One Hundred Bible Lessons by Alban Douglas - Chapter 14

             ONE HUNDRED BIBLE LESSONS by ALBAN DOUGLAS - CHAPTER 14

                                 LESSON NUMBER 14 - THE TEACHINGS OF CHRIST

                                
                                                  INTRODUCTION

In this lesson, we attempt to summarize the main teachings of Christ while on earth. Christ, in His earthly ministry, gave three long discourses:
1) The sermon on the Mount, Matthew chapters 5-7;
2) Olivet Discourses, Matthew chapters 24-25; and
3) The Discourses in the Upper Room, John chapters 13-16, and probably 17; plus many other shorter messages.
Someone has said that Jesus touched on 18 subjects in the Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew 7: 28, 29 "The people were astonished at His doctrine, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes."
Luke 4:32 "And they were astonished at His doctrine for His word was with power."
Luke 4:22 "And all bear Him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth." In some ways, His teachings were new, revolutionary and contrary to human reasoning.


                                   JESUS TEACHING ABOUT SALVATION

In His conversation with Nicodemus, He told him that he had to be born again, John 3: 1-15.
In His talk with the Samaritan woman, He made her thirsty for Himself, the living water.
In John 6, He revealed Himself as the true bread that could satisfy true soul-hunger.
In Luke 7: 47-48, Jesus taught that He had the power to forgive sins of the penitent.
In John10, the discourse on the Good Shepherd, Jesus revealed that He was the only door to salvation, and that no man could be saved except through Him.
In Matthew 11: 28-30, Jesus gave an invitation for the laborers and the weary-laden to come to Him for salvation and soul-rest.
This wonderful salvation invitation is further expanded in Luke 14: 16-24 to include the wanderers on the highways and byways- the poor, maimed, faltering and the blind.
The best loved of all salvation stories is the recovery of the Prodigal son in Luke 15.


                         II-     JESUS TEACHING ABOUT DAILY CHRISTIAN LIVING

In Matthew 5: 33-48 we are taught: 1) not to swear; 2) to turn the other cheek and 3) to love our enemies.
In Matthew 6: 1-4; 19-21, about giving- 1) to be done secretly 2) an eternal investment.
Jesus taught a great deal about prayer- Matthew 6: 5-13; Luke 11: 1-13; John 14: 13-14; 16: 23-24; It was to be: 1) done in secret; 2) continuous; 3) unlimited in scope and power.
Jesus taught that we must forgive others before He will forgive us: Matthew 5: 23-24; 6: 14-15.
Jesus practiced fasting and taught it: Matthew 6: 16-16; Luke 4: 2 before the temptation.
Jesus cautioned against setting attentions on the necessities of life but taught that these (daily needs of food, clothing and shelter) will be provided by the Lord if we sought first the kingdom of God, Matthew  6: 25-34.
Jesus taught that it was necessary to confess Christ as Lord openly, Matthew 10: 32-33; John 9: 38.
Jesus instructed His converts to go home and witness to their relatives first, Mark 5: 19.
Jesus' teaching rang with assurance of salvation to the saved, John 3: 16, 18, 36; John 5: 24.
A great deal of the Upper Room discourses speak of the ministry of the indwelling Holy Spirit who guides, conducts, energizes and strengthens the believers, John 14: 16-26.
Jesus did not promise His believers and disciples an easy time but mentioned persecution freely and promised help and grace for every trial, John 16: 1-6; Luke 12: 11-12.


                 III - JESUS TEACHING ABOUT PHARISEES AND FALSE TEACHERS

Jesus was very loud in His denunciation of false teachers and hypocrites.
In Matthew 23: 13-36 He says, "woe unto you, scribes, pharisees and hypocrites" eight times, verses 13, 14, 15, 16, 23, 25, 27 and 28, calling them blind guides and fools.
In John 8: 44, Jesus told them that they were of their "father the devil" - strong language.
In Matthew 16: 6, Jesus warned His disciples to "beware of the leaven of the pharisees and of the sadducees" who taught false doctrine denying the resurrection, etc.
Jesus taught that these false church leaders did their utmost to make converts but these were "twofold more the child of hell" than they were: Matthew 23: 15.
Matthew 7: 15-20 is a warning from the Savior to beware of false prophets that are ravening wolves dressed in sheep's clothing.
Luke 20: 45-47 is a clear warning to the disciples to beware of the scribes.


              IV - JESUS' TEACHING ABOUT STEWARDSHIP

Jesus taught the right use of money and treasure in Luke 12: 16-34. The treasure was not for the rich man's personal gratification for he was a "fool," the true treasure (verses 33, 34) was that which was sent to the Lord ahead of time.
When the woman gave two small coins in Mark 12: 41-44, Jesus commended her very highly because she was not rich: she had given in spite of being very very poor.
In Matthew 25: 14-30, Jesus taught us to use our God given talents for His glory.
In Luke 19: 11-27, Jesus gave to His disciples the command to "occupy till I come," we are to use the money that He gave us for the Lord's glory and extension of the kingdom.
Christians are stewards of their money, time, talents, gifts and opportunities.


             V - JESUS' TEACHING ABOUT HEAVEN AND HELL


Our Lord spoke of hell and eternal punishment as least 70 times in the Gospels.
Matthew 25: 41 "Depart from Me , ye cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels."
It was Jesus who gave us the clearest picture of the torments in hell in Luke 16: 19-31, Mark 9: 42-48 in a solemn warning to avoid hell.
In the Upper Room discourses, Jesus left the reassuring word that He was going away for a little while to prepare the mansions and return to receive us, John 14: 1-3.
To the dying repentant thief Jesus said, Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise."
Jesus pictured heaven as a home with the Father God, Matthew 6: 9, Luke 11: 2.
Jesus came from heaven to die and bring many sons home to heaven, Hebrews 2: 10.


             VI - JESUS TEACHING ABOUT FRUIT BEARING

John 15: 1-17, the heart of the Upper Room discourse deals with the vine and the branches; with the desire that we should bear "fruit", "more fruit"; "much fruit."
In the parable of the barren fig tree in Luke 13: 6-9, the tree (Christians) that does not bear fruit was to be cut down, destroyed and cast into the fire.
In Matthew 7: 16-20 Jesus teaches that "by the fruits ye shall know them."
In the parable of the sower and the seed in Matthew 13: 1-23, Jesus expressed His desire that each Christian should bear fruit- some thirty fold, others sixty fold and others one hundred fold.
As Christians we should be purged in order that we will bear more fruit, John 15: 2.
The purging is a bitter experience of 'digging and dunging" Luke 13: 8, but essential.
Luke 6: 43-46, we as Christians are to bear the fruit of the Spirit and win souls for Him.


             VII - JESUS' TEACHING ON PROPHECY

The Olivet discourse in Matthew 24 to 25 deals mostly with prophetical subjects.
Matthew 24: 1-3 deals with the destruction of Jerusalem which took place in A.D. 70.
Matthew 24: 4-14 deals with the deteriorating career of this age in which we live.
Matthew 24: 15-26 deals with the Great Tribulation, the time of Jacob's trouble.
Matthew 24: 27-31 tells of the return of the Lord in glory. Further details are added in the parable of the fig tree, verses 32-51, and the ten virgins of Matthew 25: 1-13.
Matthew 25: 31-46 tells of the judgment of the nations, the separation of sheep and goats.
The seven mysteries of Matthew 13: 1-52 are different views of the kingdom of heaven.


                              CONCLUSION

I suppose the teaching of Christ could be summed up in one word- love.
He summarized the 600 commandments that the orthodox Jew lived under two commandments; 1) love the Lord and 2) love your fellowman, Matthew 22: 37-39.
Love has been the supreme mark of a Christian: John 13: 35, "By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if you have love one to another."
In John 15: 13 Jesus, referring to His substitutionary death on the cross, says that He was demonstrating the greatest love possible to an individual.
Jesus prayer of intercession in John 17 is a plea for unity. See verses 11, 21, 22, 23. Not necessarily organic union but unity in purpose in winning lost souls.
Jesus left the church, His body, on earth to witness in His absence, Matthew 28: 19; Mark 16: 15.
Jesus' doctrine tells us not only to love the lovely but to love everyone, even our enemies, for He already loves them: Matthew 5: 44; 1 John 4:19; Romans 5: 8.


            SOURCED FROM 100 BIBLE LESSONS BY ALBAN DOUGLAS