Monday: Jesus as Teacher
The Bible uses many terms to describe Jesus. He is the Son of God, the Messiah, the Son of man, the Savior, the Redeemer, the Lord, the Lamb of God, just to mention a few. But to those people who knew Him best during His three-plus years of public ministry in Judea and Galilee, He was a teacher. They called Him “Master,” or “Rabbi.” Both mean the same thing, namely, “Teacher.”
Therefore, the teaching profession and the work of teaching must have been a particularly suitable way for Jesus to carry out His public ministry. Somehow His work of redemption is akin to the work of teaching. What is more, it was foretold by the gospel prophet.
Read Isaiah 11:1-9. What does it reveal about the teaching role of Jesus?
Image © Darrel Tank from GoodSalt.com
One of the most startling messianic prophecies in the Scriptures is found in Isaiah 11. Verses 1-3 portray the coming Messiah in educational terms, someone who brings knowledge, counsel, wisdom, and understanding. The whole passage concludes with this remarkable promise: “The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea” (Isa: 11:9). Perhaps it was such teachings of Scripture that inspired Ellen G. White in her book on education to note that the work of education and the work of redemption are one (see Education, p. 30).
Read John 3:1-3. Nicodemus addressed Jesus as a rabbi, and he further identified Jesus’ teaching gifts as coming from God because of the signs Jesus performed, namely, His miracles and insights into the meaning of life. Jesus accepted, if not the title given Him, then surely the origin of His teaching gifts when He responded to Nicodemus that he must be born again to see (understand, as well as enter) the kingdom of God. This means that the authority to teach others, even in the case of Jesus, comes from God.
Surely teaching is a gift of God. It is commissioned by God, it was adopted by Jesus, and it is recognized by those who are taught as having divine authority.
| What role do we have in seeing the fulfillment of this prophecy about the knowledge of the Lord going all over the world? |
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They say that one of the key elements of education is reiteration, and in this series of lessons, the authors appear to be doing a lot of that. Which makes it somewhat difficult for a commenter who tries to say something new about the lesson every day. So if I repeat myself this morning, you will know that I am "reiterating"! 🙂
We know that during his ministry, Jesus was quite popular with ordinary people. So much so, that he raised the hackles of the seriously religious folk who ruled the temple that they ultimately killed him. His message was quite radical, and if you read one of the Gospels right through as a story it becomes quite clear that he was tired of the "forms" of religion and wanted us to come to terms with the heart of religion. His whole message was to reconcile (redeem) us back to God.
I like this little snippet in John:
The Jews wanted to kill him for that. It was blasphemy. Not only did he say that he and God were united, but he also wanted to include us in that unity. The Jews could not see past the theology and missed the point that in the unity of God the Father with Jesus the Son was an invitation for us "the sheep" to join them in redemptive unity.
If I wish to be a teacher like Jesus it will be beneficial to analysis how He taught. I discovered the following:
The main topics of Jesus' teaching
The principles of the kingdom of God
The revelation of the character of God
Jesus Christ's own identity
Jesus Christ's mission on earth
How people should live
The future
How not to teach
Type of teaching:
He taught with authority
He lived what He preached
He cared about His students
He listen to their concerns
He took into consideration their level of understanding
His teaching methods:
He used lessons drawn from people's experience
He used parables
He used everyday objects
He used questions
He built on their previous learning
He quoted from Scripture as His authority
How do you and I apply the above in our sharing of the good news?
Are there any principles not listed above that you have discovered from Jesus' teaching?
Thank you for outlining that Shirley. As a teacher I have a great appreciation for what you gleaned about Jesus teaching methods and how they relate to what I do in my classroom. You distilled it beautifully.
Thank you Shirley for your inspiring thoughts, you have inspired me today.
I am not a Teacher by secular profession, but I am a Sabbath School Teacher. I have been a Sabbath School Teacher (cradle roll to adult classes, and every class in between) for over 35 years now; it has been an great Honor to be a Sabbath School teacher. I'm still surprised after all those years that God chose me to teach His people. But as the Sabbath School lesson says that teaching God's word is a "gift from God".
However, the one thing that I have always love about reading how Jesus taught His people was the simplicity He used. So many Bible scholars think that you have to use eloquent words to teach, but Jesus taught, as you brought out above, in terms and ways that His audience could understand, at their level. You don't have to have a PHD to teach God's word, or even to understand it; all you need to do is Pray for God's Holy Spirit to lead you into His understanding, and He will do the rest.
Blessing to all!
The knowledge about Jesus must we share. We must rely on Him for everything, and share this experience with our neighbors.
Jesus was certainly a good teacher in my opinion. He was clear in what he taught. More so than Paul. We were asked in the lesson to look at Isaiah 11:1-9 and apply that to Jesus the teacher. Commentaries say that these will be the work of the Messiah not a teacher. Did Jesus fulfill those passages? Lions still eat lambs etc. Perhaps Jesus as the messiah will accomplish these things when He returns. Maybe this wasn't the best text to portray Jesus's teaching credentials.
What is said in Isaiah 11:1-9 about Jesus may apply to anyone who lives as He lived: obedient to the Law of God. This was to be the role of the nation of Israel to the world, and is to be the role of the church in this world as well, especially in these last days. Jesus said that after the Holy Spirit is received by us, we will be His witnesses to “every creature”, “teaching them to observe all things” He has “commanded” us to observe, if we do so ourselves. What can we hope to teach others if we don't observe what Jesus has commanded us?
What role has Jesus commanded us to take? What work has He, as our Lord, given us to do? Didn't He say "go ye"?
Matt.16:13-17KJV – answers the question who Christ Jesus is: v.16 – “And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Other titles describing Him are listed in the first paragraph of today’s lesson, including the designation of being a teacher, but I do not see this role as beeing as significant as the other roles.
I ask myself the question: ‘is there any other way than *teaching* that Christ, the Son of God, could have communicated the message He received from the Father to us? It is a bit puzzling for me to focus on His teaching as a 'role'(profession), but understandable in light of being an example to ‘go, and do thou likewise’- Luke10:37KJV.
I do not agree with the lesson writer’s conclusion that: “His *work* of redemption is akin to the *work* of teaching”, unless it is applied in a spiritual context. When referencing Ellen White’s statement that ultimately the “work of education and the work of redemption are one” – then yes! They are one when intertwined and done in the Spirit of God and applied properly, both lead to the same end – Salvation.
I am glad that the lesson mentions the most important aspect of the teacher – the divine source from where all His gifts originate, His Father in Heaven. Isaiah11:2KJV – "And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.”
I do not think it proper to leave out the qualifying distinction, the Spirit of the LORD's wisdom, understanding, counsel, might and knowledge – all have the same heavenly, spiritual quality which makes them entirely different from their earthly counterpart.
Yes, I agree – “teaching is a gift of God” -, but so is every other role we apply our gifts in. What makes Christ Jesus’ position as a teacher so unique is that He portrayed God, our heavenly teacher, by living His Father's spiritual and practically applicable lessons of His Way, His Truth and His Life for us.
Maurice quoted: John10:30KJV - "I and my Father are one" - in Spirit. Therefore, for each participating student, these ought to be spiritually understood lessons – first by the heart and mind, and then applied in our lives. In doing so, we are taking the lessons learned out of the 'classroom' and give honor and praise to our heavenly Father when applying them in practical ways in our lives as taught by His Son Christ Jesus'.
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds. Heb 1:1-2
When the fulness of time had come Jesus came as a good, let me say a great and excellent teacher. Some teachers are good, some not so good, some teach for other reasons while some need a little more in-service.
The priest, the masters of the temple e.g Nicodemus, the scribes, the Lawyers, the Levites, etc were supposed to be teachers to guide people to accept the coming Messiah. These were supposed to be the history teachers of their times, also looking Jesus, Emanuel. All of their ceremonies were supposed to point to the coming Prince of Peace. But look how these people mess up with all their rituals and religious pomps. At Jesus birth, instead of the angels being sent to these teachers, they were sent to the 'men of the east' and the shepherds keeping their flocks by night. Did anyone taught it was a mistake? I guess only those teachers taught so.
As Jesus grew he was not sent to their religious school, or schools of the prophets because the teachers were corrupt, bigots, prejudice etc. The even called Jesus a bastard. They were so far gone they didn't even studied and recognize the fulness of time had come.
As a 12 yr old child he was a teacher to the learnt men in the temple (the doctors of the law. In our time we say they have their doctorate/doctoral degree or PhD. Luke 2:46-47.
In his later years, at the beginning of his thirty, He was a wonder to many, yet they didn't accepted him as a true teacher, the Messiah, their Lord and King.
Jesus taught in parables so they could know the mysteries of heaven. Matt 13:10-11. Jesus teaching was simple yet profound and he used simple words even the children understood. His word, his life and his works were in combination with each other. He lived what he preached/teach.
Jesus never walked around with a big bag weighing him down with the laws to look knowledgeable or studious. He and his Father was the law. He spoke about his father all the time. He had all the answers on the spot at all times. To love the Godhead and to love men as ourselves.
Solution- if we want to be as effective as the great teacher Jesus, we have to study his life and drink the bitter cup he drank. He already gave up the commission about becoming a good teacher. Matt 28:19-20.
What I have done- by his help I try to be a good teacher. At home and work I am being observed. People will ask me how long am I doing what I do, I let them know. They will reply- you are an awesome person and you know what you are doing. I refuse many times but point them to Christ who gives me the strength to do what I do and to love people as Jesus love them. I also let them know that I 'try'. The will reply, you don't have to try, you are a good person. (remember humans measure good according to their standards). God has his own measuring standards.
That last question of the day is important for us to think about. Our role is key, according to Matthew 28:19-20. Go ye therefore and teach all nations... and at the end of verse 20, He promises to be with us, even to the end of the world.
Those two verses are important to really digest. Jesus told the disciples what to do, how to do it, and that they would not have to do it on their own.
The subject matter of Jesus' teaching was the Kingdom of God and the principles by which it is governed. It is through those principles that we are redeemed. The first and foremost being self-sacrificial love, taught as a way of life and demonstrated as being innate to the character of God at Calvary.
The sermon on the mount of course is the classic example as an exposition of those principles. But throughout His life Jesus taught as one who was a fully fledged member of that Kingdom, hence His gentle rebuke to Nicodemus, "You must be born again to see the Kingdom. You are a teacher in Israel yet do not understand the earthly, let alone the heavenly." John 3:3,10,12. The principles of the Kingdom of God are antagonistic to the principles of this world. Even redemption itself is a principle that strikes a discordant note in a world of conflict and vengeance and retributive justice. As the sermon on the mount exemplified, the principles by which we are to engage in Godly conduct are like a foreign language...they belong to a culture far distant to the usual mindset found in this present world.
Which leads me to more understand that education through teaching verbally is not in itself sufficient to get the message across. In this day and age, the demonstration of those Godly Kingdom principles must go hand in hand with teaching. On a forum such as this words are fine...you are preaching to the choir...but when in the world our words flow off like oil on a hot pan. Even Nicodemus could only see as far as the signs and wonders...which is why there must be a humbling...a shedding of pride and a departure from earthly wisdom in order to embrace the heavenly and understand the deeper principles of the Kingdom of God.
Which brings us to image. What we are born with is predominantly the image of our parents. The image of God, glorious as it once was, has been tarnished by 6000 years of hereditary corruption and selfishness. It is through studying; through education, that the image of God is restored. Now, I'm not saying adults can't learn stuff, but why is it that we teach children? Why is it that schools are by and large mainly for children?
"And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up" Deut. 6:6,7.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:28,29
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:25-27.
In the above verses we have redemption in education in word (to the children) and demonstration (to wives). All with the following purpose...
"that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh (and the principles of this world) but after the Spirit (and the principles of the Kingdom of God).