Key Question: U2.2 What would Jesus do? Can we live by the values of Jesus in the twenty-first century?

LO: I can explain the impact Jesus’ example and teachings might have on Christians today

What did Jesus say?
• Introduce pupils in groups of 4 to ten quotes from Jesus printed onto ten cards. Talk over any new or difficult vocabulary. Pupils should annotate the quotes in three stages: what does it mean? Why is it a challenge? What would change if everyone did this? Use the set of quotes on page 5.
• This unit will build up a display over the course of the lessons: each lesson suggests something to add to the display.
What was Jesus’ mission?
• Consider this text carefully: Luke 4:18-19. Introduce it to pupils as Jesus’ ‘Mission Statement’
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”
• Mission statements: Ask children whose ‘mission statements’ they can identify: ‘To infinity, and beyond’ (Buzz Lightyear); ‘For the colony, and for oppressed ants everywhere’ (Flic, from ‘A Bug’s Life’). Does the school have a mission statement? Talk about how it is put into action.
• Jesus was a ‘man with a mission’: It had 5 points -to give poor people good news, to free prisoners, to help the blind to see, to give liberty to oppressed people and to tell people God would bless them this year.
• Tell the children that, all over the world today, Christians try to put Jesus’ mission into action. Share this sentence with them:
‘…the Catholic Church [is] responsible for one quarter of all healthcare provision. Globally, it runs 5,246 hospitals, 17,530 dispensaries, 577 leprosy clinics, 15,208 houses for the elderly and chronically ill and people with physical and learning difficulties worldwide…’ (Catholic Herald 2010)