Chapter 4 The Life And Teachings Of Jesus
Learning about the life of Jesus and His teachings is beyond the purpose of acquiring knowledge. It guides your understanding of God and reveals His heart about life’s purpose, which in turn causes a total transformation in your heart. These stories and teachings are not time-bound, as their lessons are still very relatable in today’s contemporary world.
It doesn’t matter if you’re starting on your Bible journey; a view into Jesus’ life and teachings will give you a new perspective of life, fill your heart with the boldness to face trials and challenges and equip you with faith and expectation for His promised end to all His Children. As you go into the pages of this chapter, get ready to yearn for a deeper relationship with God.
The Birth Of Jesus
The birth of Jesus is so significant that every event, story, and teaching right from the start of Genesis, all through the books of the Old Testament into the New Testament, were preparations for the coming of the Messiah, Jesus. The prophecies of His birth and life have been recounted centuries before His arrival. You can consider the manifestation of His birth as a collision of the supernatural and natural, an event divinely orchestrated by God.
It all began with Mary, a young virgin woman engaged to a man in the small town of Nazareth, who finds favor in the sight of God and receives a visit from an angel The angel came with the news of her being chosen to bear the savior of the whole world, the son of God. Can you stop to imagine Mary’s possible thoughts and reactions to such news?
However, another person who really mattered was her fiance, Joseph, and God made it possible for him to stay by her side as this miracle unfolded. He was also visited by an angel and instructed by God not to put Mary away but to stay with her because the child was from the Holy Spirit.
In Luke chapter one, Mary, still in the process of coming to terms with this divine revelation, paid a visit to her relative, Elizabeth, who was heavily pregnant. This visitation had more significance than simply two relatives paying each other visits. During this visit, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb, whom you will know to be John the Baptist, filled with the spirit of God right from the womb, instantly recognized the presence of His Lord, Jesus, in the womb of Mary and leaped for joy. Understanding the sign, Elizabeth recognizes the significance of Mary’s role in the grand scheme of God’s divine plan
Around the time of the conception of Jesus in chapter 2 of Matthew, the Bible spoke about three wise men who can be regarded today as scholars or astronomers. These wise men coming from the east were said to receive a sign from a star and chose to follow that star, leading them to Judea. Coming from a long distance across vast landscapes, they sought the King whose star they saw appear one night, and it led them to Jesus
The birth of Jesus in a manger is beyond the result of an earthly activity; it wasn’t just the by-product of an overcrowded inn during a tax census. The simplicity of the stables was an indication of God’s humility to take on the form of man and His willingness to become human to help men right their wrongs. The birth of Jesus wasn’t merely a historical event; the lessons from Mary’s courage, the wise men’s journey, the political turbulence, and Joseph’s faith all sum up the reality ofthe supernatural.
Meanwhile, on the political stage, Herod, the ruler of Judea, learned of the birth of a king through the wise men and felt a threat to his position as King. In Matthew 2, Herod issued a decree that all male children under the age of two born in Bethlehem were to be killed due to the threat posed by the birth of Jesus
The Miracles Of Jesus
After His birth, Joseph, being warned by an angel in a dream, fled with Mary and Jesus to Egypt until the death of King Herod. However, in fear that Herod’s son might continue in the footsteps of his father, Joseph didn’t return to Judea but moved to the land of Galilee, to the small city of Nazareth, where Jesus grew up until the start of His ministry at the age of 30. From His conception in a humble stable to His studies at the temple with the scholars when He was 12, and up until his baptism by John at the age of 30, the Bible recorded that Jesus grew in wisdom and favor.
When the time came for Him to step into the forefront of public life, in the fulfillment of the will of God upon Him, He began to do remarkable things. Jesus performed diverse miracles, some of which will be discussed here and others you will come to know about as you go deeper into your study of God’s word. You must understand just how extraordinary His signs were in a time when the multiple factors at play were physical ailments, political turbulence, and economic challenges
The coming Messiah was their only beacon of hope. Just like Herod, they all thought that being the promised Messiah, Jesus was coming to free them from Roman rule and rule them as a king, but Jesus had far better plans. His presence was to offer them hope, far beyond their present struggles, and a life of freedom, then and after, to all who accepted Him.
All through the four gospels, you will find Jesus healing the sick, as many came to Him for healing. This act was not just a show of power but rather Jesus’ sincere response to the cries of His people in desperate need of restoration, as they were in a parlous situation with the Romans. As Jesus walked among the people, turning water into wine, multiplying loaves and fishes, and even raising the dead, you will see a great significance in each of those acts.
It wasn’t just about the magnificence of the miracles but the recipients of these miracles. Every person in each miracle was just a regular individual going about their lives with their daily struggles, hoping for some sort of deliverance. Jesus came at the right time when they were desperately in need of a miracle
Feeding Of The Crowd
One ofthe extraordinary feats accomplished by Jesus was the feeding of the five and four thousand. This account of the multiplication of fish and bread was recorded in four books of the Bible: Mattew, Mark, Luke, and John. In this particular experience, Jesus, while teaching, was moved with compassion for the crowd, as they had been with Him for three days in the wilderness without anything to eat. Not wanting to send them home on an empty stomach, Jesus resolved to feed them. However, His disciples informed Him that only five loaves of bread and
two fishes were available. Jesus was not moved by the insignificant quantity of food in comparison to the number of persons present. He asked that the disciples make the people sit in a particular order, take the bread and fish, and give thanks to God. After Jesus had finished, He gave it back to His disciples to distribute to the people, and there was more than enough to go around. The five loaves of bread and two fishes were successfully distributed among five thousand people who ate their fill, with twelve baskets of food left over.
This miracle revealed that Jesus wasn’t only interested in the spiritual growth of His people, as He had done for the past three days. He was also interested in their physical needs as well. It also showed His divine power over scarcity as a symbol of God’s supernatural abundance.
Turning Water To Wine
Another amazing miracle was at a wedding feast, where Jesus turned water into wine. Jesus was present at a wedding in Cana, and the wine being used for guests ran out while the wedding was still in full swing. This led those present to seek help from Mary, Jesus’s mother, on what to do. Knowing who her son was, she brought it up to Him, although Jesus revealed it wasn’t time for Him to perform such manifestations. However, being moved with compassion,
He instructed the servants to fill up six empty stone jars with water and serve them to the guests. They heeded Jesus’ instruction, and the water in the jars became wine. The guest acknowledged that the wine was better than the first batch that was served when they asked, “Why have you saved the best for last?” (It was customary to serve the best wine first at any gathering, so when the guests were drunk with the good wine, they would not be able to
This event is considered Jesus’ first public miracle, which symbolizes His divine authority over even the elements of nature. The abundance and quality ofthe wine produced in this miracle also show Jesusr ability to bring about joy and richness even in the most unexpected situations
The Woman with The Issue Of Blood
This Bible revealed the struggle of a woman who had lived with a particular condition for twelve years and had spent all her money on non-profitable visits to physicians, yet it continued to worsen. While in the middle of her pain from the bleeding, she hears of Jesus and, in faith, goes to Him for her healing. The beautiful thing about this miracle was the absence of Jesus laying His hands on her; rather, she was healed by her faith, which was clearly displayed in her actions.
She believed all she had to do to get her healing was to touch Jesus’ cloak. Not minding the pressure from the crowds around Jesus, she pressed until she reached the hem of Jesus’ garment. As she touched the garment, the bleeding dried up instantly, and it was recorded that Jesus immediately knew that virtue had gone out of Him.
After Jesus had found her in the crowd, He was impressed by her level of faith and declared that her faith had made her well in Mark 5:34:
This miracle illustrates Jesus’ compassion towards the sick, His willingness to respond to faith, and His power to heal. It also emphasizes the importance of faith and persistence in seeking a miracle.
These miracles and many more contributed to the spread of His fame across the land – tales of a man who defied the laws of nature, who brought relief to the sick, and who challenged the societal order. These were not just a series of events; rather, they were events that unfolded in response to the needs and challenges ofthe time in ancient Judea
Jesus Ministry And Teachings
The diverse miracles are not the only things noted about the life of Jesus. His teachings formed a core part of Christianity today, and it would be incomplete to look at the life of Jesus without buttressing the lessons He taught. There were no limits on the subjects covered in Jesus’s teachings. He covered every area of life
salvation, the kingdom of God, faith, prayers, humility, money, possessions, love and compassion, repentance, forgiveness, judgment, the end times, etc. Either directly or through the use of parables, Jesus always gave vital life lessons. He came to show men how to live a purposeful life effortlessly
The trees on the earth, the fishes in the sea, and the birds of the sky don’t struggle to thrive in their natural habitat, and that was what Jesus came to do, showing us how to live a life of total worship to God seamlessly, and this He communicated through His teachings.
Here are some of Jesus’ teachings in Parables and the insights to be gleaned from them;
The Parable Of The Good Samaritan
In this parable, Jesus tells the story of a man who was attacked by robbers on his way from Jerusalem to Jericho and solicited help from passersby, and none but one would help him. Jesus made us know that the only person who volunteered to help was a Samaritan, while the others who wouldn’t stop to help were a Levite and a Jewish priest.
This statement alone has great tribal significance. In those times, the Jews and Samaritans were enemies. The Samaritan laid him on his horse, took him to an inn, and paid for his medical bills. The lessons are clear: compassion knows no boundaries, regardless of tribe, race, ethnicity, nationality, etc. Love should always come first. Today, this parable challenges you to extend kindness and care to all, regardless of societal divisions or differences
The Parable Of The Prodigal Son
Jesus shares the story of a wayward son welcomed home by a loving father. A man had two sons, and his second son requested his inheritance, which he obliged. His son goes away and squanders his part of the inheritance and is left with nothing to the point of being willing to eat with the pigs. In that humble or small beginnings. The mustard seed, when sown, is considerably small. Still, when given time,
it grows into a large plant that contributes greatly to its environment. Jesus teaches about the Kingdom of God, which started small but flourished remarkably. The significance today lies in the transformative power of small acts and humble beginnings. It serves as a reminder that even the smallest efforts can have a profound impact
The Parable Of The Lost Sheep
In this parable, Jesus spoke of a shepherd who had a hundred sheep and lost one. Out of love for the one, he leaves the ninety-nine to find the one lost sheep. Some might consider it foolish, but it shows great love, especially when you see yourself as the one. It conveys God’s relentless pursuit of each individual. Today, it serves as an encouragement to love and value everyone. Remember, no one is beyond redemption or unworthy of God’s love.
The Parable Of The Sower
In this parable, a sower went about sowing on a particular day. As he sowed, Jesus explained that the seeds fell on different grounds, by the wayside, among thorns, on stony grounds, and on good and fertile soil. Due to the different foundations of the seeds, they all ended differently. Birds ate up the ones by the wayside
The seeds among thorns sprang up but were choked by the thorns. Seeds on stony ground grew up fast, but because of inadequate depth of soil for a good foundation, the sun scorched the plants. Finally, the ones that fell on good and fertile ground thrived and produced a harvest thirty-, sixty-, and a hundred-fold!
Jesus used this metaphor of different soils to explain how Christians receive the word of God at different times. This parable teaches the importance of cultivating a heart that is always receptive to God’s word. This parable should serve as a challenge to always strive for a heart that will bear lasting fruits
The Crucifixion And Resurrection
The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus will forever shape the course of history. In a time when the Romans ruled the Jews, there were many complexities surrounding religion, societal demands, and expectations. The use of crucifixion as a form of punishment was reserved for the most heinous of criminals because of how brutal it was
Following the weight of Jesus’ ministry, He was bound to make some enemies, especially among people who were not pleased with His methods and teachings. They conspired and had Him arrested on the basis of many false allegations. Jesus, being innocent, faced the agony of the cross. Despite being the son of God, the Bible revealed that He wasn’t immune to the pain and shame of the cross. This was demonstrated when Jesus was recorded praying to God that He may not face the judgment of the cross in the book of Matt. 26:39;
However, His crucifixion wasn’t merely a cruel event of injustice among men and a challenge to the societal norms and religious expectations of that era. It was also a convergence of His divine sacrifice. Beyond the spiritual significance, it shows the harsh realities of Roman oppression and the great lengths the spiritual leaders of old were willing to go to preserve their beliefs.
After facing the shame and wrath of crucifixion, Jesus was buried. However, just as prophecies of old revealed in Psalm 16:10, “For you will not abandon my soul in Sheol, or let your Holy One see corruption” Jesus rose again. This also confirms His words to His disciples when He told them in Mark 9:31 that
“The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill Him, and after three days He will rise”. Jesus rose from the grave on the third day, defying death and ushering in a new life for all who believed. His triumph over the grave and death brought about hope and unspeakable joy to all who believed in Him. The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus first show His sacrificial love, just as He said in John 15:13,
This shows a love that goes beyond culture and time. The brutality of the crucifixion ofthe cross shows the weight of your sins and the great lengths Christ was willing to go to have you reconciled back to Him. The understanding of His sacrifice sheds more light on a Christian hope beyond the challenges of life for an afterlife in eternity. This serves as the cornerstone of the Christian Faith.
Moments Of Reflection
- The Parable of the Prodigal Son is a powerful story of forgiveness and redemption. Is there any area of your life that makes you feel inadequate, imperfect, and detached from God, just like the Prodigal Son? What steps should you take following this parable?
- From the parable of the Good Samaritan, who do you consider your neighbors to be, and is there anyone you need to extend a hand of compassion to today?
- Do you believe that Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection were for you? How can this reality affect your relationship with Him?
- Jesus often emphasizes the importance of faith. Are you trusting God for something in your life right now? What actions are you willing to take to demonstrate your faith? Exhausting the lessons of Jesus’ life in a few pages would be impossible. To discover the many lessons and insights from the life of Jesus, His birth, miracles, teachings, trials, betrayal, cross, death, burial, and resurrection, you are encouraged to take on a personal in-depth study. Take your time studying the stories to unveil the truths and lessons they carry for your life. This is not an account of history but an invitation to the more that lies between the verses of the Bible – for a chance to experience a life of unending love and total victory found in Christ.