What do Christians believe about the last days of Jesus and salvation?
The last days of Jesus' life and the nature and significance of salvation, including law, sin, grace, the Spirit and atonement.
A focused answer on the last days of Jesus and salvation for Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies A (1RA0), covering the Last Supper, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, sin, grace and atonement.
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What this dot point is asking
Edexcel wants you to explain the events of the last days of Jesus' life (the Last Supper, betrayal, arrest, trial, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension) and the nature and significance of salvation, including the ideas of law, sin, grace, the Spirit and atonement. These beliefs are central to Christianity and feed directly into Evaluate questions about the most important event in Jesus' life.
The last days of Jesus' life
The Gospels, especially Luke 22 to 24, describe the final days of Jesus before and after his death.
Each event carries meaning. The Last Supper is the origin of the Eucharist, where Jesus said the bread was his body and the wine his blood, "given for you." The crucifixion is the moment Christians believe Jesus took the punishment for human sin. The resurrection is the foundation of Christian hope: it shows that death is not the end and that Jesus is the Son of God who has defeated death. The ascension marks Jesus returning to the Father and is followed by the sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Together these events show who Jesus is and what his life achieved.
Sin, grace and the need for salvation
To understand salvation, Christians begin with sin. Sin is acting against God's will and his moral law, and it separates people from God. Christians trace this back to the Fall, when the first humans disobeyed God, so that human nature is now inclined to sin. Because no one can earn their way back to God by keeping the law perfectly, humanity needs salvation, being saved from sin and its consequences.
Atonement and how Jesus brings salvation
The heart of salvation is the atonement. Atonement means "at-one-ment", the restoring of unity between God and humanity that sin had broken. Christians believe Jesus' death on the cross is the act of atonement: Jesus, the sinless Son of God, took upon himself the consequences of human sin so that people could be forgiven and reconciled to God. Paul writes that "Christ died for our sins" (1 Corinthians 15:3) and Peter declares that "Salvation is found in no one else" (Acts 4:12). The resurrection completes the work, because by rising Jesus shows that sin and death are defeated and that those who trust in him share in eternal life.
Christians describe how to receive salvation in slightly different ways. Most stress grace through faith: salvation is a gift, received by trusting in Jesus, not earned by good works, though good works and the help of the Holy Spirit follow from genuine faith. For the exam, keep the chain clear: sin separates people from God; the law cannot save because no one keeps it perfectly; Jesus' death is the atonement that restores the relationship; salvation is received by grace through faith and lived out with the help of the Spirit. A strong Evaluate answer can weigh whether the death, the resurrection or the incarnation is the most important event, since all three are needed for salvation.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of Pearson Edexcel exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Edexcel 1RA0 20193 marksOutline three events in the last days of Jesus' life.Show worked answer →
A 3-mark Outline question (AO1): three accurate, distinct events. Acceptable points include: the Last Supper with his disciples; his betrayal by Judas and arrest in Gethsemane; his trial before the authorities; his crucifixion on Good Friday; his resurrection on Easter Sunday; his ascension into heaven. One mark for each distinct event. Keep them short and separate, as no development is required.
Edexcel 1RA0 20184 marksExplain two reasons why the resurrection is important for Christians.Show worked answer →
A 4-mark Explain question (AO1): two developed reasons. Reason one: the resurrection shows that Jesus defeated death, giving Christians hope of eternal life and their own resurrection. Reason two: it proves Jesus is the Son of God and that his death achieved salvation, so it is the foundation of Christian faith, since "if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile" (1 Corinthians 15:17). Two marks for each developed point.
Edexcel 1RA0 20225 marksExplain two Christian beliefs about how Jesus brings salvation. In your answer you must refer to a source of wisdom and authority.Show worked answer →
A 5-mark Explain question (AO1): two developed beliefs plus a source. Belief one: Jesus' death is an act of atonement that restores the relationship between God and humanity broken by sin. Belief two: salvation is a gift of God's grace received through faith, not earned by good works alone. Support with a source: "Salvation is found in no one else" (Acts 4:12), or John 3:16. The accurate source secures the fifth mark.
Edexcel 1RA0 202112 marks"Jesus' death was the most important event in his life." Evaluate this statement. In your answer you should give reasoned arguments to support this statement, give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view, refer to Christian teaching, and reach a justified conclusion. [12 marks plus 3 SPaG]Show worked answer →
The 12-mark Evaluate question (AO2), plus 3 SPaG. Arguments for: the crucifixion is the act of atonement that brings salvation, "Christ died for our sins" (1 Corinthians 15:3), so without his death there is no salvation. Arguments for a different view: the resurrection might be more important because it proves Jesus defeated death and gives hope ("if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile", 1 Corinthians 15:17), while the incarnation made the whole work possible. Use specialist terms (atonement, salvation, grace, resurrection). Reach a justified conclusion weighing the death against the resurrection and incarnation as the central event. The strongest answers sustain a line of reasoning.
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Sources & how we know this
- Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Religious Studies A (1RA0) specification — Pearson Edexcel (2016)