Lesson video

Hi, my name's Ms. Minton and welcome to this "Christianity: Practises" lesson on "Christian beliefs about Holy Communion / the Eucharist." Now by the end of this lesson, you'll be able to explain the sacrament of the Eucharist and its significance for Christians today.

Now we'll be drawing upon prior knowledge of the sacraments throughout this lesson, but there'll also be lots of new learning.

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

So let's get started and take a look at our keywords for today.

We have Eucharist and Holy Communion, sacrament and transubstantiation.

Now, Eucharist, also known as Holy Communion, means thanksgiving and it's the sacrament where Jesus' death and resurrection are celebrated using bread and wine.

Sacrament refers to an outward sign of an invisible and inward blessing by God.

For example, baptism and the Eucharist.

And transubstantiation refers to the belief that the substance of the elements of the Eucharist are transformed into Jesus' body and blood.

Now my lesson today will have two parts.

We'll start by looking at the sacrament of the Eucharist and then we'll move on to look at the significance of the Eucharist.

So let's get started and take a look at the sacrament of the Eucharist.

Now, sacraments are rites and rituals where a believer receives visible signs of God's invisible blessing, and some Christian denominations actually celebrate up to seven sacraments.

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

What are the Seven Sacraments? How many of them can you name? Off you go.

So the Seven Sacraments are baptism, the Eucharist or Holy Communion, reconciliation or confession, confirmation, holy orders, marriage, and anointing of the sick.

And today we're going to be focusing on Holy Communion or the Eucharist.

Now on the screen you can see two images.

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

What do these images portray? So what event is being shown through these images? Off you go.

So these images are showing the Last Supper, which is the final meal that Jesus shared with his disciples before he was crucified.

Now during the Last Supper, Jesus explained to his disciples how they should remember him when he's gone, and we can find out about this in the Gospel of Luke 22:19-20, which says this.

"And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body given for you.

Do this in remembrance of me.

' In the same way, after the supper he took a cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

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

What does Jesus say his disciples should use in order to remember him? Off you go.

So in this passage Jesus tells his disciples that they should use bread and a cup, which many Christians interpret as a cup containing wine, in order to remember him.

Now I'd like you to pause the video again, but this time I'd like you to talk to a partner, have a think to yourself or talk to me about what Jesus says these items represent.

Off you go.

So in this passage, Jesus says the bread is his body and the cup of wine is his blood.

So let's check your understanding.

Jesus instructed his disciples to remember him using bread and a cup of wine during.

A, the Last Supper; B, the Last Lunch; C, the Last Meal; or D, the Last Dinner.

Well done, the correct answer is A, the Last Supper.

Now today, many Christians follow the instructions that Jesus gave at the Last Supper by celebrating the Eucharist, which is also known as Holy Communion.

Now during the Eucharist, Christians will consume bread and wine to remember Jesus and give thanks for his sacrifice and his resurrection.

Now the Eucharist is celebrated by many Christians.

However, there are differing beliefs across Christianity as to whether the Eucharist should be considered a sacrament.

And even for Christians who do regard the Eucharist as a sacrament, there are different beliefs about how and when the Eucharist should be celebrated.

Now in the Roman Catholic Church, the Eucharist is celebrated daily or weekly, and it's celebrated during a church service that's led by a priest known as Mass.

And in this service, Catholics will use bread and wine.

In Eastern Orthodox Christianity, the Eucharist is celebrated weekly and it's celebrated during a church service that's referred to as Divine Liturgy, and it involves incense, icons, and chanting, and it uses bread and wine.

Within Anglican Christianity, the Eucharist is also celebrated weekly, and it's celebrated during a liturgical service with set prayers and readings, and Anglican Christians also use bread and wine.

Within Baptist Christianity, the Eucharist is actually celebrated monthly or even less, depending on individual churches.

The Eucharist takes place during a simple church service that's referred to as the Lord's Supper, and the congregation will share bread and grape juice.

Now this is usually done as an act of remembrance rather than as a sacrament.

So let's check your understanding.

True or false? All Christians celebrate the Eucharist and Holy Communion weekly.

Fantastic, that statement is false.

But why is that statement false? How do we know that that statement is false? Well, it's because some Christian denominations actually celebrate the Eucharist less frequently and might celebrate it monthly or even less.

For example, Baptist Christians.

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

Now, as well as there being different beliefs about how and when the Eucharist should be celebrated within Christianity, there's also different beliefs about the presence of Jesus during the Eucharist.

In the Roman Catholic Church, it's believed that the substance of the bread and wine actually becomes Jesus' body and blood, although the appearance of them doesn't change.

Now this belief is known as transubstantiation.

Within Eastern Orthodox churches, it's believed that Jesus is truly present during the Eucharist, but how he's truly present remains a mystery.

The bread and wine become his body and blood spiritually, and this is known as the real presence.

Within Anglican Christianity, Jesus is believed to be spiritually present, but the bread and wine remain unchanged and they remain as being bread and wine.

And in Baptist Christianity, it's believed that the bread and grape juice are symbols to remember Jesus' death and resurrection and they're symbolic of his presence.

So let's check your understanding again.

Which keyword refers to the substance of the bread and wine becoming Jesus' body and blood? A, transubstantiation; B, consubstantiation; C, memorialism; or D, symbolism? Fantastic, the correct answer is A.

Transubstantiation is the keyword that refers to the substance of the bread and wine actually becoming Jesus' body and blood.

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

I'd like you to explain two different views on the Eucharist within Christianity.

Now, some guidance that you might find helpful when responding to this task is to use the structure of point develop, point develop.

So offer a point giving one view on the Eucharist within Christianity, and then develop that point by explaining if, how, or when the celebration of the Eucharist occurs.

Then offer a different point of view on the Eucharist within Christianity, and again develop that point of view by explaining if, how, or when the celebration of the Eucharist occurs.

So pause the video and have a go.

Well done for your work during that task.

So you were asked to explain two different views on the Eucharist within Christianity, and your answer might be similar to this.

One view on the Eucharist within Christianity is that it's a sacrament.

This is a belief held by the Catholic Church and the Eucharist is celebrated during weekly or daily services known as Mass.

During the service, the substance of the bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Christ, which is known as transubstantiation, and they are consumed by the congregation.

A different view on the Eucharist is that the Eucharist is not a sacrament but a symbolic act of remembrance.

Many Baptist Christians have this view and use bread and grape juice to symbolically remember Jesus during a simple service known as the Lord's Supper.

Now what you can see from my answer is that I have chosen to explain views from Catholic Christianity and Baptist Christianity.

You may have chosen to explain views from Orthodox Christianity and Anglican Christianity instead.

And if you have, this is absolutely fine.

So well done again for you work during that task.

We're now moving on to the second part of our lesson, which is to look at the significance of the Eucharist.

Now Lauren and Izzy, like you, are learning about the Eucharist and Holy Communion and they're discussing why it might be significant for Christians today.

Laura says, "I think the Eucharist or Holy Communion is significant for Christians today because it's a way Christians can give thanks for the sacrifice of Jesus." And Izzy says, "I think the Eucharist or Holy Communion is significant for Christians today because it's an opportunity for them to worship and share their beliefs with other Christians." Now, like Laura and Izzy have done, I would also like you to consider why the Eucharist might be significant for Christians today.

So pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me, or have a think to yourself.

Off you go.

So as part of your thinking time or your discussion, you may have considered that the Eucharist is significant because it helps an individual become closer to God, or that it's an obedience of Jesus' command at the Last Supper.

Or you may have mentioned that it reminds Christians of the possibility of eternal life through Jesus' sacrifice.

Or perhaps you said that it's a visible expression of belief.

Or maybe that the Eucharist is considered a sacrament for many Christians.

So let's check your understanding.

True or false? The Eucharist is significant because it obeys Jesus' command.

Fantastic, that statement is true.

But why is that statement true? How do we know that that statement is true? Well, it's because during the Last Supper, Jesus instructed his disciples to remember him using bread and a cup, which many Christians interpret as a cup containing wine.

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

We're now going to hear from some Christians who are going to explain to you their beliefs about the importance of the Eucharist.

First up we have Father Jason, who is a Catholic priest.

Father Jason explains his beliefs about the importance of the Eucharist as a sacrament.

He says, "Within the Roman Catholic Church, the Eucharist is one of the Seven Sacraments.

This means that the Eucharist is important because it's a way that an individual can receive God's grace, which leads a person to being spiritually nourished and closer to God by receiving the body and blood of Christ through transubstantiation." So what we can see from Father Jason's explanation is that the Eucharist is believed to be something that strengthens individuals spiritually and brings them closer to God.

Now we have Fiona, who is an Anglican Christian, and she explains her beliefs about the importance of the Eucharist as a sacrament.

Fiona says, "The 39 Articles of Religion teaches that the Eucharist is the sacrament of humans' redemption through Jesus' death.

For me, this highlights the importance of the Eucharist as a reminder of Jesus' sacrifice and the hope that it brings." So what we can see from Fiona's explanation is that the Eucharist is important for her because it's a reminder of Jesus' sacrifice and the hope of eternal life in heaven, but we can also see that the Eucharist is something that's discussed in other sources of wisdom and authority as well as the Bible.

Finally, we have Charlie, who is a Baptist Christian, and Charlie explains his beliefs about the Lord's Supper.

Charlie says, "I do not regard the Lord's Supper as a sacrament, but I still believe that it's an important and symbolic act of remembering Jesus.

The Lord's Supper is an opportunity for believers to come together as one community, and this can help deepen a person's faith." So what we can see from Charlie's explanation is that he doesn't regard the Lord's Supper to be a sacrament.

But even though he doesn't believe it's a sacrament, it's still important for him and it's still important in bringing Christians together as a community and helping them grow in their faith.

So now we've seen that there are a variety of reasons of why the Eucharist is important for Christians today.

Let's imagine that I've been asked to give one reason why the Eucharist is significant for Christians today.

I've said that it's because many Christians consider the Eucharist to be a sacrament.

I'm now going to ask you the same question and I'd like you to also give one reason why the Eucharist is significant for Christians today, so pause the video and have a go.

So you may have said that the Eucharist is significant for Christians today because it can create a sense of unity; it shows obedience to Jesus' command, which he gave during the Last Supper; it can be seen as an act of remembrance and thanks for Jesus' sacrifice; and some Christians believe that the substance of the Eucharist actually becomes Jesus' body and blood through transubstantiation.

So well done if you've got one of those answers or something similar.

It's now time for a task.

Alex has been responding to this task.

Explain two reasons why celebrating the Eucharist is important for Christians.

Alex has said, "One reason why celebrating the Eucharist is important for Christians is because some Christians believe that it's a way of receiving God's grace.

The Roman Catholic Church teaches that the Eucharist is a visible sign of God's grace and provides spiritual nourishment to those who receive it." Now I would like you to write another paragraph with a second reason, and in your response you should refer to a source of authority and accurately apply that to the point that you give.

So pause the video and have a go.

Well done for your work during that task.

So you were asked to write another paragraph with a second reason responding to the task explain two reasons why celebrating the Eucharist is important for Christians.

And in your response, you should have referred to a source of authority and accurately applied that to the point that you'd given.

Now, your response might be similar to this.

Another reason why celebrating the Eucharist is important for Christians is because it follows Jesus' command.

During the Last Supper, Jesus instructed his disciples to remember him using bread and a cup, which many Christians interpret as containing wine.

Luke 22:19-20.

This means that when Christians today celebrate the Eucharist, they're following Jesus' instructions from the Last Supper.

So well done again for working on that task.

We've now reached the end of our lesson on "Christian beliefs about Holy Communion / the Eucharist." 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 Eucharist, which is also called Holy Communion, is a form of Christian worship that honours the death and resurrection of Jesus, and that the tradition began with the Last Supper when Jesus shared with his disciples how they should remember him after his death.

We've seen that today many Christians consider this act to be sacrament and they use bread and wine during a church service to obey Jesus' command and remember his sacrifice.

We've also seen that there are varying beliefs across Christian denominations about how and when this should be celebrated, and if or how Jesus is present in the bread and wine or grape juice.

And finally, we've seen that today the Eucharist is still regularly celebrated by many Christians and it remains an important part of Christian worship and life.

So a huge well done for all of your work this lesson.

It's been wonderful learning with you.