Lesson video

Hi, my name's Miss Minton, and welcome to this Living the Christian Life Lesson on Baptism and the Eucharist.

Now by the end of this lesson, you'll be able to explain the role, meaning, and celebration of baptism and the Eucharist, and their significance for Christians today.

Now, some of our learnings today might be new to you, but please don't worry because I'm here to guide you through each step of this lesson, and I'm confident that by the end, you'll achieve this outcome.

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

We have baptism, Eucharist and Holy Communion, sacrament and transubstantiation.

Now, baptism is the sacrament where people become members of the Church and it involves using water as a symbol of washing away sin.

Eucharist, which is also known as Holy Communion, means thanksgiving.

And it's the sacrament where the death and resurrection of Jesus are celebrated using bread and wine.

A sacrament is an outward sign of an invisible and inward blessing by God.

And examples of sacraments are baptism and the Eucharist.

And finally, transubstantiation refers to the belief that the substance of the elements of the Eucharist are transformed into the body and blood of Christ.

Now, our lesson will have three parts today.

We'll start by looking at baptism within Christianity.

We'll then look at the Eucharist and Holy Communion within Christianity.

And then finally, we'll look at the significance of baptism and the Eucharist.

So let's get started and take a look at baptism within Christianity.

Now, sacraments are rites and rituals where a believer receives visible signs of God's invisible blessing, love and grace.

Now, some Christian denominations actually celebrate up to seven sacraments.

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 the seven sacraments can you name? Off you go.

So the seven sacraments are baptism, Holy Communion or the Eucharist, reconciliation which is also known as confession, confirmation, holy orders, marriage and anointing of the sick.

So well done if you were able to identify some of those seven sacraments or even all of the seven sacraments.

Now to begin, I would like you to consider these questions.

Are you a member of a club or a group? How did you join that group or club? And did you have to do anything special to show that you joined and become a member? So pause the video and either talk to me, talk to a partner, or have a think to yourself.

Off you go.

So hopefully you've been able to think of some examples of clubs or groups that you're part of or have been part of and think back to when you joined that group and notice if there was anything particular or special that happened.

Now, specific actions, rituals or procedures that take place when we join groups or clubs are known as initiation or initiation rites.

Now, when someone goes through those initiation rites, it means they're officially welcomed into that group and they've become an official member of that group.

Now, initiation is actually very common within religious traditions, and there are often set ritual and acts that take place to acknowledge that a person has joined a religious group and celebrate that that person has become a member.

And within Christianity, it's often baptism that's used as an initiation rite to welcome a person into the Christian community.

And many Christians actually consider baptism to be a sacrament, so a visible sign of God's invisible blessing and grace.

So let's check your understanding so far.

Which of the following defines the actions of officially welcoming or admitting a person into a group? A, involve, B, initiation, C, introduce, or D, incorporate? Fantastic.

The correct answer is B, initiation.

Well done.

Now for many Christians, the practise of baptism originates from the Gospels, when Jesus is seen being baptised by John the Baptist, in the River Jordan.

And we see this in Matthew 3:16-17, which says this, "As soon as Jesus was baptised, he went up out of the water.

At that moment, heaven was opened, and he saw the spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.

And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him, I am well pleased.

'" Now, many Christians today celebrate baptism in order to follow in Jesus' footsteps.

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

How does this passage tell us that Jesus was baptised? Off you go.

So this passage says that Jesus was baptised using water.

Now, I'd like you to pause the video again, and this time I'd like you to either have a think about or discuss what happened after Jesus was baptised according to this passage.

Off you go.

So according to this passage, after Jesus was baptised, the Holy Spirit descended upon him like a dove and God the Father spoke.

So these events of Jesus' baptism are actually reflected in baptism rituals today.

And there are two key features of baptism that reflect Jesus' baptism in the Gospels.

And these are water, which is used to either wash away sin or symbolise washing away sin before welcoming an individual into their new life as a follower of Jesus, and the Trinity.

Now there'll usually be references to the Trinity during baptism with the person who's leading the baptism, usually baptising the person in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

So in the name of the Trinity.

So let's check your understanding.

True or false, water is used during baptisms as a symbol of the Trinity.

Fantastic, that statement is false.

Water is actually used during baptisms to wash away sin or symbolise washing away in.

There are references to the Trinity, but it's not the water that represents this.

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

Now, although baptism is practised by many Christians, there are actually differing beliefs about when a person should be baptised within Christianity.

Some Christians believe that a person should be baptised as a baby or as a very young child, and this type of baptism is known as infant baptism.

Other Christians actually believe that a person should be baptised when they're an adult.

And baptism that takes place when a person is an adult is known as a believer's baptism.

Now, infant baptism is usually practised by Christians who believe in original sin.

So for example, many Roman Catholic Christians, Orthodox Christians and Anglican Christians practise infant baptism.

And this is because original sin refers to the belief that all humans are naturally sinful because we've descended from Adam and Eve who committed the first sin when they disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden.

So for this reason, we're born sinful and sin prevents salvation, and this leads to the belief that people should be baptised as soon as possible to have this original sin washed away.

Now, there are some common features within infant baptism.

These include the sign of the cross.

So the sign of the cross will be made on the baby's forehead, and this is a sign of the Trinity.

There will also be anointing with oil.

And this is where oil is put onto the baby's head as a sign of strength and blessing.

There'll also be promises that are made by both the parents and the godparents, and they will promise to raise the child within the Christian faith.

Infant baptism also uses Holy water.

And Holy water will be poured onto the baby's head as they are baptised.

And this is to wash away the original sin.

The baby will also usually have a white garment or cloth placed on them as a sign of new life.

And there'll usually be a candle that's lit to show the baby now has the light of Jesus in their life.

Now in contrast to infant baptism is believer's baptism.

And for Christians who practise believer's baptism, this takes place when an individual is an adult.

And this is because it's believed that this is when a person is able to make their own decision about their beliefs, and understand the serious commitment of baptism.

Now, examples of denominations that practise adult baptism or believer's baptism are Baptist and Pentecostal Churches.

Now, just like how there are common features of infant baptism, there are also common features of believer's baptism.

So for example, believer's baptism usually involves a full immersion in water.

And this means a person is fully placed underneath water, usually in a pool, but it can also be in a river, a sea, or a lake.

And when the person rises from the water, this symbolises that they're starting their new life and it's symbolic of washing away their sins.

Believer's baptism will also usually include a testimony or confession of faith, and this is where an individual might read from the Bible and then give a personal testimony on their belief and faith in Jesus and God.

In believer's baptism, there will also be reference to the Trinity, and the individual will be baptised in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

So in the name of the Trinity.

So now we've taken a look at the common features of both infant baptism and believer's baptism.

Let's check your understanding.

True or false? A believer's baptism takes place during early childhood and involves Holy water being poured on the individual's head.

Fantastic.

That statement is false.

But why is that statement false? Well, it's because a believer's baptism actually takes place during adulthood and it actually involves a full immersion underwater rather than Holy water being poured on the person's head.

Infant baptism is the type of baptism that occurs when an individual is a baby or a very young child.

And this is the type of baptism that involves pouring Holy water on the baby's head.

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

It's now time for a task.

I'd like you to explain two ways that baptism is celebrated within Christianity.

And in your answer, you must refer to a source of wisdom and authority.

Here's some guidance that you might find helpful when responding to the task.

Offer a point giving one way that Christians may celebrate baptism, and then develop that point by explaining what that means or what that shows.

Then offer a second point giving another way that Christians might celebrate baptism.

And then again, develop that point by explaining what that means or what that shows.

Now, for one part of your answer, you should refer to a relevant source of wisdom and authority.

That might be an exact or paraphrased quote or it could be a general teaching from a named source.

So pause the video and have a go.

Well done for your work during that task.

So you were asked to explain two ways that baptism is celebrated within Christianity and you were also asked to include a source of wisdom and authority.

Your response might look something like this.

The celebration of baptism within Christianity can happen during infancy or early childhood.

This is known as infant baptism.

A key feature of infant baptism is the washing away of original sin inherited from Adam and Eve when they disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, Genesis.

During infant baptism, water is used to wash this sin away and cleanse the child of original sin.

Baptism can also be celebrated through believer's baptism, which takes place during adulthood when an individual is mature enough to understand the commitment of baptism.

A believer's baptism usually involves full immersion in water, and when the individual rises from the water, they begin their new life as a follower of Jesus.

Now what you can see from my answer is that I have used Genesis as my source of wisdom and authority.

You may have used a different source of wisdom and authority that better supports the point that you've given.

And if you have, this is absolutely fine.

So well done again for your work on that task.

We're now moving on to the second part of our lesson, which is to look at the Eucharist and Holy Communion within Christianity.

So to get started, I would like you to have a look at these two images and I'd like you to either talk to a partner, talk to me or have a think to yourself about what event these two images are portraying.

Off you go.

Well done for recognising that these images are showing the Last Supper, which was 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 was gone, so how they should remember him after his crucifixion.

And the Gospel of Luke 22:19 to 20 says this, "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 the 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 disciple should use in order to remember him once he's gone? Off you go.

So Jesus tells his disciples that they should use bread and a cup to remember him.

And many Christians interpret this cup as containing wine, so therefore his disciples should use bread and wine to remember him.

Now, I'd like us to look at this passage again, but this time I'd like us to think about what Jesus says these items represent.

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

Off you go.

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

Fantastic, the correct answer is A.

The Last Supper is when Jesus told his disciples to remember him using bread and a cup of wine.

Well done.

Now today, many Christians follow the instructions that Jesus gave his disciples during the Last Supper, and they do this by celebrating the Eucharist, which is also known as Holy Communion.

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

Now the Eucharist is celebrated by many Christians, but there are different beliefs within Christianity across the different denominations as to whether the consumption of the bread and wine should be considered a sacrament.

Now, for Christians who do believe that the Eucharist is a sacrament, there are still different beliefs and interpretations about how and when the Eucharist should be celebrated.

So for example, within the Roman Catholic Church, the Eucharist is usually celebrated daily or weekly.

And this happens during a church service known as Mass, which is led by a priest.

And in this service, both bread and wine are used.

Within Eastern Orthodox Christianity, the Eucharist is usually celebrated weekly.

And this happens during a church service that's referred to as Divine Liturgy, and it involves using incense, icons and chanting.

And again, the Eastern Orthodox Church use bread and wine.

Within Anglican Christianity, the Eucharist is also usually celebrated weekly, and this happens during a liturgical service with set prayers and readings, and again, they use bread and wine.

And then within Baptist Christianity, the frequency of when the Eucharist is celebrated varies and it can be done monthly or even less frequently for individual churches.

The Eucharist takes place during a simple church service and it's actually referred to as the Lord's Supper.

The congregation will share bread and grape juice, and it's 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.

Well done.

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

So, for example, Baptist Christians.

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

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

So, for example, the Roman Catholic Church teaches that during the Eucharist, the substance of the bread and wine actually become Jesus' body and blood, although their appearance doesn't change.

And this is known as transubstantiation.

Within Eastern Orthodox Christianity, it's taught that Jesus is truly present.

But how Jesus is 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, it's believed and taught that Jesus is spiritually present, but the bread and the wine remain unchanged, so they remain bread and wine.

And within Baptist Christianity, it's believed that the bread and wine are actually symbols to remember Jesus' death and are symbolic of his presence.

So let's check your understanding.

Which keyword refers to the substance of the bread and wine actually 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's body and blood.

Well done.

It's now time to have a go with the task.

Lucas has been explaining diverse interpretations of the Eucharist.

Lucas says, "One view on the Eucharist within Christianity is that it's a sacrament.

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

During this service, the substance of the bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Christ, which is known as transubstantiation and they're then consumed by the congregation." Now, I would like you to write another paragraph adding onto Lucas' answer, explaining an alternative interpretation of the Eucharist.

So pause the video and have a go.

Well done for your work during that task.

So you are asked to write another paragraph explaining an alternative interpretation of the Eucharist and your response might be similar to this.

Another interpretation of the Eucharist is that the Eucharist is a symbolic act of remembrance rather than a sacrament.

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

For Christians who hold this view such as Baptists, the consumption of bread and wine or grape juice is less frequent compared to Christians who regard the Eucharist as a sacrament.

So what you can see from my response is that I have chosen to use Baptist Christianity as my alternative interpretation of the Eucharist.

But you may have chosen to speak about Eastern Orthodox Christians or Anglican Christians.

And if you have that is absolutely fine.

So well done again for your work during that task.

Let's now move on to the third and final part of our lesson, which is to look at the significance of baptism and the Eucharist.

Sofia and Jun are discussing the importance and significance of baptism and the Eucharist today.

Sofia says, "I think baptism is important for Christians today because it shows they're following in Jesus' footsteps as Jesus was also baptised." Jun says, "I think baptism is also important for Christians today because it makes salvation possible.

This is because in infant baptism, an individual is cleansed of original sin making life in heaven possible." Now Sofia and Jun are both correct, but I'd like you to see if you can think of any other reasons why baptism might be significant for Christians today.

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

Off you go.

So as part of your thinking time or your discussion, you may have considered that baptism is significant for Christians today because it can bring a person closer to God.

It also officially initiates and welcomes an individual into the Christian community.

And for some Christians, baptism is actually necessary for the other sacraments.

You may have also considered that baptism is a public declaration of faith or that some Christians believe that individuals actually receive the Holy Spirit and God's grace through baptism.

Now as well as these reasons, for many Christians baptism is also significant because Jesus actually commanded it.

And we see this in the Gospel of Matthew 28:19 which says this, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Now in this passage, it's Jesus commanding his disciples to spread the word of God and encourage other people to follow him too.

Now, Jesus also says that his followers should be baptised in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Now many Christians actually view this instruction as a command from Jesus to be baptised and therefore they view baptism as a sacrament.

Now as well as this command from Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew, the Gospel of John also contains a teaching that many Christians believe is important and signifies baptism.

The Gospel of John 3:5-6 says this, "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.

Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit." Now this is a quote from a passage that describes a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus who was a Pharisee, which is a member of a Jewish religious group.

In this passage, Jesus explains that spiritual rebirth is required to enter the kingdom of God.

And many Christians interpret this as a sign that they should be baptised.

Let's now imagine that I've been asked to outline three reasons why baptism might be significant for Christians today.

I've said that baptism welcomes an individual into the Christian community and baptism is a declaration of faith.

Now, I've not quite finished my answer because the question asks me to outline three reasons and I've only outlined two.

So I would like you to outline a third reason why baptism might be significant for Christians today.

So pause the video and have a go.

So you may have said that baptism is significant for Christians today because individuals can receive God's grace through baptism.

Jesus commanded baptism and celebrating baptism shows obedience to Jesus' command or that baptism can bring a person closer to God.

So well done and thank you for helping me finish my answer.

Now like baptism, the Eucharist is also significant for Christians and some of the reasons are quite similar.

So for example, the Eucharist can also bring a person closer to God.

It can also allow a person to receive God's grace and it can also be seen as a declaration of faith.

Now as well as these reasons, I would like you to have a think about or discuss why else might the Eucharist be significant for Christians today.

So 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 might be significant for Christians today because celebrating the Eucharist shows obedience to Jesus' command at the Last Supper.

It also reminds Christians of Jesus' sacrifice and his resurrection.

And the Eucharist is also a reminder of the possibility of life in heaven through Jesus' death.

Now, for many Christians who regard the Eucharist as a sacrament, it's often a regular part of worship and Christian life.

Danielle is a Roman Catholic Christian and she explains the importance of the Eucharist for her.

Danielle says, "I believe that the Eucharist is the source and summit of Christian life, meaning it's both the beginning, the source, and the highest point, the summit, of my faith and spiritual life." Fiona is an Anglican Christian and she explains the importance of the Eucharist for her.

Fiona says, "For me, the Eucharist is a reminder of Jesus' sacrifice and the hope that this brings.

It's also an opportunity for me to regularly worship alongside others who share my belief." So what we can see here is that the Eucharist can be significant for Christians, but it can sometimes be significant in different ways.

Let's now imagine that I've been asked to outline three reasons why the Eucharist is significant for Christians today.

I've said that many Christians consider the Eucharist to be a sacrament, and the celebration of the Eucharist creates a sense of unity.

Now, I've not quite finished my answer because I've only outlined two reasons and the question asked me to outline three.

So I would like you to outline a third 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 shows obedience to Jesus' command.

Also, some Christians believe the substance of the Eucharist actually becomes Jesus' body and blood and this is known as transubstantiation.

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

It's now time for a task.

What you can see here is a full evaluation question with the statement being that the Eucharist is more important than baptism for Christians.

If you are completing a full response, you would need to evaluate that statement considering both arguments for and against.

And in your response, you'd need to refer to Christian teachings, different Christian points of view and reach a justified conclusion.

Now, you won't be completing a full response to this statement today, but on the next slide there are arguments offering two different points of view on the statement.

And I would like you to develop each point of view and then link it back to the statement that the Eucharist is more important than baptism for Christians.

Here are the points.

The first point of view is that the Eucharist is a way of giving thanks for and remembering the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus.

And the second point is that baptism is the sacrament where an individual is welcomed into the Christian community.

So you should now pause the video and develop each point of view, linking it back to the statement that the Eucharist is more important than baptism for Christians.

Off you go.

Well done for your work during that task.

So you're asked to develop each point of view and link it back to the statement that the Eucharist is more important than baptism for Christians.

And your responses might be similar to this.

For the point of view that the Eucharist is a way of giving thanks for and remembering the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus, you may have said that this shows that the Eucharist is more important than baptism because the Eucharist is an opportunity to give thanks for and remember Jesus' sacrifice on a regular basis.

And this can occur weekly or even daily for some Christians.

And for the second point of view that baptism is the sacrament where an individual is welcomed into the Christian community.

You may have developed this by saying that this shows that baptism might actually be considered more important than the Eucharist for some Christians.

And this is because without baptism, an individual might not be considered part of the Christian community.

For some Christians, this would then prevent an individual from participating in the other sacraments, meaning that baptism is needed for the Eucharist and therefore it's more important.

So well done, again, for developing each of those points and linking them back to the statement.

We've now reached the end of our lesson.

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 many Christians consider both the Eucharist and baptism to be sacraments.

And that baptism is when an individual is welcomed into the Christian community.

And the Eucharist, which is also known as Holy Communion, is a form of Christian worship that honours the death and resurrection of Jesus.

We've seen that both of these practises originate from Jesus' actions and teachings, but that within Christianity there are varying interpretations of the role and meaning of these and how they're celebrated.

And finally, we looked at how for Christians who celebrate baptism and the Eucharist, they are significant parts of Christian life and worship.

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

It's been wonderful learning with you today.