Jesus of the Gospels
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe how Jesus is portrayed in the Gospels and how each Gospel emphasises different characteristics of Jesus.
Key learning points
- The Gospels are found in the New Testament and tell the story of Jesus and the New covenant.
- The Gospels are named after the authors that they are attributed to.
- The Gospels contain beliefs central to Christianity, but each places emphasis on different qualities of Jesus.
- The Gospels portray Jesus as the Messiah and suffering servant prophesied in the Old Testament.
- The Gospels portray Jesus as the saviour and the Son of God.
Keywords
Emphasise - to give importance or value to something
Messiah - 'anointed one'; chosen by God to bring a new age of peace
Old Testament - the first part of the Bible containing law, history, prophecy, and the wisdom of the people of Israel
Saviour - in Christianity, this refers to Jesus saving humanity from sin and its consequences
The Gospels - four Biblical narratives found in the New Testament that cover the life, death and resurrection of Jesus
Common misconception
The Gospels present exactly the same stories about Jesus, just in slightly different ways.
Whilst there are many similarities across the Gospel books, there are also many differences. Some of the Gospels contain stories that others do not. For example, Jesus' birth is only recorded in Matthew and Luke, not in all four of the Gospels.
Teacher tip
You may wish to remind students of some of the stories and miracles of Jesus mentioned in this lesson.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which keyword refers to a person who studies religion, including religious texts and religious beliefs?
Q2.Stories of Jesus' life, death and resurrection are found in the Testament.
Q3.The writings of St __________ are the earliest known Christian writings about Jesus.
Q4.The doctrine of the Trinity is the belief in the Father, the and the Holy Spirit.
Q5.Which keyword means 'anointed one' and refers to a person who will bring peace?
Q6.Which group within Judaism regard Jesus as the person whom the prophecies predicted would bring peace?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the keywords to the correct definitions.
to give importance or value to something
‘anointed one’; chosen by God to bring a new age of peace
the 1st part of the Bible containing law, history, prophecy and wisdom
in Christianity, this refers to Jesus saving humanity from sin
four books found in the New Testament that cover the life of Jesus
Q2.Where in the Bible are the Gospels found?
Q3.What do the Gospels tell the story of?
Q4.Which of the following is not the name of one of the four Gospels?
Q5.Which Gospels emphasise Jesus as the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy?
Q6.Which Gospels place emphasis on Jesus as the saviour and the Son of God?
To help you plan your 8 religious education lesson on: Jesus of the Gospels, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 religious education lesson on: Jesus of the Gospels, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 religious education lessons from the Jesus: how do Abrahamic faiths view Jesus differently? unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.