Jesus' Teaching Method

Many talk about Jesus’ teaching method, but consider what His teaching method actually was. Jesus constantly challenged his audience with things they were in error on. He didn’t waste all His limited, valuable opportunities on things his audiences already agreed with.

Consider his long sermon on the mount (Matthew chapters 5-7) – where He went through a number of various topics that directly contradicted the views of those He was teaching. Consider what Jesus did with the rich ruler in Matt 19 – He challenged the young man on the very issue that was keeping him from being in an acceptable relationship with God. Consider what Jesus did earlier in Matt 19 when the Pharisees asked him a question about divorce. Jesus told them exactly what they needed to hear on that subject; it didn’t matter to Him that that truth might offend them. Because they thought Jesus taught a hard truth in John 6, “many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him” (verse 66). I am sure Jesus knew that was going to happen, but that didn’t hold Him back. Consider Jesus’ answer to the scribes and Pharisees in Matt 15:1ff. He didn’t just talk to them about their strong points; instead he went straight to their religious errors. Matt 22:45 says “when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. But when they sought to lay hands on him ….”

Evidently Jesus taught in such a way that his listeners knew He was talking about them, and that they needed to make a change. All of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John is filled with this method. And Jesus was the master teacher. Finally consider the old testament warning of Ezek 3:18 – “When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand” (Acts 20:20,26-27, 31). We should use Jesus’ teaching method in all circumstances – challenging our audience to conform to the truth (John 8:31-32).

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