Jesus The Master Teacher - Bruce Lehman

Lesson Transcript

So you can see Jesus the Master Teacher is what I want to talk about this morning. There's a lot of avenues you could go. I'm going to stick more to methodology, and I don't know if that's good or bad, but that's what I chose. John C. Maxwell says this: "Leadership is influence. My message is born out of a personal goal to become more influential as a person.

Although I have a very long way to go yet, it made me wonder what can I learn from the Master Teacher who has influenced thousands of people." And actually, somewhat this started after Gillan's sermon. I don't know when he was talking about the rabbi; for whatever reason, it triggered something in me, and I haven't been able to let it go since. So this is born out of my studies and learning, and I hope you can gain helpful insights. Hopefully, it will help you to learn and internalize it as well.

Socrates, Confucius, Muhammad, and many more were teachers that taught for 20, 50 years. Jesus taught for approximately three years and taught us everything we need to know to live a Christian life as well as understanding the trajectory of our eternal lives. So how did Jesus use methodology to be more influential? Thomas B. Warren said, and this won't pop up there, "But no one can be a great teacher if he does not love, know, teach, and live by the sacred truth of God.

No teacher was ever better qualified than was Jesus to teach the truth, which is the Bible." And so I'm not going to be bringing a message so much that's a bunch of Bible-centric topic, but it's more on teaching and how Jesus taught and how can we understand that and use that to be better teachers. This is particularly for me, not probably for the rest of y'all, and you'll see why here in a little bit. Jesus' influence was so impactful in only three years.

He completely transformed the 12 disciples so effectively they were able to bring it to the rest of the world. And hopefully, you can read it. I wasn't sure if the print would be big enough, and it's not. What can we learn from Jesus? Methods of teaching that could enable us to be more effective in our teaching. And would adopting Jesus' teaching strategies empower us to become more impactful in our own teaching? Those were the questions that have been going through my head.

So I have nine points that Jesus had that I found broken down about Jesus' different teaching techniques. And this is not all original with me by any chance. But the first one we have is he spoke with his authority or by his authority. Imagine that you had the answer to every question in life. Would you speak differently than what you do? We have to study to learn it, or we have to learn by the school of hard knocks if we want to teach something.

We don't just have information and spew it out, and everybody does it. But Jesus was different. He was obviously God, and so he had the ability to know everything. He obviously spoke with greater authority than we have. But teaching with the authority that Christ gives us will greatly impact our effectiveness. We as people are constantly using quotes or facts of life to add authority to our writing and speaking. Jesus didn't need to do that.

Now, he would bring up stuff in the Old Testament and so forth, but he didn't need to have that. He made the rules, and we have an example of this. We have many instances of Jesus saying whatever happened in the Old Testament, "But I say unto you," this was Jesus demonstrating his ultimate authority. He had the ability to rewrite the code from an earthly perspective at least. This is another example. In the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, Jesus taught as one who had authority.

The crowds were amazed because of his teaching. Sorry. The crowds were amazed because his teaching surpassed that of their religious leaders. And so this was my takeaway for myself. When a teacher demonstrates expertise in their subject matter and possesses specialized knowledge and teaching skills, students are more likely to engage and learn effectively. Students recognize the teacher as a knowledgeable instructor who can guide their learning process.

This authority type fosters respect and trust, creating a conducive learning environment. Jesus also told stories. Approximately one-third of Jesus' teachings used stories in the form of parables. Why would you do parables? It's because these stories are extended analogies. These stories or extended analogies are indirect communications designed to engage, convince, and persuade.

Parables were probably Jesus' most well-known method of teaching, which accounts for about one-third of all the teaching, as I already explained. In the Gospels, Jesus tells at least 50 different parables. Unfortunately, this is the sad part, and this is even true for myself. The parables are not only some of the most cherished teachings, they're also the most misunderstood teachings of Jesus. One great example is the parable of the prodigal son. And this is not necessarily an example of where it's misunderstood.

I'm just simply using an example to help us to illustrate how Jesus told stories. He could have told the parable different ways. He could have just said, "God loves you so much that he will welcome you back no matter how sinful you have lived." But he didn't. Instead, he tells a story of a boy who disowned his family, partied away his inheritance, came home to beg for mercy, but was surprisingly welcomed with open arms by his father who waited daily for his return.

And it was just a great illustration that we can see how Jesus looks at us. Jesus also astonished people. He often used hyperbole, which is just a better word for exaggerated. He used hyperbole, and he taught using outrageous examples, exaggerations, or a shocking statement that got people's attention. These statements were not all meant to be taken literally, but they definitely got the point across.

In Matthew 19:24, Jesus declared, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." And that obviously can be true because a camel is not going through the eye of a needle. But I think we understand what he's trying to teach there. What are some reasons you might use hyperbole? This one I struggled with a little bit because I find hyperbole to be one that can easily be overdone or done incorrectly. But there are good things for it.

When teachers incorporate hyperbole into their teaching, it adds an element of surprise and humor. Exaggerated statements capture students' attention, making the content more memorable. Hyperbole evokes strong emotions. By using exaggerated language, teachers can emphasize the significance of a concept or topic.

For example, a science teacher discussing climate change might say, and this is controversial, "But the ice caps are melting faster than a snowman in a sauna." This not only conveys urgency but also connects with students on an emotional level. When students feel emotionally invested, they are more likely to internalize the lesson. So that's where we can find hyperbole useful for us. It can help our people we're teaching to internalize it.

Here's another example of Jesus' time using hyperbole, and this is probably a better instance. "Blind guides who strain out a net and swallow a camel. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you are like whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness." The next one is he used crafted memorable sayings. I can't even say that word. If you want to preach like Jesus, craft memorable statements. Make the main point easy to remember.

If your people remember the message, they will be able to take it with them wherever they go. And we often call these one-liners or different things like that. I'm going to show you some illustrations of Jesus speaking poetically. He used catchy sayings and plays on words. This isn't always as apparent in English translations, but if you were to see it in the original language, Jesus made it much easier for his listeners to remember what he said. And here's some examples.

"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened to you." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live." And in this situation, it's the contrast. Though he may die, he will live. And that's the thing that's unique about that. "Judge not, and you shall not be judged." This one's full of them. "Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned.

Forgive, and you will be forgiven." There was a quote I found by Andy Stanley, which I'm not really sure if that rings a bell. I wasn't familiar with his name, but he says, "Memorable is portable." And I thought that was pretty good. If you make something memorable, it's portable. Questions. Jesus asked questions. Maybe this is just for me because I like asking questions, but I think questions are sometimes one of the most overlooked teaching methods.

We like to have lots of ideas and knowledge, and we like to spew them out on people, and we hope they take it in. But that's not always the best way. It's not a wrong way, maybe, but it's not always the best way. Questions can encourage students to actively engage with the material when they answer or think critically. They process information more deeply. By posing questions, teachers stimulate curiosity and create an interactive learning environment. And Jesus did this a bunch of times.

He would ask questions that he didn't even really give answers for. He would just be whatever. And some of these are examples of that, and some of these are just questions that I found of him. Or, "What man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?" He could have said that differently. He could have just told them, "If your son asks you bread, you're not going to give him a stone." But he asked him a question, and they had to answer it. Well, yeah, no, we would never do that.

"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?" This one here is good for us. "But why do you call me Lord, Lord, and not do the things which I say?" And that's more just something for us to reflect on and think about. If we say that, why don't we do it? Jesus also used visual illustrations. And this is one we often all think of when we think of a good teaching method. We like to use object lessons or visuals, which we do good here. We have a visual for you.

This was one I was able to put into practice right away. We often like to say, "More is caught than is taught." Did I say that right? "More is caught than is taught." Since that is correct, be the visual that the world can capture. Visually communicated truth is far more powerful than only spoken truth. And now we have some examples of Jesus doing this. Jesus washed his disciples' feet to teach them the mindset of servanthood. He also taught it. He didn't just show it.

He did teach it all through his teachings, but then he also showed it, and it gave them an ability to visualize it. Oh, this is what he means. Jesus called a little child to him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." So visuals grab students' attention and maintain their focus, especially when used at the beginning of a lesson.

Images, videos, graphs, and charts can pique curiosity, encouraging active participation. And it's even more important depending on some people's learning abilities. Some people benefit much more from visual aids, kinesthetic-type things. Jesus also used the widow to exemplify sacrificial giving. I forgot I had that one. Here is a visual. This was some interesting facts that I came across. Hopefully, you can all see that.

But if you start at the top, your learning methods, if you learn through reading alone, you tend to retain about 10% of it. And this is obviously a broad spectrum. Some people retain much more when they read, others less, and so forth for all of them. Whoops. Audio-visual learning is approximately 20%. So when you combine audio and visual like this, you can retain up to 20% of it. If you use visual demonstrations, it increases to 30. Group discussion, 50.

Group discussion is powerful, and that's something I would highly encourage. And I hear it among us. After church, we talk about what the preacher shared that morning, and I think that's great. Helps you put it to practice. The second one is practice and application. If you practice it, you'll remember it 75% better. And if you teach it, you'll remember it 90% better. So that's why I'm teaching it, so I remember this stuff a little better. Jesus used repetition. There was something mentioned this morning.

David's planning to put out something on the news chat this week about the death and resurrection of Jesus and the times for that. If I remember correctly, you did that last year, right? There it is. Repetition. I already forget probably most of what he said last year. I could go back and listen to it, but if he shares it again, that'd be great. Sometimes people need to hear something many times to internalize it. In addition, teachings that get repeated get remembered.

Find the main point of your message and say it again and again. But don't be afraid to preach. This was something else that I just kind of found, and I threw in there because I thought it was good. Don't be afraid to preach on important subjects more than once a year. At least for me, I benefit from repetition. Here's some that Jesus repeated many times through his teachings.

He spoke of his death and resurrection over and over again, and we can see it, and his disciples heard it, and yet they were still shocked when he was crucified. They didn't understand it. The two-kingdom concept was instigated and repeated, and that was the main theme of Jesus' teachings. And so many people, even today, even though that was repeated, it's hard for them to understand and apply.

And here are more examples of concepts of things he repeated: showing love and compassion, forgiveness and mercy, humility and servanthood, and many more. But it was because he wanted those things to be remembered. Jesus also demanded action. Jesus' teachings were not merely theoretical. They called for action and transformation in the lives of his followers. How does interaction help? Hands-on activities actively involve students in the learning process.

When they manipulate objects, conduct experiments, or create something, they become more engaged, and we all understand that. It's not rocket science. He didn't just teach the disciples what to do. He then sent them out to do it and report back when they were done. And he gave us the ultimate challenge on this as well.

After his resurrection, Jesus gave a clear directive to his disciples in Matthew 28:19-20, "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." This commission required action, going, baptizing, and teaching. And that still applies to us. And this is the last point, but probably one of the most important points. As a teacher, do you practice what you preach or teach?

There is no greater example of a preacher following his own teachings than Jesus. Jesus lived what he said. He didn't just talk a good talk. He walked the walk, even through death on a cross. Practicing what we preach is by far the greatest witness the world will ever see. And that's at least, in my opinion, that could probably be countered with, but. When a teacher lives out the principles they teach, it adds authenticity to their message. It makes it believable.

You actually think that there's something worth following after. And there's lots of examples we could give with this. But Jesus taught his disciples to pray. And we also have record of him praying many times. He didn't just preach about healing. He actively reached out to those who were suffering, demonstrating his love and power to restore. Jesus didn't just teach on loving sinners. He had dinner with sinners. And there's literally hundreds of things you could put into that one, I'm sure.

And we're not going to go there. And that brings me to my conclusion. If Jesus was the master teacher and exemplified unparalleled influence despite his brief period of active teaching, like Jesus, we can create a conducive learning environment where respect, trust, and transformation flourish. Preach with authority. Tell stories. Be astonishing. Craft memorable statements. Ask questions. Use object lessons. Repeat yourself. Create experiences and practice what you preach.

As we strive to teach with the authority Christ gives us, let us remember that our impact extends beyond mere words. And the other thing that I had to think about is there's a saying that I've heard many times. Maybe you have too. Now I'm trying to remember how it goes, but it's to the effect that we may be the only Bible that other people see. And I don't say that proudly. You want to be humble about that. But are you presenting the gospel, or are you presenting a fake? So that's just something to think about.

Thank you. That concludes it.