JESUS AS A TEACHER - Teacher's Day Article

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“You call me Teacher and Lord, and rightly so, for that is what I am” (John 13:13).

When we think about Jesus, We get quickly to mind as —The Lord, Saviour, Master, and Redeemer. These were the words the multitudes used and this was how the disciples referred to Jesus as. Jesus was known for his ability to teach and also He was called “Rabbi” (Aramaic title) which means Teacher and which is used several times in the Bible. Even though he was not formally trained as a Rabbi, the people, however, recognized that Jesus was indeed a teacher sent from God. Jesus’s teachings were striking and memorable, not only because he used a variety of teachings methods but because of what he taught, and how he taught to the people around him.

Like other teachers, Jesus had disciples, announced divine commands, supported his teaching with Scripture, debated with others, was questioned about legal disputes, and employed various techniques to make his teaching more memorable.

Throughout his teaching ministry, Jesus used a variety of methods that made his teachings striking, memorable, understandable and provoking. These methods includes the  many well-known methods of his day, as well as that are still familiar with like  proverbs, exaggeration, parables, similes, riddles etc,.

Such amazing techniques were used to clarify his meaning, motivate the listeners, or reveal the true intent of God’s Word.  Let’s see some of the important ways that Jesus explained to make the people understand:

·    Proverbs: Proverbial statements are employed by Jesus and also we see Jesus used many proverbs in the Holy Bible to Guide & Teach many things (Matt. 26:52). Proverbs are such statements which should not to be taken as absolutes but as a generic principles.

For example, Jesus states, “For all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matt. 26:52). As in this case, Jesus’s statement does not mean that all who fight with swords will die by a sword. Rather, the meaning is that, generally speaking, those who are accustomed to fighting with swords are likely to be killed by a sword.  Hence, a person who understands the truthfulness of the proverb will be wise to heed its teaching.

Exaggeration (Overemphasis): Exaggeration is a powerful form of communication as it arrests the attention of the hearers. It also demonstrates the seriousness of a situation.

For example, Jesus says to the scribes and Pharisees, “You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!” (Matt. 23:24). Although it is impossible for someone to swallow a camel, the ethical point is clear: don’t be so careful about the little things so as to ignore to do the big things. Hence, Jesus used such statements to grab the attention of the people and making them to focus on the things that Jesus wants them to FOCUS on particularly.

Parables : Perhaps Jesus’s most well-known method of teaching was PARABLES, which accounts for about one-third of all his teachings. Parables mainly helps to understand from the perspective of the original audience before applying it to a modern context.

For example, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field” (Matt. 13:44). Thus, the “kingdom of heaven” is compared to a “treasure". Such parables are fairly easy to understand, since the point of the comparison is usually highlighted in the parable itself (e.g., sacrifice whatever you need to enter the kingdom of heaven, since it is worth it).   

Likewise we see many parables in the Bible - Parable of the Sower, Weeds, Mustard Seed many more… All these parables leads us into the way that God wants us to walk through. 

Although, Jesus had done such a great teaching in the world,  his last instructions, his ultimate command was given to us is “Go ye into all the world and TEACH all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, TEACHING them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19 ). His final command was a teaching command.


Moral : 

How much does the importance of the word the Teaching has? Let’s look around us.

Two thousand years have passed and today across the world over two billion people bear his name, which has spread from Jerusalem to every corner of the globe. At this very moment multiplied thousands of missionaries are doing what Jesus said to do: teaching all nations.

If the success of the students is the measure of the teacher, then no teacher was ever so successful as the one and only Master, Teacher, Jesus Christ.

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