Lesson video

Hello, I am Mrs. Hardy, and I want to thank you for joining me for today's RE lesson.

I will be guiding you through your learning today and together we will ensure that by the end of the lesson, you will have successfully met the learning outcome.

By the end of today's lesson, you will be able to explain why the festival Pentecost is celebrated by Christians today.

To help guide us through our learning today, there are five keywords, Pentecost, Holy Spirit, mission, church, and power.

Pentecost is a Christian festival when the coming of the Holy Spirit is remembered.

Holy Spirit is the name given to one part of the Trinity, God's invisible helper and guide for Christians.

Mission is a job or task someone is given to do.

Church is what we call a group of Christians or a building for Christian worship.

And power is the strength or ability to do something important.

So our lesson today on the day of Pentecost and the birth of the Church has two parts.

Let's begin with what happened at Pentecost.

Aisha's here to tell us 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 Pentecost.

Here's Lucas and Asher.

I think Lucas has got a question for Asher.

"Hi Asher," he says, "do you know what happened at Pentecost?" Let's see what Asher tells him.

"50 days after Easter Sunday, we celebrate Pentecost at my church.

We remember the story of the first Pentecost that is in the Bible, in the book of the Acts of the Apostles.

I believe this is when the Holy Spirit was sent by God to Jesus's followers to give them the ability to share the message of Jesus with other people." Pentecost is a special Christian festival that happens 50 days after Easter Sunday.

The word Pentecost comes from a Greek word.

This is what the Greek word looks like in the original Greek, and then we have how you pronounce it, and it literally means 50th.

So Pentecost literally means the 50th day because it is the 50th day after Easter Sunday.

Let's complete a check for understanding.

I would like you to select the option that completes this sentence.

Christians believe that Pentecost was when God sent, was it A, Adam, B, Moses, C, Jesus, or D, the Holy Spirit? Pause the video here and press play when you are ready to see the correct answer.

Welcome back, everybody and well done if you selected D.

Christians believe that Pentecost was when God sent the Holy Spirit.

So let's find out what happened at Pentecost.

The Bible tells us the story of Pentecost.

This explains what happened with the disciples after Jesus had left.

40 days after the resurrection, Jesus returned to heaven.

Before he left, Jesus gave his followers a job.

They were to tell people everywhere about his resurrection.

He said to baptise people and teach them to follow his example.

So the Bible tells the story of Pentecost and it explains what happened with the disciples after Jesus had left.

After Jesus went back to heaven, his followers stayed in Jerusalem in a place called the upper room, and you can see the upper room in this picture.

The disciples had just lost Jesus, their teacher, their guide, and their friend.

They did not feel up to talking to other people.

The disciples were not safe.

The authorities wanted to persecute the followers of Jesus.

Jesus had told them to wait from a gift from God.

They didn't know exactly what would happen.

They stayed in the upper room, praying.

Let's complete a true or false.

True or false? The Christian Church began as soon as Jesus came back to life on Easter Sunday.

Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Welcome back, everybody, and well done to everybody who said that the answer was false.

Now, why was it false? Well, the Christian Church began at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came, not when Jesus came back to life on Easter Sunday.

Well done if you got that correct.

On Pentecost, the followers of Jesus heard a loud noise like a strong wind.

As Jesus's followers were praying in the upper room, they heard a loud noise and also felt a strong wind fill the upper room.

They wondered what was happening.

Then something that looked like flames appeared above their heads, but it did not burn or hurt them.

Suddenly, the followers of Jesus started speaking in languages they had never learned.

There were visitors in Jerusalem from many different countries.

The disciples went out to tell everyone about Jesus' life and resurrection.

Amazingly, they all heard Jesus being spoken about in their own language.

Everyone was surprised and confused.

And here we can see the visitors in Jerusalem all hearing about Jesus in their own language.

One of Jesus's followers, named Peter, stood up to explain what was happening.

He said this was the power of God's spirit helping them.

This power was called the Holy Spirit.

Peter used this power to tell the people about Jesus and why he was important.

And here we can see Peter speaking to the crowds.

Many people believed what they heard about Jesus from Peter and the other followers of Jesus, and about 3,000 of them decided to follow him.

This was the start of the Christian Church.

Many people believed what they heard about Jesus that day.

Let's complete a check for understanding.

I would like you to tell me, why was it important that the followers of Jesus spoke in different languages at Pentecost? Was it A, so they could sound impressive, was it B, so everyone could understand the message about Jesus, was it C, to show that they had studied lots of languages, or was it D, to confuse the Jews visiting Jerusalem? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to come back and check your answer.

Welcome back everybody, and well done if you selected B.

Why was it important that the followers of Jesus spoke in different languages at Pentecost? Well, it was so everyone could understand the message about Jesus.

Well done if you got that one right.

Now we are in a great position to complete our first practise task on what happened at Pentecost.

I would like you to help out Lucas.

Lucas is thinking about the change in the followers of Jesus.

He says, "The followers of Jesus was scared and did not know what to do next.

I don't understand what changed?" Can you imagine what one of the followers of Jesus at the first Pentecost might say to Lucas to help him understand the change? What would they say about their emotions before and after Pentecost that led to the change? You could write a diary entry or choose to act out your answer.

Good luck completing the practise task.

Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Welcome back, everybody.

Time to check your answers for the practise task.

So, Lucas was finding it difficult to understand the change in the followers of Jesus before and after Pentecost, and to help him to understand, you may have written a couple of diary entries or acted out your answer.

And you might have said that before Pentecost, those followers of Jesus may have said something like this, "We have been in this upstairs room praying for days.

How long are we supposed to wait? Jesus told us not to leave Jerusalem and promised a helper would come, but it's hard to keep hoping.

Since Jesus went back to heaven, everything feels different.

I miss him so much.

I am scared.

What if the people who hurt Jesus come after us? I try to remember all the things he taught us, but without him here, it's not easy.

I'm trying to be brave, but it's not working." Then, after Pentecost, they might have said this, "Everything changed today.

I will never forget it.

This morning there was a sound like a roaring wind and then something that looked like flames appeared above each of our heads.

It didn't burn, but I felt warmth and power deep inside me.

It was the Holy Spirit, just like Jesus promised.

Suddenly, I could speak in all sorts of languages I've never learned.

We all rushed outside and started speaking and the people from all over the world could understand us.

I saw the amazement in their eyes.

Peter spoke so boldly to the crowd, telling them all about Jesus, and 3,000 people believed in Jesus.

I don't feel scared anymore.

I feel strong and ready.

I finally know what I'm meant to do, share the good news no matter what." I wonder what other answers you had.

Well done, everybody, for your hard work completing that task.

Now we are going to move on to the second part of today's lesson.

Why is Pentecost seen as the birth of the Church? Here's Lucas again.

Now, Lucas, the start of something new can be called the birth of.

Lucas says, "Now I understand that Christians believe Pentecost was when the Holy Spirit first came to the followers of Jesus and that it marks the start of the Christian Church.

They could have scattered and run away after the death and resurrection of Jesus, but they chose to stay." Let's complete a check for understanding.

Can you answer this question? When do Christians believe the Church began? Is it A, when Jesus was born, is it B, when Jesus was baptised, is it C, when Jesus was resurrected, or is it D, at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the answer.

Welcome back, everybody, and well done if you selected D.

Christians believe the Church began at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came.

Well done if you got that right.

Lucas says, "I wonder what different Christians today think about Pentecost.

Let's ask some different Christians about this.

I will ask Father Jason, who is a Roman Catholic priest, Asher, who regularly attends a Free Church, and Alexia who attends an Orthodox Church." And here they are.

We have Father Jason, Asher, and we have Alexia.

So Father Jason talks about Pentecost and he says, "At Pentecost, the disciples could speak a variety of languages.

This was a miracle.

The story from the Bible shows that diversity was part of the Church from the very beginning.

The message was given not just to Jews but to lots of people from many different countries.

At my church, we have people who are a part of the Church from all over the world.

It always reminds me of Pentecost." Father Jason is responsible for leading mission in his Catholic church.

He says, "In the Catholic church, Pentecost is one of the most important holy days.

We have a special Mass with red clothes and decorations to show the fire of the Holy Spirit from that first day of Pentecost.

I believe the power of the Holy Spirit has continued to help ordinary people live like Jesus and complete their mission of serving their church." Now, can you think of the answer to this question? Why does Father Jason see Pentecost as the birth of the Church? Take a moment to have a look back through his quote and see if you can find some evidence that Father Jason sees Pentecost as the birth of the Church.

Pause the recording whilst you look, and then press play when you're ready to move on to the next slide.

Welcome back.

Let's see, why does Father Jason see Pentecost as the birth of the Church? So for Father Jason, Pentecost showed that ordinary people could do good things with help from the Holy Spirit.

And Father Jason believes that Pentecost was the start of people coming together to serve the Church.

Can you see what he says? He says, "I believe the power of the Holy Spirit has continued to help ordinary people live like Jesus and complete their mission of serving their church." So that's why Father Jason sees Pentecost as the birth of the Church.

True or false? A person has to have special skills to be able to serve in the Church.

Pause the recording whilst you think about your answer and then press play when you're ready to come back and find out what the answer is.

Welcome back, everybody.

So we were looking at true or false, a person has to have special skills to be able to serve in the Church, and the answer is false.

Why is it false? Well, because Christians believe that the Holy Spirit can give ordinary people the power to do what they need to serve their church.

Well done if you got that correct.

Next, we're going to hear from Asher.

Asher is a Christian and attends a Free Church.

He says, "Pentecost is an important festival in my church.

We celebrate with worship where we sing, clap, and sometimes speak in different languages.

This is called speaking in tongues and is also what happened at the first Pentecost.

I believe I can personally experience the Holy Spirit.

I believe miracles still happen today, and it is my mission to share this good news with everyone." So why does Asher see Pentecost as the birth of the Church? Can you take a moment to have a look back through his quote and see if you can find evidence there that Asher sees Pentecost as the birth of the Church? Pause the recording whilst you take a look and then press play when you're ready to see the next slide.

Welcome back.

We're looking to see, why does Asher see Pentecost as the birth of the Church? For Asher, Pentecost was the first time Jesus's followers could speak to people from lots of different places about Jesus.

And Asher believes he should be speaking to people about his experience of the Holy Spirit.

Can you see that he says that when he speaks in different languages, that's called speaking in tongues, and it's linked to what happened at the very first Pentecost.

He also says that he believes that miracles still happen today and he believes that it's his mission to share this good news with everyone.

So those are the reasons why Asher believes that Pentecost was the birth of the Church.

True or false? Pentecost was not the only time followers of Jesus had the power to speak in different languages.

Pause the video here whilst you think about your answer and then press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Welcome back, and well done to everybody who said that the answer was true.

Why is it true? Well, some Christians, such as Asher, believe that the Holy Spirit can give ordinary people the power to speak in other languages today.

So, not just at Pentecost.

Now, Alexia is Greek and attends an Orthodox church.

She says, "In my Orthodox church, Pentecost is a holy time with deep meaning.

It was the day when the Holy Spirit was sent to help the followers of Jesus with their mission.

We have special prayers, green decorations which represent new life, and services over three days from Sunday to Tuesday.

We believe that the Holy Spirit brings new life and grows the Church." So why does Alexia see Pentecost as the birth of the Church? Can you look back through her quote and see if you can pick out evidence from what she has said to show that Alexia believes Pentecost is the birth of the Church? Pause the recording whilst you have a look and then press play when you're ready to move on to the next slide.

Welcome back, everybody.

Let's see why Alexia sees Pentecost as the birth of the Church.

So for Alexia, the Holy Spirit is a helper.

Alexia believes the Holy Spirit was the reason the Church was able to grow at the first Pentecost.

So she says it was the day when the Holy Spirit was sent to help the followers of Jesus with their mission.

She also says that she believes the Holy Spirit brings new life and grows the Church.

So Pentecost was the reason for the start of the Church and therefore was the birth of the Church.

Well done if you managed to pick those things out of what Alexia told us.

Let's complete a check for understanding.

Which two statements demonstrate what Alexia thinks about Pentecost and what happens in her church? So are they A, Alexia's church using red decorations during Pentecost, B, Alexia thinks that Pentecost is a special and holy time, C, Alexia's church uses decorations to represent new growth, or D, Alexia thinks Pentecost is celebrated for one day? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Welcome back, everybody, and well done if you selected B and C.

The two statements that demonstrate what Alexia thinks about Pentecost and what happens in her church are B, Alexia thinks that Pentecost is a special and holy time, and C, Alexia's Church uses decorations to represent new growth.

Well done if those were the two that you selected.

I think we're ready now for our last task in this lesson today, Why is Pentecost seen as the birth of the Church.

And Lucas is back to speak to us.

He says, now, "The events of Pentecost happened almost 2,000 years ago.

Why are Christian still talking about it?" Can you help Lucas to understand why Pentecost is still important to Christians today? Use what you've learned from the case studies with Father Jason, Asher, and Alexia to give your answer.

So good luck in completing this final practise task.

Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Welcome back, everybody.

Time to check your answers for the practise task.

So here are some possible reasons why Pentecost is still important to Christians today.

So Pentecost is important to Christians because it was the start of their church.

They believe that the Bible says the Holy Spirit was sent to help the followers of Jesus with their mission of telling lots of people about Jesus.

They believe that it's still their mission today.

Father Jason talked about serving his church, Asher said that it was his mission to share the good news, and Alexia believes the Holy Spirit continues to help her church grow.

Fantastic.

Well done, everybody, for your hard work completing that task.

So that brings us to the end of today's lesson, the Day of Pentecost and the birth of the Church.

Let's consider the key points we covered in our lesson today.

We found out the story of Pentecost can be found in the Christian Bible, Pentecost describes how the followers of Jesus were inspired to go and preach about Jesus, the people who heard the words of Pentecost were a diverse group of people, many Christians interpret the story of Pentecost as marking the gift of the Holy Spirit, for many Christians, the story of Pentecost marks the birth of the Church, and many Christians see Pentecost as the start of the Church and its mission to take the story of Jesus into the world.

So, thank you for joining me for today's lesson.

I hope you will see me again soon for another lesson, but it's goodbye for now.

Take care.