JESUS. THE TEACHER
Of all the responsibilities and great offices that Jesus filled, His being a teacher rated near the top, if not at the top. When He gave the Sermon on the Mount, He seated Himself and His disciples came to Him: and He opened His mouth and taught them.
Let us think of the visual aids He used. Look at Him as He speaks about salt, sparrows, lilies, candles, eyes, hands, feet, lampstands, cities, gifts, prisons, heaven, earth, Jerusalem, rain, sunshine, neighbors, enemies, hypocrites, and a thousand other common things.
Let us think of His methods. The question method of teaching has been named after Socrates, but Jesus was the master when it came to questions. He asked His disciples, "Whom do men say that I, the Son of man am?'' Jesus used the lecture method. The Sermon on the Mount and His discourses on eschatology are examples. He employed the art of story telling. His parables were filled with short stories. He engaged in the discussion method. The Pharisees and Sadducees would bear witness to His discussions. He used the example method. His whole life became an example for the whole race.
Let us observe the content of His lessons. The messages He gave had divine wisdom. He astonished Nathanael and left him amazed as to how He knew. He absorbed the inquiries of Nicodemus and sent him away to ponder the new birth. He disappointed the rich young ruler and placed upon him requirements that left him sad and dejected. It was the truth that He taught that made the obedient glad, the disobedient angry, the stubborn defiant, and the strong fearful.
(©1978 by R.O. Corvin)