our lesson on Jesus Christ, Resurrection and Ascension.

But before we finish, let's take a look at some of the key things that we've learned today.

So we've learned that the resurrection refers to Jesus coming back to life after his death, and that the gospel accounts state that his tomb was found empty on the Sunday after his death.

We've seen that the gospel accounts differ on when Jesus was first seen, with some stating that Jesus was unrecognisable.

We've also seen that St.

Paul's writings in 1 Corinthians 15 also confirm Jesus' resurrection.

We looked at how the ascension refers to Jesus being taken up to heaven 40 days after his resurrection and how many Christians believe that the resurrection and ascension prove that life after death is possible through salvation.

And finally, we saw that the resurrection and ascension are important to many Christians today and can have a profound impact on the way that Christians live their lives.

So well done for all of your hard work this lesson.

It's been wonderful learning with you.