Teaching from a Biblical Pattern
Are you teaching from a Biblical pattern? There is no greater example of a Bible teacher than Jesus Christ Himself! He embodied the essence of the ideal teacher. There is much to be learned from the biblical teaching pattern He demonstrated through His preaching and discipleship.
A Look at the Teacher
He taught with authority
Matthew 7:28-29, “And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”
Luke 4:36, “And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! For with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.”
Christ was different because He taught with an authority which no other man possessed. When we allow ourselves to be filled with the Holy Spirit, we can possess a supernatural power in our teaching as well.
He taught with compassion
When Jesus taught, He did not just see a multitude of people. He saw individual souls in need of a Saviour.
Matthew 9:36, “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.”
Mark 6:34, “And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.”
Teddy Roosevelt said, “No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.”
Christ left a mark on His followers because of His compassion. If we are going to pattern our ministry after His, it must be characterized by compassion. Compassion can be one of the biggest motivators in the lives of our students. When a child senses your love, he will be willing to do almost anything to please you. We must seek an internal transformation before we seek an external conformation. If we have only succeeded in cleaning up the outside and the heart has not been changed, we have failed. We cannot reach a child’s heart without love and compassion.
A look at His methods
Jesus used a variety of methods in His teaching and varied them according to the needs of the group or individual. When teaching, it is important to incorporate a variety of methods in order to meet the unique needs of every student.
Object lessons
Jesus often used an object that was close at hand to help His audience grasp a particular truth. When truth is visualized, it is better remembered.
- Coin – Matthew 22:15-22
- Water – John 4:6-29
- Child – Matthew 18:1-4
- Washed feet – John 13:3-7
- Widow with two small mites – Mark 12:41-44
Lectures
Jesus used the lecture method often in His ministry when He preached to the multitudes and when He taught the disciples. Probably the greatest example of this method is the “Sermon on the Mount” found in Matthew 5-7. He effectively used this method by incorporating other methods at the same time.
Discipleship
Jesus spent the majority of His time investing in the twelve disciples, focusing on three in particular. He taught them by walking along side of them and leading by example. He demonstrated the qualities that He wanted them to possess.
Parables and Stories
The parables of Jesus are found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. These were simple and memorable stories, designed to convey a specific message. They are often defined as “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.”
- Parable of the sower – Luke 8:5-8
- Parable of the mustard seed – Matthew 13:31-32
- Wise man and foolish man – Matthew 7:24-27
- Prodigal son – Luke 15:11-32
- Unforgiving servant – Matthew 18:23-35
Thought-Provoking Questions
Jesus was a master at using questions to get to the heart of a matter. He often responded to His critics with questions, generally leaving them speechless.
- “For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? – Matthew 5:46
- “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” – Matthew 14:31
- “Why reason ye these things in your hearts?” – Mark 2:8
- “Having eyes, see ye not? And having ears, hear ye not?” – Mark 8:18
- “And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?” – Luke 12:25
- “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?” – John 21:16
Metaphors
Jesus often used metaphors in His preaching to build a bridge between the listener’s mind and heart. As Wiersbe said, it assists the learner in “putting things together.”[1]
- Salt and disciples – Matthew 5:13
- Word of God and a seed – Luke 8:11
- Jesus’ body and bread – Matthew 26:26
- His blood and wine – Mark 14:23-24
- Jesus and light – John 8:12
Hyperbole
Several times Jesus used hyperboles. These were shocking statements that were meant to get a point across and were not necessarily meant to be taken literally.
- Cutting off hand – Matthew 5:29-30
- Beam in the eye – Matthew 7:3-5
- Camel through the eye of a needle – Matthew 19:24
Teachable Moments
Jesus took advantage of every possible situation to make a spiritual connection. We often call these “teachable moments.”
- Centurion – Matthew 8:5-13
- Disciples arguing – Luke 9:46-48
- Walking along the road to Emmaus – Luke 24:13-3
Demonstrations
“Jesus didn’t just tell His disciples what to do. He modeled for them the kingdom mind-set, knowing that training is more caught than taught. He demonstrated how to show compassion and how to handle criticism. The disciples saw Jesus minister to the down-and-outers and the up-and-outers, the blind beggars as well as the rich young rulers, the tax collectors as well as the Pharisees.”[2]
- Servant Leadership – John 13:1-17
- Laying down one’s life – John 10:15, 15:13, I John 3:16
A look at the locations
The places that Jesus taught were often unconventional. Seldom did He teach in the synagogue where the religious leaders of the day would have taught. Creativity in the locations of our teaching will leave a lasting impression in the minds of our students.
He taught from the following locations:
- Outside – Matthew 5-7
- From a ship – Mark 4:1-9
- By a well – John 4:4-30
- While walking – Luke 24:13-32
A look at the students
Jesus’ most effective teaching was done on an individual basis or in small groups. However, He did not neglect the needs of the large crowds that often followed Him.
“We seem content to impress from a distance, which is easily done, but hesitate to impact up close, which is what our Lord exemplified for us in His life and ministry. Jesus transformed the world because He poured His life into the Twelve…we must discover what it means to pour our lives into individuals. We must learn to spend more time with the few.”[3]
Recently, I attended a workshop on discipleship. The instructor recommend following the pattern of Jesus by challenging us to invest in three people primarily. When we impact several close-up, they will in turn influence those around them. If we teach them to impact others our influence will be multiplied. We will be more effective when we channel our influence rather than spreading it out too thin and thus becoming ineffective.
Multitudes
Mark 4:1, “And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.”
Small groups
- The twelve disciples
- The “inner circle” – Peter, James, and John
Individuals
- The women at the well – John 4:4-30
- Nicodemus – John 3:1-18
- Rich Young Ruler – Mark 10:17-31
Final thoughts…
When the Bible is our foundation and Jesus Christ is our model, we can be successful teachers. Teaching may sometimes be an overwhelming task, but with the help of God, we can make an eternal impact upon those we teach.
Someone once said, “Education is the most powerful tool you can use to change the world.”
References:
[1] Wiersbe, Warren. Preaching and Teaching with Imagination. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1994, p. 80.
[2] Wilkinson, Bruce. Almost Every Answer for Practically Any Teacher. Sisters, Oregon: Multnomah Publishers, 1992, p. 349.
[3] Goetsch, John & Mark Rasmussen. Mentoring and Modeling: Developing the Next Generation. Lancaster, California: Revival Books, p. vi.