1996 CE RS Marking Scheme (Section B) Page 1 of 8

1996 CE RS
SECTION A : THE LIFE AND TEACHING OF CHRIST

QUESTION
1. (a) How did God communicate with people at the time of Jesus' birth? Give THREE examples. (3 marks)
(b) Shepherds and wise men visited Jesus in Bethlehem. What was the significance of these visits? (10 marks)
(c) (i) Why did Herod say he wanted to visit Jesus? (2 marks)
(ii) Why did Joseph take Mary and Jesus away from Bethlehem? (2 marks)
(d) In your opinion, how would Jesus want us to celebrate his birth today? (3 marks)

MARKIN G SCHEME
1. (a) At the time of Jesus' birth, God communicated with people by:
- angels e.g. Angel told Mary that she would have a son, Jesus.
- visions/dreams e.g. Joseph was told in a dream to escape to Galilee
- their reference to scripture/prophecy
- the star e.g. The Wise men from the east were led by the star to find Jesus
- by the Holy Spirit e.g. Simeon, Anna were led by Holy Spirit at right time to meet Jesus
Note: If 2 or 3 mentioned without explanation then only 1 mark may be awarded. (any 3 x 1 mark)

(b) The significance of the visits to Jesus in Bethlehem:

- Jesus was visited by poor shepherds and wealthy visitors from the east showing he was for all
classes of people / meaningful for the poor
- Jesus' birth was announced to Jewish shepherds and Gentile wise men showing that his coming
was for all people/all races
- the message of the angels to the shepherds was that the Messiah was a saviour who would bring
peace
- the shepherds praised God (Lk. 2:20), the wise men worshipped him (Matt. 1: 11) indicating that
he was worthy of worship
- the message to the shepherds was that the long awaited Messiah would bring joy to all people (Lk.
2: 10-1 1)
- the wise men were guided by a star; the star signified the birth of a King
- the visit of the wise men fulfilled Old Testament prophecy
- the wise men offered gifts showing that Jesus was a King to whom they should pay homage/show
respect
or the gift of gold was a sign of his kingship
the gift of frankincense symbolized prayer/worship, an indication of divinity/deity
the gift of myrrh which was used for anointing at death indicates humanity/future suffering and
death
or any other valid answer (any 5 x 2 marks)

(c) (i) Herod said he wanted to visit Jesus because:

- he wanted the wise men to return and tell him how to find the child
- he wanted to kill the child whom they said was born to be King
or he wanted to get rid of opposition to his own Kingship (2 x 1 mark)

(ii) Joseph took Mary and Jesus away from Bethlehem because:
- an angel/God told him in a dream to take them away/go to Egypt
- the angel told him that Herod wanted to kill the child
Note: If verse directly copied without explanation then only 1 mark may be awarded. (2 x 1 mark)
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(d) How Jesus would want us to celebrate his birth today:

- with reverence
- with humility
- taking care of others e.g. the lonely, the destitute, poor street sleepers, the elderly etc.
- by focusing on celebration
- with good will to all
- with worship
or any other reasonable answer
An alternative answer may be accepted
e.g. I don't think Jesus would want us to celebrate his birth today because...... plus a
reasonable statement. (up to 3 marks)

QUESTION
2. (a) Why were Jesus' disciples willing to leave everything in order to follow him? (2 marks)
(b) (i) In your opinion, why did Judas betray Jesus? (3 marks)
(ii) Give reasons for the disciples' reactions immediately after Jesus' arrest. (3 marks)
(c) (i) Mary told the disciples that she had seen Jesus alive again. Describe and explain the disciples'
reactions. (2 marks)
(ii) Jesus walked with two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Explain how they recognized him.
(4 marks)
(iii) Why did they return immediately to Jerusalem? (2 marks)
(d) Suggest TWO qualities that you think a follower of Jesus needs in Hong Kong today. Explain your
answer. (4 marks)

MARKIN G SCHEME
2. (a) Jesus' disciples were willing to leave everything to follow him because:
- they knew him already/knew about him already
- he was a charismatic/popular leader
- it was common practice to follow a holy man
- they may have been attracted by his possible messiahship
- they thought he was the one John the Baptist spoke about (1:7)
- they responded to Jesus' preaching (1: 14)/call (1: 17)/they responded to Jesus' promise to change
their lives (1: 17) (2 x 1 mark)

(b) (i) Judas betrayed Jesus because:

(any reasonable answer may be accepted)
- because he was not from Galilee he felt like the odd man out/he thought Jesus favoured the others
- he thought Jesus would show his power to overthrow the Romans
- he hoped for power as a friend of the Messiah but realized Jesus was not that kind of Messiah
- he was trying to test Jesus/he was trying to force Jesus' hand
- he was genuinely disenchanted with Jesus and his approach
- the devil put the idea into his heart (Jn. 13:2)
- he was a thief and lover of money
Note: the last 2 points not in the syllabus but may be accepted
Explanation of one point: (up to 3 marks)
or up to 3 brief statements: (3 x 1 mark)
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(ii) Reasons for the disciples' reactions to Jesus' arrest:

- one of them (Peter) wanted to protect Jesus and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his
ear (14:47)
- they were frightened/unprepared so they ran away/the young man (Mark) ran away
- Peter followed at a distance to the High Priest's house/court-yard because he wanted to know what
would happen
- Peter denied Jesus three times because he was afraid
- when the cock crowed Peter broke down and wept because he remembered Jesus' warning
- they wanted to avoid trouble with the Sanhedrin/Jewish authorities (any 3 x 1 mark)

(c) (i) The disciples' reactions to Mary's report that she had seen Jesus alive:
- they did not believe because the witnesses were women/women were not considered important
- they did not believe because they did not remember what Jesus had told them beforehand
- they did not believe because they did not understand the significance of his earlier prediction
- they did not believe because the news was too good to be true
- the disciples thought it was nonsense, because they had seen Jesus die (Lk. 24:11)
or they did not believe (Mk. 16: 11) because they had seen Jesus die
- Peter got up and ran to look in the tomb because he hoped it was true (Lk. 24:12) (any 2 x 1
mark)

(ii) How the disciples recognized Jesus:

- they saw him breaking bread
or he took, broke, blessed, gave the bread (1 x 2 marks)
- because they had seen him do it before at the feeding of the 5,000
or because they had seen him do it at the Last Supper
or because he did it in a way they had seen before (1 x 2 marks)

(iii) They immediately returned to Jerusalem because:

- they wanted to tell the others about the Risen Lord/that Jesus was alive
- they wanted to tell them what happened on the road to Emmanus and how they saw him breaking
bread etc. (2 x 1 mark)

(d) Two qualities that a follower of Jesus needs in Hong Kong today:
- strong faith to withstand pressures of urban living
- the ability to "see" Jesus at work in the community
- conviction of the Risen Lord because we need hope
- a sense of responsibility to share the good news
- faith that God is in control when things seem insecure
- faith that God can help us change things
or any other valid answer
Note: 2 'qualities' without explanation may score only 1 mark (total)
The explanation should be related in some way to 'Hong Kong today'. (2 x 2 marks)
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QUESTION
3. (a) 'Ask, and you will receive, seek, and you will find;' (Matt. 7:7)
(i) What did Jesus mean by this statement? (2 marks)
(ii) Why can Christians be confident that when they seek they shall find? (2 marks)
(b) 'For your heart will always be where your riches are.' (Matt. 6:2 1)
(i) What do you think this saying means for Christians in Hong Kong? (2 marks)
(ii) Give ONE example from the Gospels which illustrates this saying. (2 marks)
(c) 'Whoever is angry with his brother will be brought to trial.' (Matt. 5:22)
(i) Why did Jesus warn so strongly against anger? (2 marks)
(ii) How did Jesus deepen the Jewish teaching about murder? (4 marks)
(d) 'Happy are those who work for peace.' (Matt. 5:9)
(i) Why does Jesus praise the peacemaker? (2 marks)
(ii) Mention TWO other qualities from the Beatitudes (Matt. 5:1-12) which Jesus expects of his
followers and explain how we can put them into practice today. (4 marks)

MARKIN G SCHEME
3. (a) (i) What Jesus meant:
- prayer is never unanswered
- we should be persistent and have faith when we pray
- as long as we pray as Jesus taught, a door will be opened
- people should take the initiative to ask God to help (any 2 x 1 mark)

(ii) Christians can be confident that when they seek they shall find because:
- it is in God's nature to give good gifts to his children/it is God's grace to answer prayer
- no human father would give his child something harmful but something good and God's love is
even greater
- because it is the promise of Jesus
- they experience God's grace through prayer (1 x 2 marks)

(b) (i) Meaning for Christians in Hong Kong:

- a proper sense of values is necessary
- we should keep money in its proper place and not as the centre of our lives
- we should consider how to use our possessions for God/stewardship e.g. caring for those in need
(any 2 x 1 mark)

(ii) ONE Gospel illustration:

- the rich young ruler/man (Mk. 10: 17-22)
- the widow's offering (Mk. 12:41-44)
- a woman anointed Jesus with very expensive perfume (Mk 14:3-9)
- easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of
God (Mk. 10:24-25)
or any other valid answer
(1 mark for illustration, 1 mark for explanation) (2 marks)

(c) (i) Jesus warned so strongly against anger because:

- it brings divine retribution/God's judgement
- it is the root sin of murder/if unchecked it can lead to murder
or any other valid answer (1 x 2 marks)
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(ii) How Jesus deepened the Jewish teaching about murder:

- the old law could effectively control only external acts but the new spirit reaches the innermost
part
- the Law said 'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth' (Matt. 5:38) but Jesus taught that we should
love our enemies and not seek revenge
- Jesus taught that we should respect others and not insult them
- Jesus taught that we should seek reconciliation (any 2 x 2 marks)

(d) (i) Jesus praises the peacemaker because:

- this is what God is like/this is what Jesus did
- Jesus came to bring peace and the peacemaker is fulfilling Jesus' mission/teaching
or any other valid answer (1 x 2 marks)

(ii) Two other qualities from the Beatitudes (Matt. 5:1-12)

- any two of spiritually poor, humility, fulfilling God's will, merciful, pure in heart, willingness to be
persecuted for God's sake
- putting them into practice e.g. by supporting organizations which help others (e.g. UNICEF,
Community Chest, Save the Children Fund, Oxfam, World Vision, Caritas, Salvation Army etc.)
e.g. poor in spirit/spiritually poor:
a man may be a millionaire and live a simple lifestyle and be concerned about the needs of others
or poor in spirit/spiritually poor:
being totally humble and relying completely on God's providence/e.g. some astronauts in space
feel their smallness before God
or any other quality plus explanation
(up to 2 marks for quality plus explanation) (2 x 2 marks)

QUESTION
4. (a) Why did the woman spend so long looking for the lost coin? (Luke 15:8- 1 0) (2 marks)
(b) (i) Why was the Father so eager to welcome his younger son back? (Luke 15:11-32) (4 marks)
(ii) Explain the reaction and attitudes of the elder son. (6 marks)
(c) (i) Why did the Pharisees grumble about Jesus mixing with tax collectors? (2 marks)
(ii) Who else were considered outcasts? (2 marks)
(d) Some Hong Kong people still look down on others; give TWO examples and explain their reasons. (4
marks)

MARKIN G SCHEME
4. (a) The woman spent so long looking for the lost coin because:
- it was valuable
- it was worth a day's pay
- it was probably part of her wedding dowry
- it originally belonged to her so it was precious to her
- she did not want to waste/lose even one coin
- her search represents God's initiative to find the sinner (any 2 x 1 mark)

(b) (i) The Father was eager to welcome his younger son back because:
- he had never stopped loving/forgiving his son
- his lost son was found and safe again
- the younger son was truly repentant
- the family was at one again/complete
- it represents the joy of God in finding one truly repenting (any 2 x 2 marks)
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(ii) The reaction and attitudes of the elder son:

- he felt he had been treated unjustly
- he felt let down by his younger brother
- he could not understand the father's reaction/the father's love
- he felt his own work/contribution/virtue was not valued
- he was like the Pharisees grumbling against Jesus
- God's friends do not realize the extent of God's mercy
or any other valid answer (any 3 x 2 marks)

(c) (i) The Pharisees grumbled about Jesus mixing with tax collectors because:
- the tax collectors were disliked in society
- many tax collectors were in collusion with the Romans/occupying power
- Jesus was not keeping the precepts of the Law
- they thought that a good person would not mix with tax collectors/they were considered ritually
unclean and called outcasts/sinners
- they did not really understand Jesus' mission/God's love
- the Pharisees wanted to show their righteousness in contrast to Jesus (any 2 x 1 mark)

(ii) Others who were considered outcasts:

- sinners/people who did not strictly keep the law
- people who were not allowed to attend synagogue worship because they had broken food rules or
had been friendly with Gentiles
- people with leprosy/those possessed by evil spirits
- Gentiles/Samaritans
Note: do not credit publicans/tax-collectors (2 x 1 mark)

(d) People whom some might look down on in Hong Kong today:
- AIDS victim
- street sleepers
- foreign manual labourers
- criminals
- drug addicts
- drug pushers
- illegal immigrants
- Vietnamese Boat People
or any other reasonable answer
(1 mark for example, 1 mark for reason) (2 x 2 marks)
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QUESTION
5. (a) Explain the THREE important things that happened during the Transfiguration. (6 marks)
(b) Why is the Transfiguration regarded as so important in Jesus' ministry? (6 marks)
(c) (i) Suggest why Jesus took only three of his disciples up the mountain. (2 marks)
(ii) Explain why the disciples did not fully understand what was happening. (2 marks)
(d) Why did Jesus want to keep this event a secret? (4 marks)

MARKIN G SCHEME
5. (a) Three important things that happened during the Transfiguration:
- Jesus' face was changed and/or his clothes became dazzling white revealing his true
identity/heavenly glory
- Moses and Elijah appeared talking with Jesus showing that he fulfilled the Law and the Prophets
- the voice from a cloud said "this is my beloved" showing that God affirmed Jesus' identity as His
Son/as Messiah
- the cloud appeared and overshadowed them symbolizing the presence of God
Note: the explanations given may differ, Markers should use discretion in deciding their validity
Note: if 3 important things mentioned without explanation only 2 marks may be awarded
(any 3 x 2 marks)
(b) The Transfiguration is regarded as so important in Jesus' ministry because:
- it shows Jesus' future glory
- showed that Jesus was the fulfilment of the Law and Prophets
- it was God's confirmation of Jesus
- it foreshadowed Jesus' death and resurrection
- it was a messianic prediction/secret
- it was the initiation of Jesus' intimate disciples into the secret/it strengthened their faith/caused
them to obey Jesus
or any other valid answer (3 x 2 marks)

(c) (i) Jesus took only three disciples because:

- the others were not yet ready
- he wanted to prepare and strengthen the inner group
- these were more perceptive/spiritually receptive/they were to become important in the early
church
or any other reasonable answer (1 x 2 marks)

(ii) The disciples did not fully understand because:

- there was general misunderstanding of the true nature of Jesus and what that actually meant in
practical terms
- of the overwhelming nature of the whole experience/they were frightened /it was unexpected
- the lesson of Caesarea Philippi had not been fully grasped
or any other reasonable answer (any 1 x 2 marks)

(d) Jesus wanted to keep this event a secret because:

- the time was not right
- the other disciples were still unable to do Jesus' work without him and needed more time to
understand his mission (Mk. 8:31,32)
- more preparation and teaching time was needed with all his disciples (Mk. 9:30-32)
- it could lead to misunderstanding of His role as Messiah
- he wanted to explain about his forthcoming suffering and death (Mk. 9:30-32)
or any other valid answer (any 2 x 2 marks)
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