Jesus and How He Taught

Introduction: Jesus and How He Taught

Question: We read the teachings of Jesus in a part of the bible called the ______?

Matthew 16:16–17 ESV

Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

Discuss: What positive and negative things have you heard people say about Jesus?

Discuss: Who do you think Jesus is?

Christians believe that the teaching of Jesus helps them live in a better way. Some will describe how, by following the teaching of Jesus, their lives have been changed or they have experienced freedom from addiction or negative thought-patterns; some will describe how they feel God is ‘blessing’ them or have a purpose for their lives. Regardless of what you have heard or think about Jesus, the teaching of Jesus has made a positive difference to the lives of billions of people.

Discuss: In what ways do Christians think the teaching of Jesus helps them live a better life?

To understand what Jesus says in the gospels, we need to recognise that he taught through parables, miracles and experiences.

1. Parables are short imaginary stories that explain an important principle or moral, like fairy tales.

Discuss: What does the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears teach us?

2. Sometimes Jesus performed miracles to teach something about God or people. For example, when he healed a blind man he was also explaining how God wants to open our ‘spiritual’ eyes so we can ‘see’ the truth about him and ourselves.

3. On occasions, Jesus gave the disciples a spiritual experiences or asked them to do something practical. He would then ask them to think about their experiences to consider what they learned from them.

Question: What is one experience that you have learned something from?

Discussion: What are the ways that Jesus teaches? Has Jesus ever taught you anything? How has it impacted your life?