The teachings of Jesus Christ are found in the four gospels of the New Testament Bible. He started preaching after forty days and nights of fasting and temptation in the wilderness. Jesus taught in the towns and villages throughout Galilee and in the synagogues, the local Jewish meeting places, for prayer and study.
Jesus Christ was called “Rabbi” by His followers, referring to a great teacher or master. It was a title of respect and honor given to Jewish teachers who were considered experts in the Jewish scriptures and law. However, Jesus was more than just a Rabbi. Jesus claimed to be the Son of God and the Messiah, which caused controversy and conflict with the religious leaders of His time.
Key Takeaways
- Jesus’ teachings emphasize the importance of loving God wholeheartedly and loving others, including enemies, to foster harmonious relationships.
- Jesus highlighted the necessity of having faith in God’s power and being obedient to His commandments as expressions of love and devotion.
- Jesus effectively used parables and his own actions as teaching tools, demonstrating the practical application of his teachings in daily life.
Contents
What Are The Basics Of Jesus’ Teachings?
Everything that Jesus taught us leads to the fullness of life. The central themes of His teachings are love, faith, and salvation. Divine love drives goodness, compassion, joy, and peace in human relationships, particularly in our relationship with God. The love of God transforms us and allows us to discover our identity, purpose, and meaning to experience a fulfilling life.
Jesus emphasized that, with faith, all things are possible. Having faith in God empowers us to overcome life’s challenges and difficulties. We receive divine strength, assistance, and comfort through faith during times of need. We have faith that God will be with us always, fight our battles, and be in complete control.
Teachings Of Jesus That Will Improve Your Life
Have A Loving Relationship With God
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.“
— Matthew 22:37–38
A relationship with the Heavenly Father is the highest form of connection a man can experience in his lifetime on earth. Having a loving and intimate relationship with God will impact our destiny in eternity. Jesus teaches us the most important and greatest commandment, which is to love God.
God loves us, and because of the love God has for us, He gave His only begotten Son as a sacrificial offering for our sins. In return, He desires us to love Him with our entire being. To love God means giving Him the highest priority in our lives, above all things and all relationships.
Obedience To God
If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
— John 14:15
If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
— John 15:10
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
— Matthew 7:21
Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?
— Luke 6:46
Trust And Faith In God
Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
— Matthew 17:20
Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.
— Matthew 21:21
He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.
— Luke 17:6
Service To God
Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
— Matthew 20:26–28
Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
— Mark 10:43–45
Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
— John 12:26
From that time on, Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’
— Matthew 4:17
“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
— Mark 1:15
I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
— Luke 13:3
Have Loving Relationships With People
Since a healthy relationship with people is very challenging to maintain, we often encounter conflicts and broken relationships with others. Jesus calls us to strive to live in peace and unity with family, neighbors, earthly masters, and even authorities. Jesus tells us practical ways to treat other people.
Love Your Neighbor As Yourself
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
— Matthew 22:39
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
— Matthew 7:12
Love Your Enemies
But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
— Matthew 5:44
But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
— Luke 6:27–28
Forgive Others
For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
— Matthew 6:14
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times? Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’
— Matthew 18:21–22
Show Compassion And Kindness
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.
— John 13:34–35
But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.
— Luke 10:33
Do Not Judge Others
Do not judge, or you, too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
— Matthew 7:1–5
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
— Luke 6:37
The Method Of Jesus’ Teaching
Jesus, the greatest teacher of all time, exemplifies many teaching methods that are simple and understandable to His specific audience. His way depends on the need, occasion, situation, and platform.
- Expository. Jesus presents the scripture and explains it using simple words, straightforwardly, and logically. An example of this was the Sermon on the Mount of Jesus in Matthew, chapter 5.
- Story-telling, or parables. Jesus uses simple narratives or stories to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson. It presents elements of everyday life that are easy to learn and remember.
- Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11–32)
- Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37)
- Parable of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31–32)
- Sayings or proverbs. Jesus spoke poetically, using short, memorable phrases or sentences to express truths or pieces of wisdom.
- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (Matthew 7:12)
- Let he who is without sin cast the first stone (John 8:7)
- Judge not, that you be not judged (Matthew 7:1)
- Thought-provoking Questions. Jesus used questions[1] to engage and challenge His listeners’ assumptions and beliefs and draw them to the truth of His message.
- Who do people say that I am? (Mark 8:27)
- Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? (Luke 6:46)
- Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? (Luke 5:23)
- Debate. On several occasions, Jesus has engaged in constructive discussions or arguments to challenge the existing beliefs of the people, especially the religious leaders.
- Debate with the Pharisees over the healing of a man on the Sabbath (Mark 3:1–6)
- Debate with the religious leaders over the authority to forgive sins (Mark 2:1–12)
- Debate with the Sadducees over the resurrection of the dead (Matthew 22:23–33)
- Teaching by Miracles. Jesus teaches with the demonstration of signs, wonders, and miracles that proved His divine authority as the Messiah and Lord in the eyes of the Jews and large crowds.
- Healing of the Blind Man was an opportunity to teach about spiritual blindness and the need for faith (John 9).
- Feeding of the Five Thousand teaches about the abundance of God’s provision and the need to trust in him for our daily needs (Matthew 14:13–21).
- The healing of the paralytic is an opportunity to teach about the forgiveness of sins and His authority as the Son of Man (Mark 2:1–12).
- Teaching by Example. Jesus taught the Word and lived by the Word.
- Washing the Feet of His Disciples (John 13:1–17)
- Forgiving the Woman Caught in Adultery (John 8:1–11)
- Praying in Solitude (Mark 1:35)
The Message Of Jesus’ Teachings
The central themes of Jesus’ teachings are love, faith, and salvation. Jesus taught that loving God is the greatest commandment. Jesus deals with our broken relationship with God and with other people. The virtue of love sums up the entire law. Compassion, forgiveness, good deeds, kindness, humility, and service to others should characterize a Christian life.
Jesus’ message also emphasizes faith and the salvation work of God. He preached the kingdom of God and proclaimed that people must repent, turn away from sins, and believe in the good news (Gospel). Jesus’ mission is to reconcile humanity to God, our Father, through His atoning sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. God the Father, through Jesus, forgives our sins and gives us the gift of eternal life.
Final Thoughts
Jesus’ ministry is to preach the kingdom of God. The core teachings of Jesus are focused on ways of loving God and loving others. Jesus calls on us to develop a personal relationship with God through obedience, faith, and service, and to love and serve others, even those who may be our enemies.
Jesus used teaching methods, such as parables and teaching by example, with miracles to meet people’s spiritual, emotional, and physical needs. He also used thought-provoking questions that challenged the existing beliefs and discussed faith principles for those who challenged Him. His teachings are practical, relevant, and transformative and have impacted many lives throughout history until today.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are The 5 Teachings Of Jesus?
The 5 teachings of Jesus include loving God with all your heart, loving your neighbor as yourself, the importance of faith, the need for obedience to God’s commandments, and the value of humility and service to others.
What Are The 8 Teachings Of Jesus?
The 8 teachings of Jesus, often referred to as the Beatitudes, teach blessedness in being poor in spirit, mourning, meekness, righteousness, mercy, purity in heart, peacemaking, and enduring persecution for righteousness’ sake.
What Are The Moral Teachings Of Jesus?
The moral teachings of Jesus emphasize compassion, forgiveness, treating others as one would like to be treated (the Golden Rule), loving one’s enemies, and the importance of seeking the Kingdom of God and its righteousness above all else.
What Is The Life And Teachings Of Jesus?
The life and teachings of Jesus, as recorded in the New Testament Gospels, detail His birth, ministry, death, and resurrection. His teachings focus on love, faith, repentance, forgiveness, and salvation, aiming to transform individuals and society by renewing their relationship with God and each other.