Jesus, the Master Teacher
In the Greek society and culture, no profession was more respected than that of the teacher. One who had information that he was able to impart to another was on the highest rung of their social ladder. To speak of one who was a “Master Teacher” was to describe a person who had the capability of skillfully and interestingly imparting knowledge to others. While it may not always have been so, the term implied that this Master Teacher was careful in his way of life, so as not to tarnish the strength and application of those truths entrusted to him as a teacher.
The term “Master Teacher” has correctly been applied to Jesus of Nazareth, who was and is truly the Master Teacher in every area of life. By what reasoning do we describe Him as The Master Teacher?
He Was A Great Teacher
First of all, Jesus was a teacher; the Master of all Master teachers. The Greek text calls Jesus “teacher”45 times in the Gospel accounts. Also, that which Jesus did is called “teaching ‘ 45 times, and those who followed Him were called disciples (learners) 215 times. It is interesting to note that Jesus’ beloved Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) is described as a time when Jesus ‘opened His mouth and taught them” (Matt. 5:2). There is an element of teaching in any effective sermon, but an absence thereof diminishes its effectiveness, and may indicate an improper motive. He was, truly, The Master Teacher.
He Knew The Value of Teaching
The learning of the Word of God does not come upon one without instruction in the Word of God but depends upon the energy, commitment and preparation of a teacher. And Jesus had all of the above qualifications. He taught under a tree, on a mountain, by a river, from a boat on a lake, in the synagogue, and in the streets and in the houses. He did what Ezra and the priests had done 500 years earlier, as recorded in Nehemiah 8:8: Jesus “read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.” Truly, He was and is a Master Teacher.
He Spoke Plainly
We must remember that teaching does not take place until learning takes place and Jesus spoke in such plain terms that no one whose heart was honest could misunderstand. In John 10:24, we read that those who saw and heard Jesus wanted to hear plain language. People today still want to hear plain words. Obscure, ambiguous, convoluted, cryptic and complicated words may sound good in the college classroom and look good in academic papers, but people need to hear the truth, all of the truth, and nothing but the truth. Jesus spoke plainly to Nicodemus concerning his need to be born again, John 3:3-7. The woman of Samaria needed practical truths, not hollow, meaningless words, so He taught her that “God is a Spirit: and they who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).
And even two thousand years later….He still teaches.
He is The Master Teacher.
-Carl Garner