Welcome everyone.

I'm so glad that you have decided to join me for today's lesson.

My name is Mrs. Hardy, and together we are going to do some great learning.

So listen well, try hard, do your best, and by the end of the lesson, we will be proud of what we have achieved.

Ready? Let's get going.

Today's lesson is taken from the unit, Holy Week.

What do the stories say and what is their meaning? In this lesson, we will be focusing on Holy Week and its significance to different Christians.

By the end of the lesson, we will all be able to say, "I can explain why Holy Week is a key time for Christians." We are going to hear from different Christians about how the events of Holy Week have changed their lives.

Today, there are four key words that I would like you to learn and remember.

I will say the word first and then you repeat it after me.

We will do this a couple of times and then find out the definition of the word.

Does that sound okay? Brilliant.

Let's go.

The first word is forgiven, forgiven, forgiven.

This is when a wrong action is not punished and is forgotten.

Secondly, we have repentance.

Repentance.

This is truly saying sorry and choosing to change.

Next we have the word sacrifice, sacrifice, sacrifice, sacrifice.

This is surrendering as an offering to God.

And finally, we have the word, sin.

Sin.

These are actions that go against God's rules.

Now, all of these words will help us understand today why the events of Holy Week are special to Christians.

There are two parts to today's lesson, looking at Holy Week and its significance to different Christians.

The first part will answer the question, what are the key messages of Easter? And the second part will answer the question, what is the impact of Easter for Christians? Let's get started with the first part that answers the question, what are the key messages of Easter? Aisha is here to remind us that in this lesson we will be learning as theologians.

This means that we will be finding out how the religious stories and texts from a long time ago still have an impact today.

Aisha explains what we mean by theology in religious education.

She says, "Theologians are interested in stories, texts, and traditions.

We can better understand people's worldviews by examining what the deeper meaning of these stories, texts, and traditions are.

We can also look at the difference they make to people today." In this lesson, we will be using the tools of theology to better understand different Christian worldviews about the meaning of Easter and why Holy Week is so important to them.

Now, Sofia is trying to remember all the events of Holy Week.

She says, "Holy Week is a special time when Christians remember what happened to Jesus in the week before He died and was resurrected." Now, I wonder which events can you recall? Pause the recording and speak to somebody that you are with, and have a think about listing all of the different events of Holy Week, and then come back and show me what you've remembered.

Welcome back everybody, so which events can you recall? Did you remember that Holy Week starts on Palm Sunday, when Jesus was welcomed into Jerusalem as a king? Can you see in the picture here that Jesus is riding on a donkey, and His followers are waving palm branches to welcome Him into Jerusalem? Well done if you remembered Palm Sunday.

Then, did you remember that there was a Last Supper, where Jesus spoke to His disciples and broke bread and drank wine with them.

And then after the Last Supper, Jesus was arrested and put on trial.

Now, Jesus hadn't done anything wrong, but he was sent to be crucified, whilst a criminal called Barabbas was set free.

And in the picture, we can see Pontius Pilate asking the crowd to choose between Jesus and Barabbas, and we know that they chose Barabbas.

Next, during Holy Week was Good Friday, and on Good Friday, this was when Jesus was crucified.

After He was crucified, His body was then placed in a tomb.

But Holy week ends on Easter Sunday, when Christians believe Jesus rose from the dead.

And in this picture, we can see the big stone in front of the tomb has been rolled away, and Jesus is talking to one of His followers there, Mary, and telling her that He has risen.

So let's do a check for understanding there.

Which of the following options describes the events of Holy Week correctly? So you are going to choose either A, B, or C.

A says, Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday and ends with Easter Sunday when Jesus rose from the dead.

Or is it B? Holy Week is when Jesus was arrested, but His disciples helped Him escape, and He went into hiding.

Or is it C? Holy Week is when Jesus was made king and people celebrated His new kingdom in Jerusalem.

Okay, on your whiteboards, you're gonna write down A, B, or C.

So pause the recording now and I'll see you in a moment.

Okay, show me your answer in three, two, one.

Well done everyone who put A, it does of course begin with Palm Sunday and ends with Easter Sunday, which is when Christians believe that Jesus rose from the dead.

Well done to everybody who got that check correct.

Now, Sofia says, "Now I've been reminded of the events of Holy Week.

I'd like to find out what they mean to Christians today.

I'm going to ask a Christian to help me with this." I wonder who she's going to choose to help her.

It's Gemma.

Hello, Gemma.

Now what does Gemma tell us? She says, "Hello, I'm Gemma.

I am a Salvationist Christian and attend a Salvation Army Church.

I can explain how I interpret the meaning of Holy Week and what it means to me as a Christian." So that's a really important point to remember.

Whenever we are talking to a Christian, we are hearing their point of view.

It might not necessarily be what all Christians would say, but let's find out what Gemma says.

Sofia wants to know, "What is a key message of Easter for you, Gemma?" Gemma replies, "I believe everyone does wrong sometimes.

These wrong things include lying, being mean or hurting others.

Christians call these wrong things committing a sin, and believe that these actions go against God's rules.

I believe that sin separates people from God.

Imagine two people being separated by a big wall.

That is how sin separates me from God.

But I believe that God loves people so much, He made a way to fix this problem." Now, let's just check something that Gemma said there.

What word does Gemma use to describe what can separate her from God? So on your whiteboards, you're going to write either A, B, C, or D.

So the word that Gemma uses to describe what can separate her from God, is it being disobedient, for A? Is it B, breaking a rule? Is it C, committing a sin? Or is it D, doing the wrong thing? Okay, write your answers down now.

So pause the recording now and I'll see you in a moment.

And three, two, one, show me.

Well done everyone who said it was C, yes, she said that the word was sin, that describes what separates her from God.

Sofia says, "So, is that why Christians think that Jesus died on the cross?" And Gemma responds, "Yes, I believe Jesus had to die on the cross, so that anyone who asks for forgiveness could be forgiven if they show repentance.

He did not commit a sin, but He took the blame for my sins.

In the Salvation Army, we call this being saved." Thank you, Gemma.

That's really interesting information.

Sofia wants to know, "I wonder if Easter is more important than Christmas to a Christian?" Hmm, I wonder what you think.

What does Gemma say? She says, "Christmas is special because Jesus was born.

But Easter is more important because Jesus showed His power over death and sin.

At Easter, we remember Jesus' sacrifice to take away sin.

We believe that if a person shows repentance, they can be forgiven by God." Okay, let's check our understanding there.

True or false, Christmas is more important to Christians than Easter.

Now, if you think that's true, I want you to put your thumbs up.

And if you think it's false, I want you to put your thumbs down, okay? And you're gonna show me in three, two, one.

It's false.

Christmas being more important to Christians than Easter is false.

Why is that? Because Christmas and Easter are both very special times for Christians, but Easter is the most important festival.

This is because it is the time when they remember how Jesus died to save them from sin.

Well done if you got that correct.

Now it's time for our first task of today's lesson.

Now, I want you to have a look at these statements and decide which ones are true and which are false.

So let's have a look at A.

A says, "Holy Week celebrates Jesus being welcomed into Jerusalem and becoming a powerful king." Now, is that true or false? B says, "Christians believe that on Good Friday during Holy Week, Jesus died on the cross to forgive sins." Is that true or false? C says, "Christians believe that because of Jesus's sacrifice, if they have repentance for sins, then they will be forgiven," true or false? And lastly, D says, "Christians believe Jesus' sacrifice was only for certain people." Is that true or false? Okay, either independently or with the person you are with, talk through those statements and decide which ones are true and which ones are false.

And then come back and we'll talk about the answers.

All right, off you go.

Welcome back everybody.

Did you have A as being false? B, true, C, true and D, false.

Well done to you if you did get it in that order.

Now, A is false, because even though Jesus was welcomed into Jerusalem, He did not become a powerful king.

Remember, at the end of that week, on the Friday, Jesus was actually crucified and put to death.

And the other one that is false is D.

So Christians believe that Jesus' sacrifice was only for certain people.

This is not correct.

Okay, there is a second part to this task, and I want to know if you can turn the two false statements into true statements.

So the false statements were A and D, and I want you to make these into something that is true.

So in a moment, you're going to pause the recording, and either independently or with the person you are with, talk about how you could change those statements into something true.

Okay, off you go.

Welcome back everybody.

What did you put for changing your statements from false into true? Now with A, that said, "Holy Week celebrates Jesus being welcomed into Jerusalem and becoming a powerful king." You might have written something like, "Holy Week retells the events of Jesus being welcomed into Jerusalem at the start of the week, and then being crucified on Good Friday." And that would've made that statement now true.

And the other statement that was false was the one that said, "Christians believe Jesus' sacrifice was only for certain people." Now to turn that into a true statement, you may have said something like, "Christians believe Jesus' sacrifice was for everyone." So well done for having a go at that task, and thank you for sharing your answers.

Now it's time for the second part of our lesson, and this time we're going to ask the question, what is the impact of Easter for Christians? Sofia says, "I wonder if the story of Jesus's resurrection has an impact on how Christians live.

I'm going to ask some different Christians about their experiences to better understand this.

I wonder who she's going to ask." Well, it is Asher, Gemma, and Ann.

And these different Christians are going to talk to Sofia about their experiences, and how the story of Jesus' resurrection has had an impact on how they live.

Let's meet Asher.

Asher is a Protestant Christian and goes to a free church.

He was an adult when he was baptised.

Now he says, "I was baptised on an Easter Sunday.

Just like Jesus died and was resurrected, I wanted to leave my old life behind and have a fresh start.

Going under the water represented my sin being washed away.

I was baptised with 30 other people that day.

I attend church every Sunday and feel part of God's family." So how has his life been impacted by the story of Easter? I want you to take a few moments to look back at what he has said, and pick out the bit that tells us how his life has changed or been impacted by the story of Easter.

And then when you've done that, we'll come back and we'll talk about what the answer is.

So pause the recording now and I'll see you in a moment.

Welcome back everybody.

So we were thinking about Asher and how his life had been impacted by the story of Easter.

Let's find out.

So for Asher, his life was changed by the Easter story, because it made him want to be baptised.

Did you pick out that bit from what he said, that he was baptised, and he chose Easter Sunday as the day to do it, because Easter Sunday is so special to him.

And there was also a part where he said that going to church made him feel like part of God's family, and that was something that was different about his life after the Easter story changed his life.

Brilliant.

Thank you, Asher.

Now let's see if we can check our understanding of Asher and what he told us.

So which two of these statements demonstrates how Asher's life has been changed by these Easter story? Remember, there's two statements to find.

So on your whiteboards, you're going to write down the two statements.

So either A, B, C, and D, that demonstrate how his life has been changed.

So A says, each Sunday he is baptised to wash away sin.

B, he goes to church every Sunday.

C, he feels a part of God's family.

Or D, he was baptised to show repentance for not going to church.

Okay, two of those statements are true.

Can you write them on your whiteboards now? So pause the recording now and I'll see you in a moment.

And in three, two, one, show me, it was B and C.

B and C.

He goes to church every Sunday and he feels a part of God's family.

Well done to those of you who got that right.

Now let's meet Gemma again.

Remember, Gemma is a salvationist and attends a Salvation Army church.

She says, "I have been going to the Salvation Army since I was a baby.

When I truly understood the message of the Easter story, I felt repentance, and was called to give my life back to God.

I became a Salvation Army soldier, and used my musical talents to help others connect with God.

I have helped to lead the Salvation Army choirs in my church and written songs about my beliefs." So how has Gemma's life been impacted by the story of Easter? Again, spend a couple of moments having a look back through what she has said, and pick out the bits that answer that question about how her life has been impacted.

How has it been changed by her knowing about the story of Easter? Okay, pause the recording, spend a few minutes having a look for that answer and then come back.

Welcome back everybody.

Did you decide how Gemma's life had been impacted by the story of Easter? Let's find out.

So for Gemma, her life was changed by the Easter story, because she became a Salvation Army soldier.

Did you spot that bit in what she said? Also, Gemma has used her musical talents to share her beliefs.

Do you remember she said that she'd written songs and she'd led choirs in her church? Well done if you picked out that information from what Gemma told us.

Let's just do a little check about one of the things that she said in that statement.

What does Gemma mean when she says she felt called to give her life back to God? Hmm.

Okay, we're gonna write our answers down on a whiteboard, but let's have a look at our choices.

We've got A, God spoke to her on the phone and told her what to do.

B says she heard a voice telling her to become a Salvation Army soldier and use her talents for the church.

Or C, she felt she should follow God's teachings and use her talents to help others.

Okay, just spend a few moments having a think about what did that mean when she said she felt called to give her life back to God? And then you're gonna write your answer down on the whiteboard.

So pause the recording now and I'll see you in a moment.

Okay, three, two, one, show me.

Well done if you chose C.

Yes, she wasn't phoned up.

She didn't hear an actual voice, but she felt inside that she should follow God's teachings and use her talents to help others.

That's what she meant when she said she felt called to give her life back to God.

Now we're going to meet Ann.

Canon Ann is a priest and is a part of the Anglican church.

She says, "When I heard the Easter story, I felt inspired by how Jesus gave His life as a sacrifice for others.

I wanted to follow His example, and help people by sharing God's love.

That's why I became a priest.

I aim to guide and help others.

Now I spend my time looking after people in my church and in my local community." So how has Ann's life been impacted by the story of Easter? What has she done in response to that story? Again, I'm gonna pause the recording and either by yourself or with someone you are with, have a look for the part of her statement that tells you how her life has been impacted by the story of Easter.

Okay, off you go, and I'll see you in a minute.

Welcome back everybody.

Now, did you pick out where it said in Ann's statement how her life has been impacted by the story of Easter? Well, for Canon Ann, her life was changed by the Easter story because it inspired her to become a priest, and that means she now leads a church.

She also said that she now spends her time helping other people, so she has given her life as a sacrifice to others as well, in service.

Now, let's check that we've understood what Canon Ann has told us.

What inspired Canon Ann to become a priest? And again, you're gonna write either the answer A, B, or C on your whiteboard.

Now, was it Jesus's birth, A, that inspired Canon Ann to become a priest? Was it B, Jesus's sacrifice? Or was it C, Jesus's resurrection? Okay, have a little think about your answer, and you're gonna show me in three, two, one, show me.

Well done those of you who chose answer B.

Yes, it was Jesus's sacrifice that inspired Canon Ann to become a priest.

Now we are on our final task of today's lesson, and with us are Izzy and Jacob.

Hello, Izzy and Jacob.

Now they are wondering why Easter is so important to Christians.

Now, Jacob says he thinks it's because it showed that Jesus was a special man who was willing to make a great sacrifice.

Izzy says it's because Christians know it means that they can be forgiven for any sins they have committed.

Now, I wonder, can you give your own explanation of why Easter is so important to Christians and how it impacts their lives? I wonder if you could put either Asher, Gemma, or Ann into your answers, and remember what they told us to explain why Easter is so important to Christians.

Okay, you're going to pause the recording and go off and do that, and I'll see you in a little while.

Welcome back everybody.

So I hope you've had an interesting time thinking about your own explanation of why Easter is so important to Christians.

Let's have a think about what you might have said.

In your answers, you might have said that some of the possible reasons why Easter is so important to Christians and how it impacts their lives are: Easter is important to Christians because it celebrates Jesus' victory over sin and death.

They believe that Jesus made a great sacrifice dying on the cross, and people like Gemma respond to this by promising to use their talents for sharing God's message.

So you might have used something that Gemma said as an example in your explanation.

Or you may have said, "Easter demonstrates to Christians like Asher that God can overcome anything and everyone can be forgiven.

Becoming part of God's family can be like a fresh start." So did you mention Asher in your explanation? Finally, you might have said, "Easter can inspire Christians like Canon Ann to live a life of service for others." So you might have talked about Ann becoming a priest.

What other answers did you have? Let's summarise what we have learned today.

We have learned that Holy Week and Easter are a significant part of a Christian practise.

Christians believe that Jesus died on Good Friday of Holy Week and He was resurrected on Easter Sunday.

Key Christian beliefs about forgiveness and eternal life are based on Jesus' death and resurrection.

Christians believe that Jesus's sacrifice means that they can be forgiven for any sin they have committed, if they show repentance.

And finally, some Christians choose to be baptised in Holy Week.

Now, it has been a pleasure to spend this time with you today.

I hope to see you again soon for another RE lesson.

But until then, take care and bye for now.