Lesson video

Hi, I'm Ms. Minton, and welcome to this living the Christian life lesson on "Christmas celebrations: Holy Week and Easter." Now by the end of this lesson, you will be able to explain the significance of Holy Week and Easter for Christians.

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

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

We have Easter, festival, Holy Week, Lent, and resurrection.

Now Easter is a Christian festival that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus and a festival is a day or period of celebration that's typically done for religious reasons.

Holy Week is the week leading up to the most important Christian festival of Easter.

And Lent is a 40-day period before Easter when many Christians focus on prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, which is giving to charity.

And finally, resurrection is the belief that Jesus rose from the dead on Easter Sunday and conquered death.

Now our lesson today will have two parts.

We'll start by looking at Lent and Holy Week, and we'll then move on to look at Easter.

So let's get started and take a look at Lent and Holy Week.

Now to get started, I'd like you to consider, what is a festival? And do you know any Christian festivals? So pause the video, and either talk to a partner, talk to me, or have a think to yourself.

Off you go.

So a festival is a day or period of celebration that usually takes place because of religious reasons.

And an example of a Christian festival is Christmas.

Now another Christian festival as well as Christmas is Easter, and Easter commemorates Jesus rising from the dead three days after his crucifixion, and this is known as resurrection.

Now before Easter, there is a 40-day period that's known as Lent.

And for many Christians, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday.

Lent commemorates the 40 days that Jesus spent in the desert fasting and praying, as well as his suffering and death that took place after this.

Now during Lent, many Christians will commemorate Jesus' time in the desert by doing three things.

Fasting, which is when many Christians will give up certain foods or habits like sweets, meat, or social media, for example.

And they do this as a form of self-discipline.

Giving to charity, which is also known as almsgiving.

And many Christians do this by donating or performing acts of kindness.

And finally, prayer is a big focus for Christians during Lent.

So, Lent is a time for deepening a person's faith through prayer, meditation, and reading the Bible.

So let's now check your understanding.

Which of the following refers to a 40-day period of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving? A, Advent, B, Epiphany, C, Lent, or D, Pentecost? Fantastic.

The correct answer is Lent.

Well done.

Now Lent ends with Holy Week.

And Holy Week is a time when many Christians remember the events that led up to Jesus' death.

And this includes Palm Sunday, which is when, according to the gospels, Jesus rode into the city on a donkey, which is seen as fulfilling an Old Testament prophecy from the Book of Isaiah.

When this happened, he was welcomed by a crowd waving palm branches and shouting Hosanna, which recognised that Jesus was the saviour.

Now today, many Christians attend a special church service where palm branches are shaped into crosses and handed out.

There might also be a procession at the end of the service.

Holy Week also includes Maundy Thursday, which is the day when Jesus shared his final meal with his disciples, and this is known as the Last Supper.

During the Last Supper, Jesus told his disciples how to remember him when he was gone, but he also commanded his disciples to love one another as he had loved them.

And we can read about this in the Gospel of John 13:24.

Now today, many Christians will attend a church service and celebrate holy communion, also known as the Eucharist.

Some churches will also practise foot-washing to follow Jesus' example of when he washed his disciples' feet during the Last Supper.

Holy Week also includes Good Friday.

And on Good Friday, many Christians remember Jesus' death when he was crucified.

And many Christians will attend church services and say prayers like the Stations of the Cross, which is a prayer that remembers 14 events leading up to Jesus' crucifixion.

Some Christians will also fast on Good Friday, which means they will abstain from food or certain types of food.

Now the day after Good Friday is Holy Saturday, and Holy Saturday is often a quiet day of reflection because this is the day when Jesus' body was in the tomb.

In many Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches, there'll be an Easter Vigil, and this will be held at night to celebrate the transition from sorrow on Holy Saturday to joy on Easter Sunday when Jesus had resurrected and come back to life.

So now we've looked at Holy Week.

Let's imagine that I've been asked to outline three events of Holy Week.

I'm going to say that one event of Holy Week is Palm Sunday when Jesus rode into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey.

And another event is Maundy Thursday when Jesus shared the Last Supper with his disciples.

Now what you might notice from my response is that I've only outlined two events of Holy Week, and I was asked to outline three.

So I'd like you to help me by outlining another event of Holy Week.

Off you go.

So you may have said that another event of Holy Week is Good Friday, which is when Jesus was crucified, or Holy Saturday when Jesus' body was in the tomb.

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

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

I'd like you to explain two reasons why Holy Week is important for Christians.

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

Offer a point giving one reason why Holy Week is important for Christians, and then develop that point by explaining what happens during Holy Week and what that shows.

Then offer a second point giving another reason why Holy Week is important for Christians, and then, again, develop that point by explaining what happens during Holy Week and what that shows.

So pause the video and have a go.

Well done for your work on that task.

So you had been asked to explain two reasons why Holy Week is important for Christians, and your answer might be similar to this.

One reason Holy Week is important for Christians is because it commemorates the final days of Jesus' life.

During Holy Week, Christians will remember events like Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey and the Last Supper.

This shows that Holy Week is a time to reflect on the end of Jesus' life.

Another reason Holy Week is important for Christians is because it's a time to reflect on Jesus' sacrifice.

During Holy Week, Christians will remember Jesus' crucifixion on Good Friday.

This shows that Holy Week is a time for Christians to reflect on and give thanks for the sacrifice that Jesus made.

So well done for explaining two reasons why Holy Week is important for Christians.

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

Now Easter begins on Easter Sunday, which is the day that many Christians celebrate Jesus rising from the dead three days after his crucifixion, which is known as resurrection.

Easter Sunday is particularly significant for most Christians because the events that took place on Easter Sunday show that Jesus conquered death, and that his sacrifice offers the possibility of eternal life in heaven and salvation.

Now Easter is a time of joy, renewal, and hope, and it's a time that symbolises victory over sin and victory over death.

The season of Easter actually lasts for 50 days and it ends on Pentecost Sunday.

Now Pentecost is the event that took place 10 days after Jesus ascended into heaven.

So 10 days after Jesus went up to heaven.

And on Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles and gave them the ability to fulfil their mission to spread the gospel.

So the Holy Spirit gave the apostles the ability to speak in tongues, which means they were able to speak in languages that were previously unknown to them and could therefore spread the gospel.

So let's check your understanding.

Easter is a one-day festival.

True or false? Fantastic.

That statement is false.

But why is that statement false? Well, it's because the season of Easter actually lasts for 50 days and it ends on Pentecost.

Easter Sunday, however, is one day.

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

Now the importance of Easter and remembering the resurrection of Jesus is highlighted by St.

Paul in a letter to the Corinthians that's found in 1 Corinthians 15.

Now 1 Corinthians 15:20 says this, "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." Now this passage defends the truth of the resurrection and explains that it's an essential belief of Christians.

St.

Paul uses the phrase, "firstfruits," referring to Jesus as the first person to resurrect, so the first person to come back to life.

And this means that resurrection is possible for other people as well as Jesus.

And Jesus is the first person to resurrect, the firstfruits.

Now because Easter is extremely important for many Christians, it can be celebrated in a number of different ways, and this includes attending church services.

And these church services will contain readings from the Bible that are specifically about Jesus' resurrection.

Christians also celebrate by saying the phrase "He is risen" or "Christ is risen." And this is said either in church services or by Christians to other people to celebrate Jesus' resurrection.

Now there are also traditions that are specific to different Christian denominations.

So for example, many Orthodox Christians might take part in midnight liturgy, which starts with darkness and ends with the church being filled with light to celebrate.

Also, in many Roman Catholic and Anglican churches, a candle that symbolises the resurrection is lit, and this candle is called the Paschal candle.

Now Fiona is an Anglican Christian, and she explains some of the ways that she celebrates Easter and the days leading up to Easter.

Fiona says this, "During Holy Week, I spend time reflecting on the final days of Jesus' life.

For example, on Palm Sunday, I attend a service where palm crosses are given out and we hear the story of Jesus riding into Jerusalem.

And on Maundy Thursday, I usually attend a church service and receive holy communion.

On Easter Sunday, I will always go to the morning service at my church.

The service is joyful with music and flowers, and I celebrate Jesus' resurrection.

So now we've seen that there are a number of ways that Christians might celebrate Easter.

Let's imagine that I've been asked to outline three ways Christians might celebrate Easter.

I've said that Christians may celebrate Easter by lighting the Paschal candle, and that Christians might celebrate Easter by attending church services that focus on the resurrection of Jesus.

Now what you can see from my response is that I've only outlined two ways.

So I would like you to help me by outlining another way that Christians might celebrate Easter.

Off you go.

So you may have said that Christians might celebrate Easter by saying "He is risen" or "Christ is risen," and this is done to celebrate Jesus' resurrection.

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

It's now time for a task.

I'd like you to write a paragraph explaining why Easter is an important festival for Christians.

In your paragraph, you must include a source of wisdom and authority.

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

Start by giving a reason why Easter is important for Christians.

So Easter is an important festival for Christians because.

Then include your source of wisdom and authority.

So say, "This is supported by.

." And include your source of wisdom and authority.

Then you should develop that and explain it by saying, "This shows that.

." And explain why that shows that Easter is an important festival for Christians.

So pause the video and have a go.

Well done for your work on that task.

So you ask to write a paragraph explaining why Easter is an important festival for Christians.

And in your paragraph, you must have included a source of wisdom and authority.

Your response might be similar to this.

Easter is an important festival for Christians because it commemorates the resurrection of Jesus.

This is supported by St.

Paul in 1 Corinthians 15, which says that Jesus is the firstfruits, and because Jesus resurrected, others will too.

This shows that Easter is important because the events remembered during Easter are not only central beliefs within Christianity, but they also link to beliefs about the afterlife.

Now what you can see here is that I have used St.

Paul and 1 Corinthians 15 as my source of wisdom and authority.

You may have used a different source of wisdom and authority, and if you have, this is absolutely fine.

So well done again for working on that task.

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 a festival is a day or period of celebration, and within Christianity, Easter is an important festival.

We've seen that Lent is a 40-day period leading up to Easter when Christians focus on prayer, almsgiving, and fasting.

We've seen that Holy Week is at the end of Lent, and it's a time when Christians commemorate the final days of Jesus' life.

This includes Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Saturday.

We've seen how Easter begins on Easter Sunday and is the day where many Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, and that the Easter season lasts for 50 days and ends on Pentecost.

We've also seen that many Christians celebrate Easter with a special church service and reflect on the story of Jesus' resurrection in the Bible.

So a huge well done for all of your work today.

It's been wonderful learning with you.