HIs Manner Of Teaching

A second area in which Jesus reflected God's wisdom was his manner of teaching. On one occasion, some soldiers who had been sent to arrest him returned empty-handed, saying: "Never has another man spoken like this." (John 7:45, 46) This was no exaggeration. Of all the humans who have ever lived, Jesus who was "from the realms above," had the greatest reservoir of knowledge and experience from which to draw. (John 8:23) He truly taught as no other human could teach. Consider just two of the methods of this wise Teacher.

Effective use of illustrations. "Jesus spoke to the crowds by illustrations," we are told. "Indeed, without an illustration he would not speak to them." (Matthew 13:34) We cannot help but marvel at his matchless ability to teach profound truths through everyday things. Farmers planting seeds, women preparing to bake bread, children playing in the marketplace, fishermen hauling in nets, shepherds searching for lost sheep-these were things his listeners had seen many times. When important truths are tied in with familiar things, such truths are etched quickly and deeply on the mind and heart. -Matthew 11:16-19; 13:3-8, 33, 47-50; 18:12-14.

Jesus often use parables, short stories from which moral or spiritual truths are drawn. Since stories are easier to grasp and remember than abstract ideas, the parables helped to preserve Jesus' teaching. In many parables, Jesus described his Father with vivid word pictures that could not easily be forgotten. For example, who cannot comprehend the point of the parable of the prodigal son-that when one has gone astray shows genuine repentance, Jehovah will feel pity and tenderly accept that one back? -Luke 15:11-32.

Skillful use of questions. Jesus used questions to get his listeners to arrive at their own conclusions, examine their motives, or make decisions. (Matthew 12:24-30; 17:24-27; 22:41-46) When the religious leaders questioned whether he had God-given authority, Jesus replied: "Was the baptism by John from heaven or from men? Stunned by the question, they reasoned among themselves: "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say to us, 'why then, did you not believe him?' If, though, we say, 'from men,' we have the crowd to fear, for they all hold John as a prophet." Finally, they answered: "We do not know." (Mark 11:27-33); Matthew 21:23-27) With a simple question, Jesus left them speechless and revealed the treachery in their hearts.

Next time: The conclusion of His Manner Of Teaching

Draw Close To Jehovah, 2002