DRAFT GCSE COURSEWORK BOOKLET

RELIGIOUS STUDIES

CATHOLICISM 1

Course book 1

Beliefs, Teachings and Sources

COURSEWORK BOOKLET

CATHOLICISM 1

BELIEFS, TEACHINGS AND SOURCES

Candidates will be expected to use knowledge and understanding of key events in the life of Jesus as well as some of his key teachings and aspects of the Bible to describe, explain and analyse the significance and impact of Catholic beliefs, teachings and sources.

The Bible

All the major world religions have writings which they consider to be very holy. These writings usually form the basis of their beliefs (faith) and behaviour (ethics). The sacred book of the Christian Church is the Bible, a word which means ‘books’ because the Bible is a collection of 72 books.

The structure of the Bible

The Christian Bible is divided into two parts:

· The Old Testament

· The New Testament.

The Old Testament

The word ‘testament’ means a covenant or agreement. The Old Testament tells of God’s agreement or covenant with his chosen people, the Jews. The Old Testament, a collection of writings written originally in Hebrew over nearly a thousand years, consists of five different types of writing;

· law (the law books set out the laws and regulations governing the Jewish community);

· history (the history books describe the history of the Jewish people);

· prophecy (the writings of the prophets describe the lives and teaching of those men who felt called to challenge the moral and spiritual poverty of their day);

· poetry (the books of poetry, such as the psalms, set out the prayers and hymns used by the Jewish community);

· stories (the stories, which include the story of the Creation in Genesis, try to explain the mysteries of the world through imagery and symbolism).

There are 45 books in the Old Testament.

The New Testament

The New Testament tells of the new covenant between God and human beings brought about by the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The New Testament, a collection of writings originally in Greek written over a period of about one hundred years, consists of four different types of writing:

· gospels (four accounts of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus in which the Good News of Jesus Christ is proclaimed);

· history ( the Acts of the Apostles contains stories of the work and mission of the early Church)

· letters (the letters were written by early Christian leaders, such as Paul, to advise and encourage the Christian communities they had founded);

· personal visions (the book of the Apocalypse or Revelation uses powerful imagery to convey warnings and hope).

There are 27 books in the New Testament.

Basic Tasks

1. What is the sacred book of the Christian Church?

2. What are the two main parts of the Bible called?

3. What does the Old Testament tell us about?

4. Write a sentence about each of the different types of writing found in the Old Testament.

5. What does the New Testament tell us about?

6. Write a sentence about each of the different types of writing found in the New Testament?

7. How many books are there in the Old Testament?

8. How many books are there in the New Testament?

The Authority of the Bible (1)

The Catholic Church believes, and teaches, that God has spoken to humankind through the Bible and therefore the words of the Bible has the authority to teach Catholics what to believe and how to behave. There are three major beliefs about the Bible which can be summed up in three words: revelation, inspiration, interpretation.

Revelation - Catholics call the Bible the ‘Word of God’ because Christians believe that God continues to speak to the world through the Bible, telling people about himself and how He wants them to live.

Inspiration - Catholics believe that the writers of the sacred books were influenced or inspired by God who used their gifts and talents so that they could write down what they believed were the genuine intentions of God Himself. Catholics therefore believe that the Bible is the Word of God written in the words of human beings.

Interpretation - Catholics believe that, although the writers of the Bible were inspired by God, they were only human - and so made mistakes and were also influenced by the attitudes and ideas of their own time. For this reason, the Bible’s teaching must be interpreted in order to understand what God is saying to people today. One of the tasks of the Church, especially the bishops and theologians, therefore, is to interpret God’s Word.

“All scripture is inspired by God and can profitably used for teaching, for refuting error, for guiding people’s lives and teaching them to be holy. This is how the man who is dedicated to God becomes fully equipped and ready for any good works.”

(Paul’s second letter to Timothy 3:16)

“In Sacred Scripture, God speaks to man in a human way. To interpret Scripture correctly, the reader must be attentive to what the human authors truly wanted to affirm, and what God wanted to reveal to us by their words.”

(Catechism of the Catholic Church 109)

Basic Tasks

1.What do you understand by each of the following terms:

revelation

inspiration

interpretation?

God speaks today

Most Christians agree that the Bible has authority both in the forming of their beliefs and guiding their behaviour. Along with the teaching authority of the Church (the magisterium), the Bible is a main source of authority for all Catholics. This is because the Bible is more than a scientific or historical record. It describes God’s activity in the world. This is why readers must always read the Bible with faith as, without faith, the Bible only makes partial sense and can seem contradictory and confusing. Catholics believe that, as they read the Bible prayerfully, God will guide them in their everyday lives and in the decisions they have to make. Catholics use the Bible in a number of ways:

· In the Catholic Church, the Mass begins with three readings from the Bible - one from the Old Testament, one from the New Testament and a third from one of the gospels. This part of the Mass is called the Liturgy of the Word. The lectionary, which contains the readings from the Bible to be used in Mass, is placed in a prominent place on a lectern so that people can both see and hear the proclamation of the Word of God. As a sign of respect the lectionary may be incensed before the gospel and, after the gospel, the priest or deacon kisses the book.

· Outside the Mass, the Bible is used as a source of prayers, such as the Lord’s Prayer (the ‘Our Father’) and psalms may be used as devotional songs of praise to God. Many hymns are based on psalms or Bible passages.

· The Bible is also used for personal study and meditation which is a form of an imaginative prayer based on reading stories from the Bible. Christians might set aside time each time for prayer and study. They might just open the Bible at random, or work through particular sections using Bible-reading notes. These notes guide them through passages and comment on them. After reading the Bible, Christians will think about what they have read, and perhaps say a prayer. Besides finding out information about their faith, Christians hope to sense the inner guidance of God through reading the words of scripture.

· Christians will meet together in small groups for Bible-study classes. The group will read and think about chosen passages from the Bible then discuss the passages to develop their understanding.

How other Christians revere and use the Bible

Unlike Catholics, Protestant Christians accept the Bible as the sole authority for the Christian belief and practice. Protestants believe that individuals can read and understand the Bible for themselves because the Holy Spirit will guide them to the correct meaning.

Some Christians are fundamentalists. This means that they believe the Bible is the only authority for Christians because it is the direct word of God, dictated to the writers as if by a heavenly voice, and therefore everything in the Bible is the literal truth. Since the Bible states that the world was created in six days, fundamentalists believe in a six-day creation. Fundamentalists argue that if the Bible appears to contradict science, then it is science that is wrong. As the Bible is the Word of God then there are no errors in it since God has guided the writers.

Catholics and the role of conscience

Conscience has been defined as the voice of God speaking deep within a person, helping the person to decide the difference between right and wrong.

Catholics believe that to listen to the voice of God speaking in their lives, they need to ‘inform’ their conscience. To do this Christians must read the Word of God (the Bible), pray and celebrate the Mass and the sacraments and listen to the leaders of the Church - the pope and bishops of the Church. If a Catholic feels that, after prayer and having sought guidance, in all conscience, a certain action is right they are bound to follow their conscience. This is what is meant by the term ‘primacy of conscience.

Basic Tasks

1. What is the Liturgy of the Word in the Catholic Mass?

2. What is a lectern?

3. What is a lectionary?

4. How does the Catholic Church show its respect for the Word of God in its public worship?

5. What is meditation?

6. Why do some Christians meditate?

7. Why do Catholics study the Bible?

8. How do Protestants believe they are guided to the correct understanding of the Bible’s message?

9. How do fundamentalists understand the term ‘the Word of God’?

10. What is conscience?

11. What is an informed conscience?

12. What is meant by ‘primacy of conscience’?

Evaluation exercises

In the examination there will be two types of evaluation. The first type is a simple evaluation which means that you will only be expected to give one point of view either for or against the statement. This type of evaluation will always appear in the (d) question and will carry four marks. The second type is a complex evaluation in which you will be expected to give arguments for and against the statement and present your own conclusion. This type of evaluation will always appear in the (e) question and will carry eight marks.

(d)“The Bible today is out of date and has little relevance in people’s lives.”

Do you agree or disagree? Give two reasons for your answer(4)

(e)“In order to be a good Catholic, it is important to read the Bible every day.”

Do you agree? Give reasons or evidence for your answer, showing that you have considered more than one point of view.(8)

Jesus

All Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the second Person of the Holy Trinity who, at a specific moment in time and history, became a human being. This belief is known as the Incarnation (‘becoming flesh’). Because Christians believe that Jesus Christ is true God and true Man, they believe he is the definitive revelation of God. The author of St John’s Gospel describes Jesus as the Word of God. This means that Jesus reveals to us perfectly what God is like. It is very important for Christians to know the main events of Jesus’ birth, his life, his crucifixion and death and his resurrection from the dead. All these events are recorded in the Bible in the gospels. Three of the gospels – Matthew, Mark and Luke – are known as the synoptic gospels because they present a similar picture of the life and ministry of Jesus. The fourth gospel – John- was written later and is more like a meditation on the life of Jesus. It is likely that the first of the gospels to be written was Mark and the last John.

The Birth of Jesus

The stories of the birth of Jesus are only recorded in two of the gospels – Matthew and Luke – and both accounts are very different.

Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus

In his account of the birth of Jesus, Luke was concerned to show that the birth of Jesus was for all people – for the poor, for the lowly, for Gentiles as well as Jews.

Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, with, and through, the cooperation of the Virgin Mary. Mary and Joseph (Mary’s husband) travelled from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem, the city of David, to enrol as part of the census ordered by Caesar Augustus. While they were there, Mary gave birth to her first-born son and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. An angel announced to shepherds the good news of the birth of ‘Christ the Lord’. The shepherds visited the new-born baby.

Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus

Matthew is concerned to prove that the Jewish scriptures have been fulfilled in the coming of Jesus and he often uses the phrase, ‘This was done to make what the Lord said through the prophet come true.’ In a dream Joseph, who after hearing the his betrothed Mary was pregnant considered divorcing her, was told by an angel that Mary had not been unfaithful and that indeed the child she had conceived was conceived through the Holy Spirit. After Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, wise men, guided by a star, visited Jerusalem seeking a new-born king. After seeking advice, King Herod informed them that the Christ was to be born in Bethlehem and told the wise men to find the child and return with news about his whereabouts. After following the star, the wise men found Jesus in Bethlehem and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. They were warned in a dream not to return to Herod.

Many Christians understand the stories in Luke and Matthew as history – as fact. That is how Jesus was born; his birth was different and special and it was a unique events.

Some question some of the stories. They see the stories as later interpretations of who Jesus was, rather than a report of historical events. They use symbols and myths to draw out the mystery and the majesty of Jesus. Such Christians believe that Jesus was God; but they think he was born in a normal way. The birth stories, they would argue, were made up to try to convey an awesome truth: God became man in the person of Jesus.

Basic tasks

1.Read Luke 2:1-20 and Matthew 2:1-16 and in your own words summarise their accounts of the birth of Jesus.

2.What are the main differences in the accounts of Jesus’ birth? Explain these differences.

3. Below are two pictures of the birth of Christ. Which gospel account of the birth of Jesus is Picture 1 showing and which account of the birth of Jesus is Picture 2 showing. Explain your decisions

4.What supernatural elements can be found in the stories of Jesus’ birth? Explain why they might have been included.

The baptism of Jesus

All the gospels tell the story of the baptism of Jesus and so it was obviously an event of great importance in the life of Jesus. One writer says that the baptism of Jesus was a turning point in Jesus’ life. “Jesus had an intense religious experience at this time. He heard a voice confirming him as the Son, or Messiah, and the Spirit came upon him, and this appeared symbolically as a dove.”

The shortest account of the baptism is found in St Mark’s gospel:

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."

Mark 1 9:11

According to this account, the baptism of Jesus by his cousin John was accompanied by three signs – the heavens were ‘torn apart’, the Spirit came upon Jesus in the form of a dove and God the Father’s voice was heard. Baptism for the wild, holy man, John the Baptist, was a simple sign that a person wished to change the direction of their lives. While Jesus probably accepted John’s baptism to stand in solidarity with him and his call for repentance, Jesus’ baptism had a greater significance. Jesus’ baptism was confirmation what he was God’s son, the Messiah or Anointed one, and that God had chosen him for a specific task – to bring the Good News. Jesus was also empowered by the Spirit for his work of preaching the gospel.

The story of the baptism of Jesus is significant for Christians today because at our baptism we, too, are consecrated to God and prepared for a very special task – to live good, holy lives and to bring the Good News to the world.

The temptations of Jesus in the desert

We are told by the first gospel writers – Matthew, Mark and Luke – that, after his baptism, Jesus was sent by the Spirit of God into the desert to prepare for his mission, We are also told that during this forty-day period of prayer and fasting, he was tempted by the devil. In the Scriptures, the desert is connected with temptation and struggle and it was believed to be the special domain of the devil – lifeless and cursed. Here, Jesus was separated from his friends and struggled with the question of his identity. The gospels record that Jesus faced three temptations:

to turn stones into bread

to become ruler of the world by serving the devil

to throw himself from the Temple

The extract below is from St Luke’s account of the temptations of Jesus.

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone.'”

The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendour, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours."

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.']"

The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. For it is written:    " 'He will command his angels concerning you       to guard you carefully;  they will lift you up in their hands,       so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'”

Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'”

When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time

Luke 4:1-13.

What do the temptations mean?

1.After forty days of fasting, Jesus was very hungry. The first temptation tries to encourage Jesus to misuse his God-given power to satisfy his own needs. Jesus refused to do so and said ‘Human beings cannot live on bread alone.’ This means that there is more to life than simply satisfying our material needs.

2. In the second temptation, in Luke’s account, the devil tried to turn Jesus away from the true worship of God by the offer of power and wealth – ‘the kingdoms of the world’. Jesus refused to take up the devil’s offer. He is not to be a conquering king, but a suffering servant who serves God alone.

3.In the third temptation, Jesus is tempted to use a great display of power (the angels of God coming to his rescue to save him after he threw himself from the Temple) to prove that he was God’s Son, the Messiah. Jesus refused to do this because he had come to know that this was not what God wanted. God wanted Jesus to take another path – not the way to power and glory – but to shame and the cross. Jesus refused to put God to the test.

The story of the temptations of Jesus is significant because it shows that Jesus was tempted in the same way as all human beings are, and yet he did not give in, but accepted, joyfully, God’s plan for him. He refused to misuse the special gifts that God had given him by using his power for his own ends. The story also shows that Jesus’ mission will not be an easy one and will require his complete sacrifice. Jesus will constantly face temptation as Luke ominously writes, “When the devil finished tempting him Jesus in every way, he left him for a while.” Christians, on their way through life to God, will also be asked to do things God’s way and that will involve difficult choices. The example of Jesus, however, shows that temptation can be overcome.

Basic tasks

1.Answer the following questions in complete sentences:

According to Mark’s gospel, who baptised Jesus?

Where was Jesus baptised?

What three signs does Mark include in his account to show that the baptism of Jesus was a key moment in his life?

What is the significance of the baptism of Jesus for Christians today?

In your own words summarise Luke’s account of the temptations of Jesus.

Explain what the three temptations of Jesus mean.

2.Remind yourself about evaluation questions by reading p.5

‘The story of the temptations of Jesus has real significance for Christians today.’

Do you agree? Give reasons or evidence to show that you have considered more than one point of view.

The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus

The four gospels record the arrest, trial, crucifixion and death of Jesus. The death of Jesus for Christians represents both the evil of the power of this world which attempts to destroy all that is good and the ultimate triumph of the love of God.

What follows is a brief summary of the events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus:

Jesus was betrayed by one of his followers, Judas Iscariot, and tried before the Sanhedrin (the Jewish Council) on a charge of blasphemy.

During this trial, Jesus admitted openly for the first time that he was the Messiah and was found guilty of blasphemy.

Jesus was also tried before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, on a charge of treason against Caesar for claiming to be a king.

Jesus was found guilty of this charge and was ordered to be crucified. In preparation for his execution Jesus was scourged and crowned with thorns.

Below is St Mark’s account of the crucifixion of Jesus:

A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.

It was the third hour when they crucified him. The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS. They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!"

In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! Let this Christ,[ this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe." Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him. Mark 15:21-32

The following points about the crucifixion of Jesus need to be noted:

Simon of Cyrene helped Jesus to carry the horizontal beam of the cross. Jesus had been too badly beaten to carry it himself as was customary in Roman crucifixion.

‘Golgotha’ is Aramaic for ‘place of the skull – the execution site. Many scholars believe that Golgotha (or Calvary) was a quarry outside the city walls where crucifixions took place in a public place to deter criminals and rebels.

Jesus refused the customary offer of a painkiller (wine mixed with myrrh).

The execution squad was entitled to a condemned man’s clothes, so they diced for them.

The notice above the cross gave the criminal’s offence. Pilate may have meant to frighten other would-be Messiahs. However, the charge against Jesus ‘The King of the Jews’ underlines that Jesus was executed for what he really was – God’s Chosen One or Messiah.

The fact that Jesus was executed between two criminals shows him in the company of sinners even at his death.

All these details, as well as the jeering of the crowd and the Jewish leaders, indicate how extreme the suffering of Jesus – both physical and mental – was.

Below is St Mark’s account of the death of Jesus

At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"[

When some of those standing near heard this, they said, "Listen, he's calling Elijah."

One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down," he said.

With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!"

Mark 15:39

The death of Jesus is described by Mark in a very sombre way and the following should be noted:

The darkness from noon to 3pm may have been a thunderstorm, or Mark may intend us to think of it as a supernatural darkness. The darkness may show God at work.

‘Eloi, eloi, lama sabachthani?’ means ‘My God, my God, why have your forsaken me.’ This is a quotation from Psalm 22. It is likely that mark included this to show the intensity of Jesus’ suffering as it hints that Jesus may even have felt that he had been abandoned by God his Father.

When Jesus died, the Temple Curtain, or Veil, was torn in two. The curtain separated the Holy of Holies, the most sacred part of the Temple, from the rest of the holy place. This detail may mean that the Temple will be destroyed, the barrier of sin which separated God and human beings had been destroyed by Jesus’ death or that the Temple is no longer the place to find God – God is now found in Jesus.

The centurion, a Gentile, admitted that Jesus was the Son of God. At the very moment of his humiliation and death, Jesus was recognised for what he truly was – the Son of God.

The significance of the death of Jesus for Christians is that Jesus died in order to bring people back to God, to forgive people’s sins and to reconcile the human race to God. This teaching is summed up in the world ‘Atonement’. Jesus, in taking our place before God, offered him the perfect sacrifice of his life and God accepted Jesus’ love. In doing so, God accepted us. The death of Jesus was followed by his resurrection, which is a sign that ultimately good will triumph over evil and that death is not the end.

Basic tasks

1.Read the accounts of the crucifixion and death of Jesus and then write out the these events in the order in which they happened:

The veil of the Temple was torn in two

Jesus is offered wine mixed with myrrh

Darkness covers the whole earth

Jesus is mocked by the crowds

The centurion recognises Jesus as the Son of God

Jesus dies

Jesus is crucified

Jesus cries out with a loud voice

Jesus is offered vinegar to drink.

2.In what ways might the story of Jesus’ crucifixion and death help Christians to face the problems and suffering of life?

3.What is the significance of the death of Jesus for Christians?

4.Many people believe that the painting of the Crucifixion and death of Jesus by Matthias Grunewald best sums up the suffering of Jesus. Find a copy of it on the internet and write a description of it. Use the following questions to help you do this;

How many human figures can you see? Can you identify them?

What other figure can you see? What do think this is supposed to represent?

What colour is the body of Jesus?

How does the artist show the intensity of Jesus’ suffering? (Look at the body, the hands and the feet)

Why do you think the artist has painted such a gruesome image?

The Resurrection of Jesus

The resurrection of Jesus is at the heart of Christian belief and faith. All the gospels agree that shortly after the death of Jesus, the tomb into which he had been placed was found empty, and that Jesus appeared to his followers. Jesus is said to have a risen body and soul, but his new body did not obey the normal laws of physics. He appeared and disappeared and walked through locked doors. The gospel accounts, as well as the letters of St Paul, which are the earliest New Testament documents, suggest that the resurrection, while being mysterious, was objective i.e. that there was a physical resurrection.

Some Christians wonder if the story of the empty tomb was added later as a way of filling out the belief that Jesus has risen spiritually and his presence was felt within the heart of the believer and within the Church. These Christians do not think that what happened to the body of Jesus is important – it might have been stolen. Others point out that all four gospels have the empty tomb story, and Mark’s brief account is centred around it. This suggests that it is an early tradition. Matthew adds that the authorities ordered a story to be spread, that the disciples had stolen the body, to cover up the fact of the empty tomb

The earliest account of the resurrection of Jesus, in Mark’s gospel, is very short.

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?"

But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

"Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.' "

Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

Mark 16:1-8

Matthew’s account is longer.

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.' If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

Matthew 28:1-15

Ever since the first Easter Sunday morning, people have put forward theories to deny the resurrection and explain the empty tomb.

For example some say:

Jesus was not really dead. Perhaps he was only unconscious when they took him down from the cross.

The disciples had made a mistake and looked inside the wrong tomb.

Someone stole the body and the disciples pretended or thought he had been raised.

The disciples were so upset over the death of Jesus that they began seeing things and imagined that they could see Jesus again.

BUT…

The Roman soldiers would certainly have made sure that their prisoner was dead. According to John’s gospel, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear to make sure he was dead.

The burial of Jesus was witnessed by some of the women followers of Jesus, who noted the place where he was buried. Additionally, although no body was found in the tomb it was not entirely empty – there were grave cloths which had been wrapped around Jesus’ body.

Within weeks of Jesus’ death, his timid followers were risking death themselves by preaching openly about the resurrection. Those first Christians would have hardly have staked their lives on a lie.

The theory that the disciples hallucinated might have been believable if there had been one or two claims to have seen Jesus. But on one occasion Jesus appeared to five hundred people at once. They could not all have been hallucinating.

Resurrection faith is significant for the following reasons:

The resurrection of Jesus showed that God approved of Jesus.

The resurrection showed that Jesus was who he said he was and what he said was true.

The resurrection was God’s saving act. The crucifixion makes no sense without the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus took away the sins of the world on the cross and offers people new life by his resurrection.

The resurrection shows that death is not the end. God raised Jesus to life and He will raise his people to newness of life, now, and in the world to come.

Basic Tasks

1.In your own words, re-tell St Mark’s account of the events of Easter morning.

2.What are the main differences between Mark’s account and the later account given by St Matthew? Explain this difference.

3.What is the significance of the resurrection of Jesus for Christians today?

4.Below is a picture of the resurrection of Jesus by the Italian artist Piero della Francesca. In your own words describe as carefully as you can see in the picture. Do you like the picture? Explain your response? What elements about the resurrection of Jesus do you think the artist is trying to convey?

The teachings of Jesus

Jesus was a great teacher and used many different methods of teaching. We find stories in the gospel, stories with a symbolic meaning, called parables. There are collections of his sayings, most of them short and easy to remember. He probably had his disciples learn these off by heart as other Jewish teachers of the time did. Jesus taught his followers a prayer, the Lord’s Prayer, which his disciples memorised. He also taught other through his actions.

Jesus’ teaching on love

In reply to a question about the greatest of the commandments of the Law, Jesus summed up the Ten Commandments, the Law and the whole of the Old Testament teaching in two simple commandments:

“Jesus said, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: ‘You must love your neighbour as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang the whole Law and the prophets also.”

In parables such as the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37) and the Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:31-46), Jesus revealed that Christian morality (behaviour) is not a set of rules or lessons. The heart of Christian morality is love which has its source in God himself. Furthermore, in the Greatest Commandment, quoted above, Jesus teaches that we can only love God through love of neighbour. Clearly there will be problems with this unless we understand what we mean by ‘love’. The New Testament was written in Greek. Unlike English, Greek has more than one word for love including:

· eros – romantic or sexual love

· philia – love between friends

· storge – family affection

· agape – this is the world used in Jesus’ sayings about love, where it means being concerned about other people, wanting their wellbeing, caring about them as much as you care about yourself (the ‘Golden Rule’).

Jesus, therefore, commanded his followers to love all people – friends as well as enemies – not to be in love with them!

The Good Samaritan

 

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

 "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

 He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbour as yourself.'[]"

 "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbour?"

 In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he travelled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

"Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

 The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."   Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise." (Luke 10:25-37)

This parable answers the question, ‘Who is my neighbour?’. The characters are a traveller who had been robbed and beaten up, a priest, a Levite (who helped to prepare Temple sacrifices) and a Samaritan. The Samaritans were a people who were not trusted by the Jews and indeed Jews and Samaritans hated each other. In response to the injured man, the priest and the Levite rushed by and ignored the injured man. They have failed to show him love. The Samaritan, by contrast, stopped to help the man, cleaned his wounds with wine and oil and took him to an inn where he paid for his upkeep and promised to return to pay any further expenses the innkeeper might have incurred.

The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." (Matthew 25:31-46)

The parable of the sheep and the goats is about the Last Judgement. Jesus told the people that, at the end of time, people will be divided just as a shepherd divides sheep from goats. In the parable Jesus identified himself closely with those in need, especially those on the margins of society. Those who have loved Jesus in their neighbour – by feeding them, giving them drink and clothing them – will be rewarded with eternal life. Those who failed to do so would be punished for their selfishness.

Christians can show love today in the following ways:

· by acts of kindness and helpfulness

· by rejecting prejudice

· by forgiving those who have done wrong

· by showing compassion for those in need

· by being involved in charity work

· by trying to deal with bullying.

Basic tasks

1.Read the parable of the Good Samaritan and retell it in your own words.

2.Explain why the original hearers would have been shocked to see the Samaritan helping out?

3. What has this parable to say to people who are racist?

Jesus’ teaching on forgiveness and reconciliation

Throughout his ministry, Jesus taught that he had come to show God’s mercy to sinners and, in God’s name, he forgave sinners. In the Sermon on the Mount, in the Lord’s Prayer, and in many parables, such as the unforgiving servant, he taught the people that, if they wanted God’s forgiveness, would have to forgive others. Jesus was not content simply talking about God’s forgiveness. In his dealings with people he put God’s forgiveness into action. Many of the Jewish leaders were scandalised that Jesus forgive people’s sins and criticised him for this. Ultimately Jesus’ determination to do God’s will would end in his death.

The parable of the Lost Son

Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.

"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father.       "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.

"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'

"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'

" 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "

Luke 15:11-32

This parable, sometimes called the parable of the Prodigal Son is found in Luke 15 along with two other parables – the lost sheep and the lost coin. All stress the forgiving mercy of God and his reconciling love. A son takes his share of his father’s inheritance and leaves home. He wastes his money, and ends up very poor, deserted by his friends, and feeing pigs. He returns home in disgrace, hoping that his father will take him back as a servant. When the father sees him returning, he runs out, happy to have him back. He throws a party, saying, ‘he was lost, but now he has been found’. By contrast the boy’s elder brother was bitter, jealous and resentful and refused to attend the party despite his father’s pleading.

The parable of the Unforgiving Servant

"Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

"The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' The servant's master took pity on him, cancelled the debt and let him go.

"But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.

"His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'

"But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I cancelled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

Matthew 18:23-35

In this parable a king called his debtors to see him. One of them, one of the king’s servants, owed him a huge debt which he could not repay. Out of pity the king cancelled the whole debt. A little while later the same servant came across a fellow servant who owed him a very small debt and he demanded that it be repaid. He refused to listen to the servant’s pleas for mercy and had him and his family cast into prison. When the king heard about this, he summoned the unforgiving servant and told him that for his failure to forgive he would be cast into prison along with his family.

Jesus ominously ends the parable by saying that that is how God will treat us unless we forgive each other from the heart.

Christians can show forgiveness and reconciliation in their lives today:

· by forgiving each other from the heart as soon as a quarrel begins

· by encouraging others to forgive

· by demonstrating for peace and by seeking peace for all peoples

· by seeking unity among Christians.

Basic tasks

1.Read the parable of the lost son and retell it in your own words.

2.Explain what the parable says about God.

3.What do you think of the father’s actions?

4.What do you think of the elder brother’s reaction? Do you agree with him?

5.According to the parable of the Unforgiving Servant what is vital if people are to experience the forgiving love of God in their lives?

6.‘Following Jesus’ commands is easy’.

Do you agree or disagree? Give two reasons for your answer.

RELIGIOUS STUDIES

(SPECIFICATION A)

ASSESSMENT MATERIALS

1. Study the information below and answer the questions that follow.

The birth of Jesus

(a)Describe the main events of the birth of Jesus[4]

(b)Explain why Jesus’ birth is important to Catholics.

(c)Explain Jesus’ teaching on forgiveness and reconciliation. [4]

(d)‘It is more important to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection than to remember his crucifixion.’ Do you agree or disagree? Give two reasons for your answer.You must include reference to religious beliefs in your answer.[4]

(e)‘Christmas is no longer a religious festival in today’s society.’Do you agree? Give reasons or evidence for your answer, showing you have considered more than one point of view.You must include reference to religious beliefs in your answer.[8]

“Who do you say I am”

“You are the Christ”

The Ministry of Jesus

BIRTH OF

JESUS

BAPTISM OF

JESUS

RESURRECTION

JESUS

CRUCIFIXION AND DEATH OF�JESUS

TEMPTATIONS

OF

JESUS

TRANSFIGURATION

TRIALS OF� JESUS

Prayer

Church

BIBLE

CONSCIENCE

SOURCES

OF

AUTHORITY

Teachings of Jesus

Jesus

on

love

Jesus

on

forgiveness

Jesus

on

reconciliation

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