Why was Jesus given the name ‘saviour’?

Transcription

Why was Jesus
given the name
‘saviour’?
Key Stage 1 RE
EMMANUEL Project: Teaching Christianity effectively in Key Stage 1
Helen Matter, Diocesan Schools’ Adviser – helen.matter@cofesuffolk.org / 01473 298570
Page 1
Background Information
Religious Education requirements: This unit fulfils requirements for the KS1 Learning Theme ‘Believing: what some people believe about
God, the natural world, human beings, a significant figure’ (Suffolk Agreed Syllabus for RE 2012 p.26-27). The focus is on the Christmas
stories and the key Christian belief in Jesus as ‘saviour’. it could be taught at any time of year but is best in either the half-term leading up to
Christmas or the half term afterwards.
Teaching Christianity effectively means: accuracy when portraying Christian beliefs, use of great resources, creative approaches,
awareness of the school setting, contextualization of beliefs e.g. by using Tom and Tessa, setting challenging but enjoyable tasks and should
result in children who understand more about Christian belief and practice, and are better equipped to think more deeply about their own lives
and beliefs. We have held these ideals in mind but you are invited to adapt the material and make the unit even more effective in your setting.
Whole school celebration of Christmas: This unit can be used to prepare younger children for a whole school celebration of Christmas or as
part of an RE Theme Day on Christmas. Whole school working often permits more art, craft, music, dance, poetry and drama to be used in RE
and gives more time to meet and interview members of the Christian faith; these things can greatly enhance RE learning BUT it is important
to keep the focus of the unit on what Christians believe.
There are some excellent resources which could enable a key stage or whole school approach to work on Christmas / believing e.g.

Festival Matters – a folder of material for teaching major Christian festivals from Reception to Year 6, and
designed to promote progression in understanding. Christmas for Year 1 covers Gifts and Giving
(Christians believe Jesus is God’s Gift) and Year 2 Lights (Christians believe Jesus is the Light of the
World). Buy from http://www.salisbury.anglican.org/schools/publications/festival-matters

Experience Christmas – a set of 6 interactive reflection and prayer stations which tell the Christmas story
and also explore its significance in the lives of Christians and the church today. Purchase from Jumping
Fish pubs (Gloucester Diocese): http://gloucester.anglican.org/parish-life/jumping-fish/

A Gift for All: musical nativity play–written in Norwich Diocese for KS1 pupils with a series of simple
songs and a short play supported by CDs. Would complement or form the basis for an RE unit / day on
‘Believing’ while providing a nativity play for that all-important Christmas performance. A track can be heard
at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my0-qrDxpYQ. Purchase from: http://shop.dioceseofnorwich.org/
A focus day on Christmas could also lead to a special service in church / school to tell the stories of Christmas, and
songs which tell of Christian beliefs about Jesus – traditional, modern, global.
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INCARNATION / EMMANUEL
INCARNATION is the traditional Christian belief that God
came into the world in human flesh in the person of Jesus
Christ. The first Christians did not believe Jesus was just a
good man, healer, teacher or prophet but trying to put into
words what they had seen and experienced of this incredible man was like trying to catch the wind. Eventually they
expressed their beliefs by stating that Jesus was fully human and fully God.
The units of work in the Emmanuel Project all add something to this understanding of Jesus as ‘God with skin on’ or God ‘incarnate’.
God with us – Emmanuel (The Bible: Matthew 1 v.23; Hebrews 4 v.15-16;
John 11 v.27, 19 v.7)
Incarnation is about God’s Son becoming ‘one of us’, a human. Christmas carols often call Jesus ‘Emmanuel’, or ‘God with us’. Nativity scenes show Jesus
placed centrally with everyone facing this vulnerable tiny baby, and the key to
Christian celebration of Christmas is that this is God in human form.
Christians believe that when they pray they will be understood because Jesus
came and shared human life; he knows the trials and joys of being human. The
Bible stresses that Jesus got tired, hungry and even wept; he was human, like
us, but also divine.
Giving up power (The Bible: Philippians 2 v.5-9)
Christians believe that when God the Son "became flesh" it was like the creator
becoming part of his own creation. ‘Lo, within a manger lies, he who made the
starry skies,’ wrote Christina Rosetti. With Mary’s consent, God’s Son grew
within her womb and was born as a human child.
Becoming human meant giving up power; God risked leaving the distance and
safety of heaven to become one of us, and in solidarity with humanity, faced
poverty, danger and death to put things right in the world, to ‘save’ us.
JESUS / SAVIOUR
The relevant Bible passages :



Luke 1 v. 26-38 (annunciation to Mary)
Luke 2 v.1-7 (birth of Jesus)
Luke 2: 21-39 (Simeon and Anna)
Mary and Joseph were told to call their child ‘Jesus’, meaning ‘he saves’
or ‘saving one’. Its Hebrew equivalent is ‘Joshua’, a common name in
those days reflecting the expectation that God would send someone to
rescue the Jews from their enemies.
When Mary said ‘yes’ to God’s plan, she sang a ‘Magnificat’ praising God
for coming to rescue his people, seeing it like the amazing story of God
calling Moses to lead the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt thousands of years before. Mary is herself a model of selfless ‘helping’.
During his earthly ministry, Jesus attracted crowds like a moth to a flame;
they saw him ‘save’ the sick and dying, and offer hope, forgiveness and
new life to all he met. The crowds simply recognised he could help. The
church today sees one of its roles as caring for those who need such an
earthly everyday salvation as well as the eternal life bought by Christian
faith. The Salvation Army is a good example of such a view.
Christians talk about Jesus as the saviour of the world – salvator mundi –
the one who came to ‘give his life as a ransom for the lost.’ (Mark 10
v.45). by becoming human, he was able to take on all that had gone
wrong in the word because of human ‘sin’ and failure. Christians still believe that Jesus ‘paid the price’ for sin through his death on the cross.
So when they celebrate Jesus’ birth, Christians celebrate the coming of
God’s Son to rescue people, and to model the need for humans to get
their hands dirty and act to save and help others.
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Why was Jesus given the name ‘Saviour’?
ENGAGE
with the concept of
rescuing / saving
What does it mean to rescue or save someone or something?

Have you ever rescued or helped someone in trouble? When do people need help?

Look at pictures of rescues. There are lots on the internet from rescuing cats from trees to rescues from floods
or accidents. Or watch a brief clip from something like ‘Shrek’ which shows a rescue. Talk about who needs
rescuing/who is being rescued? By whom? How? Why?
What has this picture got to do with rescuing or saving?
Imagine God saying
through the angel:
Your world needs help.
I would like you to help
me. You are going to
become pregnant and
have a baby. You will
call him Jesus, meaning
Saviour; he will save or
rescue the whole world.
And Mary replying:
I am your servant, Lord.
I will do as you ask.

I’m going to show you another picture to do with ‘saving’ and rescuing’. Look at picture of Mary and the Angel
e.g. Annunciation by Nigerian artist, Paul Woelfel. Cover the picture just leaving the envelope and hand visible.
What do you think is in the envelope? Look at how it is being held. Uncover and look at the whole picture.

In pairs freeze-frame the picture. What are you saying? Write speech-bubbles on whiteboards to hold by your
head to show your ideas! Take photos.

Ask questions about the picture linked to the idea of rescues and saving where possible e.g. What’s in the envelope? Is it someone asking for help? Does the lady need rescuing? What trouble are they in? Record.
Who is this story important to? How are the characters connected to a rescue?
Introduce Tom and Tessa, who are Christians. They know the story and they can help / save us, by sharing it with
us. Take a story bible from their bag and maybe some more pictures of the story to look at.

Tell the story of the ‘Annunciation’ e.g. from the Storyteller Christmas Book or Jesus Storybook Bible. What
have you learnt? What do we think now about the words which should be on the whiteboards?

Use the same picture, or choose a new version, to freeze frame and rewrite the speech-bubbles. Take a new
photo of your freeze-frame. Can you connect the angel, Mary and the baby all to the idea of a ‘rescue’?
How did Mary feel about being God’s helper? Are you good at saying ‘yes’ and helping?

Finish the session by lighting a candle and being still. Cover the original picture so children can just look at
Mary. Think very quietly about how she felt about being God’s helper. Are you a helper too? Blow out candle.
Page 4
ENQUIRE
into the Christmas
story and what the
characters in the
Christmas stories
were told about Jesus
What the characters
were told comes out
in Christian songs
today because these
express Christian
beliefs
You could play some
Christmas carol
music at the start of
the lesson.
The word ‘Christ’
means ‘anointed one’
or king
EXPLORE
What Jesus means to
Christians; what they
say /believe about
him / the idea of
What do you know already about the Christmas stories / characters?

Remember Tom and Tessa. They love Christmas. Bring out some Christmas cards and a parcel. They enjoy
presents, parties, cards, food and sweets AND they also love Christmas lights and hearing the Christmas story
and singing Christmas songs at their church.

The story of Angel Gabriel and Mary is part of the story told every year at Christmas. Unwrap the parcel to find
a nativity set –one with lots of figures, not just Mary, Joseph and Jesus. These figures tell the Christmas story;
line them up on a bright cloth underlay. In talking partners, discuss which figures look most important.

Who are they all? What do we know already? Divide class into groups as Mary, Joseph, shepherds, Kings –
they must listen to the story with the bottom question in mind.
Can you put the whole story together?

Tell the Christmas story from e.g. Big Bible Storybook or Lion Christmas Storyteller Book. OR watch e.g. C4
Stop, Look and Listen: Life of Jesus or Read and Share Bible Christmas Story’ or Beginners’ Bible. OR read
together: http://issuu.com/tnelson/docs/christmas_story_excerpt_-_read_and_share_bible

Sequence the story using pictures e.g. from a school nativity play, or Christmas cards. Or dress children up
and act out the stories together. Make your own nativity figures e.g. out of playdough and retell the story
What were the different characters told about Jesus?

Hot seat the shepherds, Mary, Joseph and the Kings – what was each of them told about Jesus? Christians
believe these words are true.

Arrange the nativity figures on the cloth underlay with Jesus placed centrally. Light a candle and listen quietly
to a Christmas song e.g. ‘Child in a manger born’ or ‘The Gift’ from Songs for Every Christmas. Listen for the
special names / words about Jesus that Christians use.
What’s in a name?
Play ‘Child in a manger born’ or other Christmas carol as children come in to find a ‘manger’ complete with baby
(doll) in centre of the room. Gather round the manger. Dress one child as Mary, one as Joseph. Light the candle.
Read these words quietly. ‘God decided that the only way to really show his love was to come and live with his
people. God decided to wrap himself up really small, and he quietly entered his own world as a tiny baby. The
baby’s name was Jesus – the saviour or rescuer. He had arrived. God was here with his people.’
Page 5
Jesus coming as a
saviour
Lift up the baby and give him to Mary. What is Mary thinking while she holds her baby? What is Joseph thinking as
he looks down? I wonder … We’ll leave them for a while and come back later. Blow out the candle carefully.
What if you had been given the name ‘helper’?
NB
Find a manger in the
nativity play props or
use a cardboard box
filled with straw or
paper shreddings.
Jesus would save
people from their sins
– their shortcomings,
the things which
separate them from
God and from each
other. He also helped
and rescued many
people in difficulty
while on earth.
Do you remember how Mary and Joseph named their baby? The angel said, “Call him Jesus because he will save
people from their sins” – save is like ‘help’ or ‘rescue’. The angel also said Jesus would be Son of God and a great
king. What else were people told about Jesus?
Ask the children round the class: ‘What’s your name?’ How did you get your name – does anyone know? If time,
have cards with meanings of some names in the class. Pupils guess whose the names are. Do you have a favourite
name? Do you wish you had a different name?
If we renamed you ‘helper’ or ‘rescuer’ or ‘saviour’ what would people expect you to be like when you grew up?
Would you live up to your name? In talking partners, think of things you might grow up to do if your name was
‘helper’ or ‘rescuer’? Then draw / paint pictures of these things for others to guess.
What would Jesus do when he grew up? How would he help or save or rescue?
Return to Mary … Look at Mary; she is thinking hard about her baby. Let me light the candle and tell you why.
Tell the story of Simeon and Anna – use Reflective Story telling if possible. Maybe a storyteller from church can
help. A Christian visitor would be very useful and able to talk to the children afterwards. There is a lovely song to go
with this Reflective Story ‘Presentation in the Temple’ by Ruth Shepherd, Music for Stories CD.
OR read the story e.g. from The Lion Christmas Storyteller Bible. OR use a picture such as Dinah Roe Kendall’s
‘Presentation in the Temple’
Hold the candle up. Simeon spoke about Jesus being a light to show people what God wanted, to show them the
way to God. But Simeon had a warning. Jesus’ work would not be easy. Sometimes it is hard to help people. It can
be dangerous to save people. Sometimes the rescuer gets hurt or loses their life. Blow out the candle carefully.
You might like to sing a quiet Christmas song like ‘Away in a manger’ as Mary places the baby back in the manger.
What is Mary thinking? What are you thinking?
Have lots of art and construction materials available and send the children off one at a time to respond to the story
in their own way.
Page 6
EVALUATE
your RE learning
about what Christians
believe about Jesus
Use opportunities
throughout the unit to
check children’s
achievements. See
the Assessment Grid
for some ‘I can’
statements.
EXPRESS
your RE learning so it
can be shared with
others
For example….
Why was Jesus given the name saviour’?
Remember Tom and Tessa. Take the nativity figures from Tom and Tessa’s bag. Name them as you place them on
a tray. Cover figures with a cloth. Remove a figure secretly. Who is missing? Why are they important in the story?
What did they know about Jesus? Repeat several times and finally remove Jesus.
How did Jesus get his name? Why Jesus? What does it mean? (saviour) What is a saviour? What else do you remember in the story about who the baby was supposed to be?
What do you think this Christian is saying she believes in her picture about Jesus? (Extension)
Look at the picture ‘Eternal God is Born’ by Sister Mary Stephen. Who is in the picture? What do you think the picture is about? Why is it called ‘Eternal God is born’? Why do Christians think God was born as a baby?
A few ideas:
 Create your own class art gallery of Christmas drawings and paintings. Create good labels which show you understand what Christians believe about the baby Jesus.
 Use 3D (clay or plasticine) to make your own nativity set. Choose the 6 most important characters to put in your
crib set. Explain your choices.
 Choose important words/ names about Jesus from Christmas carols or the Christmas stories and create your own
simple Christmas song. Record it.
 Draw your own picture or ‘Eternal God is born’.
 Make the envelope from Paul Woelfel’s painting and then write the message which you think goes inside – you
could do this on the computer.
 Drama – respond to the painting of Simeon and Anna in ‘Presentation in the Temple’ by Dinah Roe Kendall . Imagine yourself in the painting. Where are you standing? How do you feel? How would you have reacted? What
is Anna saying and doing? Act out in a small group. Photograph or record.
Page 7
Attainment Target 1 ~ Learning about religion and belief
Level
1
2
3
How pupils develop their knowledge, skills and understanding
with reference to:
beliefs, teachings
practices and
forms of
and sources
ways of life
expression
Attainment Target 2 ~ Learning from religion and belief
How pupils, in the light of their learning about religion, express their
responses and insights with regard to questions and issues about:
identity and
meaning, purpose
values and
belonging
and truth
commitments
I can
I can
I can
I can
I can
I can
remember a
Christian story and
talk about it
e.g. remember the
story of the angel
Gabriel and talk
about it
use the right names
for things that are
special in a religion
e.g. use the words
God, Jesus, nativity,
Christian, correctly in
questions / answers
recognise and talk
about religious art,
symbols and words
e.g. recognize some
pictures of the
Annunciation and talk
about what I see
talk about things that
happen to me
talk about what I find
interesting or puzzling
e.g. talk about times
when I need help or
have been able help
someone else
e.g. talk about what I
find interesting or
puzzling in the
Christmas stories
tell a Christian story
and say some things
that people believe
talk about some of the
things that are the
same for different
religious people
ask about what
happens to others
with respect for their
feelings
talk about some things
in stories that make
people ask questions
e.g. tell one of the
Christmas stories
and say some things
Christians believe
about Jesus
e.g.
say what some
Christian symbols
stand for and what
some of the art,
music, etc is about
e.g. say what the
figures are in the
nativity set; say the
candle might stand for
Jesus the light of the
world
use religious words to
describe some
different ways people
show their beliefs
e.g. using religious
words, describe how
Christians sing about
or draw and paint their
beliefs about Jesus
talk about what is
important to me and to
other people
e.g. talk about what
helps me when I feel
alone and what I have
found out helps a
Christian
talk about what is
important to me and to
others with respect for
their feelings
e.g.
e.g. talk about things
in the Christmas story
that make them, or
others, ask questions
e.g. talk about who or
what it would be
important to me to help
or rescue, and what
others think
compare some of the
things that influence
me with those that
influence other people
e.g. compare
ask important
questions about life;
compare my ideas
with those of others
e.g. ask why people
need rescuing and
who should help them,
comparing my ideas
with others
link things that are
important to me and
other people with the
way I think and behave
e.g.
describe what a
describe some of the
believer might learn
things that are the
from a religious story same and different for
religious people
e.g. describe what a e.g.
Christians might
learn from the
stories of Christmas
about God and
Jesus
Page 8
Resources for this enquiry:
Tom and Tessa - are imaginary Christian characters who enable you to talk about things Christian children
learn or do. They provide a context for pupils’ learning which is easier to handle than talking abstractly about
religious people. You can create your own Tom and Tessa by enlarging and using our cartoon characters,
drawn by Dennis Buhr. However, you could use persona dolls or any suitable photos of children to create
similar characters. The names ‘Tom’ and ‘Tessa’ are immaterial; feel free to change them.
Sometimes scenarios can be created around their lives to start a discussion. Sometimes they help by bringing in a bag containing Christian artefacts or books! Here are suggestions for this unit:
 A children’s story Bible (see below)
 A CD of Christian children’s songs (see below)
 Pictures of the Annunciation
 A nativity set wrapped as a parcel
 Some Christmas cards
Some recommended story resources:






The Big Bible Story book - www.scriptureunion.org.uk
The Lion First Bible - www.lionhudson.com
The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd Jones
The Lion Christmas Storyteller Bible by Bob Hartman - www.lionhudson.com
Read And Share DVD Bible Christmas
The Life of Jesus (C4 Learning)
Two resources from The Discovery Centre, Bury St Edmunds / admin.dc@stedscathedral.org ‘

A Book of Reflective Stories’ complete with CD of scripts, actions, patterns, etc

Music for Stories CD by Ruth Shepherd, – including ‘Presentation in the Temple’
The Discovery Centre (see admin address above) also have a Guild of Storytellers who will visit schools for a small
cost and tell stories for you. They could tell the story of the ‘Presentation in the Temple’ for your class and also act as
Christian visitors to answer questions about what Christians believe about Jesus.
Drama resources - dressing up clothes for the nativity story and a ‘manger’ and doll – found in most schools!
Page 9
Art resources - materials for drawing, painting and 3D work
Copies of artwork / paintings – a large range of these are to be found on the internet.
We used

The Annunciation to Mary e.g. by Paul Woelfel

The Presentation in the Temple by Dinah Roe Kendall

Eternal God is born by Sister Mary Stephen
Nativity sets
Most schools have a Nativity set of some kind but it is always worth looking for a new one. The
internet has many fair traid examples at good prices.
See: http://www.kidsrooms.co.uk/ and
http://www.oneworldprojects.com/products/nativity_main.shtml
Christmas carols and songs freely available but Songs for Every Christmas(Out of the Ark) is already in many
schools. Out of the Ark Music also produce a traditional carols CD.
http://www.outoftheark.co.uk/
All the initial ideas for this unit were worked on by Lindsay Blankley (Parish children’s worker and teacher, Beccles) and
Lauren Moore (Thorndon CEVC Primary School) at the Emmanuel Project weekend at Belsey Bridge Conference Centre
2012. Thank you all for your hard work!
Page 10

Why was Jesus given the name ‘saviour’?

Transcription

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