Jesus is often referred to as the Master Teacher. Below are five observations about Jesus as teacher, along with related questions.

1. Jesus’ words had authority (Luke 4:32). He didn’t quote much from other rabbis, nor did he quote extensively from the Old Testament.

Q: What gave his words authority? Can we teach with similar authority? How?

2. Jesus taught through his actions. His life was intended to communicate lessons. Thus, his students followed him, literally, and watched how he lived life.

Q: If Jesus had been born mute, could his ministry on earth still have been successful? Could his most important teachings have been transmitted even without words? How about us? How well do our actions “teach” the world about who God is?

3. Jesus taught using questions. His first words recorded in Luke are a question, and that trend continues throughout the book. Even his “speeches” are full of questions (see Luke 7:24-26, 31, 42, 44, etc.) In Luke, Jesus is asked 32 questions, while he asks others a total of 92 questions.

Q: Doesn’t it seem like Jesus, with his wisdom, would answer rather than ask questions? Why did he ask questions? What does this accomplish?

4. Jesus seldom answered questions. When he did, he would often answer with a question or a riddle (17:37, 2:48-49).

Q: Once again, why would Jesus do this? Wouldn’t this have been frustrating?

5. Jesus taught by telling parables. These parables were often challenging to understand, even by his disciples.

Q: What is the benefit of teaching using a story?

Concluding Questions:

1. If Jesus is the Master Teacher, why don’t we follow his methods more closely? Why do we lecture, answer questions, and keep a professorial distance from our students?

2. What are some of the teachings of Jesus that you feel are neglected in contemporary society?

3. If we had to summarize the essential message Jesus taught, what would it be? Is this a message that is difficult to understand? Is it a message that is difficult to accept? Is it difficult to practice?