Jesus Christ: The Master Teacher

Some of us teach at the front of a room. Others of us teach at the kitchen table or out in the back yard. But all of us are teachers in some meaningful way.

There is perhaps no greater joy than to see the eyes of your student come to life … to experience that “aha” moment when knowledge finds its home and ignites a spark in the soul … whether it’s in a child, teen, adult or seasoned citizen. Knowing that you have enlightened another human being who is created in God’s own image and in some meaningful way changed their life is an immeasurable gift that blesses both the giver and the receiver.

If there is one person in all of human history that personified the joy of teaching, it truly must have be none other than Jesus of Nazareth. More than 2000 years ago, he emerged from his modest village to change the world forever. He lived his life as he taught. But he at age thirty, he became the greatest teacher that ever lived.

His compelling message of loving God first and then others more than self threatened the political infighters, encroached on the rules of society, undermined the selfish. But more importantly than his confrontations, he gave hope to the downtrodden, equality to the helpless and a passion for God in the hearts of the true believers.

Men and women would die for how he lived … and died … and because of what he taught beside the Sea of Galilee and in the hills of Judea.

His Followers Became Teachers, Too

Like the Master, his little team of disciples became teachers in their own right. They were common men—fisherman, bureaucrats and political activists, an unlikely bunch. But in time, those who heard them teach could plainly see that they had spent time with the Master Teacher (Acts 4:13).

Model the Master Teacher

Maybe you’re a new teacher … or maybe* you just love Jesus so much* that you want to know more about him. Maybe you’ve been teaching for years and feel the need to revitalize how you teach. You can do no better than to study the art of teaching from Jesus Christ, the Master Teacher.

What is it about the Lord’s teaching that still motivates millions of people today to claim the Messiah as their Teacher? What was the power in his simple illustrations and direct object lessons? How could he be so abrasive one moment and then gentle the next so that the people were in awe and wonder at his marvelous words?

In Jesus, the Master Teacher, Wayne Jackson examines the many facets Jesus’ teaching. He explores both the Lord’s authority to teach and the wide variety of great themes that Jesus developed during his earthly ministry.

Also considered are the teaching methods of Christ, along with the practical nature of his instruction. The Lord’s use of illustrations, together with his compassion for people, was phenomenal. The Savior’s uniqueness of presentation and his claims about himself are of critical importance.

For example, his dual nature of being both God and man helped him to thoroughly understand what needed to be taught and how to teach it. This perfect insight had an unparalleled impact on the world. Just imagine if we could emulate only 10% of his passion for teaching. How would that change you as a teacher and thought-leader?

Further, it will be interesting to note what Jesus did and didn’t claim about himself as a teacher come from God. Have we ever stopped to think about how our influence is hampered or enhanced by what we reveal about ourselves? The teaching of Christ was fresh, compelling and authoritative. He used logical brilliantly. His questions and illustrations were poignant and memorable. Yet all the while, he exuded humility as a teach who truly cared for his students.

As gentle as Christ was, he also knew how to turn up the heat. Ever teacher faces controversy eventually. How you handle those moments says a lot about how you teach. In a moment, your student can be lost or strengthened … all because of how you handle a tense situation. Christ knew exactly how to handle each and every situation with just the right amount of firm but loving resolve.

But Jesus wasn’t a freelance theologian. He respected the Old Testament scriptures and used them prolifically, with the care and attention to detail that is so often missing in the instruction of many today. And so he revealed truth in the text that had gone unnoticed and ignored … truth that had life-changing power for his disciples.

This book contains twenty-one chapters. It’s easily understood, fully documented, and packed with information that will enhance the library of any dedicated Christian. It is a work that you will consult repeatedly—especially so for ministers, church leaders, Bible class teachers and Christians interested in learning more about their Savior.