The last days of Jesus' life
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain Christian beliefs surrounding the last days of Jesus’ life and the importance and influence of these beliefs.
Key learning points
- Crucifixion was an Ancient Roman method of execution and refers to Jesus' death on the cross.
- Jesus was accused of blasphemy by the Jewish leaders, and they wanted to arrest him as a criminal.
- Judas, one of Jesus' disciples, betrayed Jesus on the night of Passover and the Last Supper, leading to his arrest.
- The Gospels record Jesus’ crucifixion with some variations, but all confirm his death on the cross.
- Most Christians believe that the crucifixion was the ultimate sacrifice, leading to salvation and atonement.
Keywords
Atonement - the reconciliation of God and humanity accomplished through the life, suffering, and death of Christ
Betrayal/betrayed - to break a persons’ trust or confidence
Crucifixion - the death of Jesus; a form of the death penalty used by the Ancient Romans
Disciples - a follower of Jesus; commonly used to refer to the twelve chosen followers of Jesus during his lifetime
Salvation - the deliverance of humanity from sin
Common misconception
Jesus did not suffer during his crucifixion.
The Gospels recall Jesus crying out loudly during his crucifixion, which many Christians interpret as a sign of Jesus' pain.
Teacher tip
You may wish to provide students with copies of the accounts of Jesus' last days and crucifixion from the Gospels, particularly Luke 22-23.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Many Christians believe that Jesus is both fully human and fully ...
Q2.In John's Gospel, Jesus is referred to as ‘The ’, highlighting his divine nature and role in creation.
Q3.What does ‘incarnation’ mean in Christianity?
Q4.Which Old Testament book is believed to contain prophecies about Jesus' coming?
Q5.What role does Jesus play in Christian salvation?
Q6.Why do Christians believe Jesus’ death proves he is divine?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.At the Last Supper, Jesus broke and gave it to his disciples.
Q2.Judas chose to Jesus, leading to his arrest.
Q3.Jesus’ was a form of execution used by the Ancient Romans.
Q4.Why did Jewish leaders want to arrest Jesus?
Q5.How did Judas identify Jesus to the authorities?
Q6.What do most Christians believe Jesus’ crucifixion achieved?
To help you plan your 10 religious education lesson on: The last days of Jesus' life, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 religious education lesson on: The last days of Jesus' life, 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 4 religious education lessons from the Christian beliefs unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.