Redemption (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A) : Revision Note

The Role of Jesus in Salvation

What is salvation?

• Salvation refers to being saved from sin through belief in Jesus and God’s grace

• Redemption means to redeem, or make up for, the wrongs done by other people

• Christians believe that the sacrifices made by Jesus made up for the wrongs done by humans, and therefore Jesus brought humans back into a better relationship with God

• This is known as salvation, being ‘saved’ from sin and having the broken relationship between God and humanity restored

• Therefore the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus are central to Catholic Christians’ beliefs about salvation and grace

Why is salvation needed?

• Salvation is needed to mend the relationship between God and humanity that was broken when Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden in the story of Creation

• All humans since then have inherited a tendency to sin, because everyone has free will and can choose their behaviour

  • This tendency to sin is known as Original Sin

• The Church teaches that all humans are born with Original Sin

  • This damages their relationship with God

  • All are in need of forgiveness

  • Adam and Eve are the symbol of this

The process of redemption

• Redemption is the process of repairing the damaged relationship with God caused by sin

• It is needed in order to have a close relationship with God in this life and also to attain eternal life with God in heaven after death

• Christians believe that the process of redemption occurred through Jesus

• Jesus, the Son of God, came down to earth in the Incarnation to redeem or save humanity

  • The Bible teaches that Jesus is:

Key events in redemption

Jesus’ life

• Jesus lived on earth as a human, yet free from sin and able to act as a model for others in how to behave and able to teach his followers how they should live to please God

• The Bible teaches that Jesus’ life was central to redemption and that God showed his loving nature by sending Jesus to do this work

Jesus’ death

• Christians believe that Jesus' death on the cross was a moment of central importance in history

• Jesus showed perfect obedience to God’s will by allowing himself to be crucified, even carrying his own cross to the place of his crucifixion

• He showed compassion and forgiveness to his executioners even while suffering in the last moments of his life

  • This served as redemption for all the disobedience of human sin

• Jesus' death was also seen as a sacrifice

  • Although he was perfect, God placed all the sins of the world on Jesus at his crucifixion, and his sacrifice paid for their sins

  • Therefore Jesus is called the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world

    • Jews would sacrifice an innocent lamb as a sin offering in the Old Testament

    • In the same way, Jesus, who was perfect and without sin, achieved redemption for human sins by sacrificing his life

• Christians believe that Jesus' death opened the way to God for humanity

  • This is why the Gospels report that at the moment of Jesus' death, the veil inside the Temple in Jerusalem was torn in two. It symbolised that the barrier between God and humanity had been removed

Jesus’ resurrection

• Jesus was buried, but his power meant that death could not keep him

• He was brought back to life three days after his crucifixion and appeared to his followers several times

• The Gospels all say that Jesus had a physical resurrection, not just a symbolic or spiritual one

• This miraculous event shows that Jesus was victorious over sin and death 

• It also proved that Jesus was truly God incarnate

The ascension

• The final time Jesus appeared to his disciples after the resurrection is referred to as the ascension

• At the ascension Jesus returned to the Father in heaven

• The ascension shows that the work of redemption was complete and that reconciliation between God and humanity had been achieved through Jesus

• The ascension also gives Christians hope that one day, they too will join Jesus in heaven

The Significance of Redemption for Salvation & Grace

• Catholics believe that grace, or the grace of God, is the term used to describe all the good things given by God, including life itself

  • They believe that God is merciful and will forgive their sins if they repent (are truly sorry) and try to do better

  • A perfect example of God’s grace is seen in the redeeming work of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus

• The significance of salvation and grace for Catholics is:

  • It affirms their belief in an all-powerful and benevolent God

  • It shows them that the relationship between God and humans has been restored

  • It gives them hope that there is an afterlife where they can be rewarded and reunited with God for eternity

    • Pope Benedict XVI said that since Jesus was human and ascended to heaven to be with God, there is a place for all humans with God

  • It shows them the importance of reconciliation with God and others

  • It shows them the importance of keeping the events of Jesus’ life in mind through prayer and worship