Jesus’ Teaching

AD 27–30

Books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John—the rest of the New Testament is based in Jesus’ teachings

~ Before Jesus begins to teach, He submits to baptism, is affirmed by the Father, filled with the Spirit, and tested in the wilderness, preparing Him to step into His public ministry with divine authority and power.

The teachings of Jesus are too deep and multifaceted to be contained in a single story entry, yet we can humbly point to a few of the central themes He emphasized.

Jesus taught in parables: short, simple stories that use everyday images or situations to illustrate a deeper moral or spiritual truth. Jesus used parables both as a light for the seeking and a veil for the resisting.

Jesus taught with unmatched authority, unveiling the heart of God’s Kingdom. He declared that the Kingdom of God was near and described what it was like using parables. In fact, He used the word kingdom over 120 times in the Gospels (the first four books of the New Testament).

Jesus called people to love God fully and love others as themselves, making love the greatest commandment (Mat. 22:36–40).

He blessed the humble, merciful, and pure in heart in the Beatitudes, overturning empty religion and emphasizing the motives of the heart above actions (Mat. 5:1–12).

He taught disciples to forgive endlessly and to pray with sincerity (Mat.18:21–22; 6:5).

Jesus confronted the Pharisees, exposing their hypocrisy, but welcomed and honored children, declaring their trust and humility as the model for entering God’s Kingdom (Mat. 18:2–4, 19:13–15).

He proclaimed Himself the Bread of Life, the Light of the World, the Good Shepherd, and the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 6:35, 8:12, 10:11, 14:6).

He taught and modeled that true greatness is found in serving others (John 13:12–15).

Above all, He revealed that laying down one’s life in love is the highest calling, fulfilled in His own cross. Then He commanded that His disciples take up their own cross daily (Mark 8:34).

In these teachings, Jesus modeled and taught God’s character and ways, both now and forever.

~ After Jesus taught, He ministered to the people. Jesus’ teaching was accompanied by powerful healings, supernatural demonstrations in nature, and deliverance from demons.

Significance

Jesus’ teachings were unique in these ways:

• He spoke with divine authority, not like the scribes.
• He revealed the heart of God’s Law as love for God and neighbor.
• He introduced upside-down values—He blessed the poor, meek, merciful, and pure in heart.
• He exposed sin and demanded inner transformation, not empty ritual.
• He welcomed children, sinners, outcasts, and Gentiles into God’s Kingdom.
• He pointed to His own identity as the Way, the Truth, the Life.
• He called God His Father.

We will spend earthly life and eternity gleaning and applying Jesus’ teaching and encountering Him in them.