Jesus was a teacher. 2000 years ago they didn’t have schools like we have, or even universities or churches. It was all very different. I love learning how to do new things by watching Youtube videos and by listening to podcasts. That’s how I learnt how to make this podcast!
In Jesus’ day, there was no Youtube or podcasts. There were no TVs or radios or even electricity or microphones. People would stand up on street corners and speak what they wanted to teach in a really loud voice, and if you were walking past and thought that what they were saying was interesting then you’d stop and listen.
I have hung out with some indigenous christians and they do something similar. The Christians will meet together in a park with chairs and microphones and will speak really loudly about Jesus. They hope that some of the people in the nearby homes might hear the gospel and come out and ask if they can become Christians.
Anyway, Jesus had been doing lots of miracles and so everyone was talking about Jesus. He was big news! So not only did sick people want to come and be healed, but other people wanted to come and see sick people being healed. Even though there was no tv or newspapers, the news spread quickly and soon crowds began following Jesus wherever he went. Not just people from the town he was in, but people from the nearby towns as well!
He thought going out of town, into the desert and lonely places would be better - more space and only those who were really keen would come out to hear him. There were no microphones back then either so I am not sure how the thousands and thousands of people could hear him, but they must have!
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21
If I lived back then when Jesus was alive and wanted to teach these things people would probably have laughed at me. They definitely wouldn’t have believed me. They might have even taken me to jail because I was saying things that weren’t the same as what God had taught Moses. That would be saying that their hero Moses was wrong. But because Jesus was teaching these different teachings - the man who did all the miracles - the people listened. Many found themselves understanding, agreeing and wanting to follow Jesus.
Not all of them though. Some of the people listening realised that Jesus was changing the laws Moses had given them and they didn’t like that. They didn’t recognise Jesus as being the Messiah even though all the clues from the prophets were there. Those people did not like that Jesus was popular and they plotted to get rid of Jesus. Jesus knew what was happening and had to be very careful with what he did and what he said.
Sometimes these people would ask Jesus a question, hoping to trick him into saying something that might mean they could take him to jail, but Jesus was not tricked. He spoke very carefully and often asked them questions in return, stumping them at their own game.
Jesus taught so many things and the disciples (plus others!) wrote it down even though writing was really hard back then, because they thought this stuff was important. Since then the letters and writings had been written and rewritten so they wouldn’t perish, and later they were translated into our own language so we can read it. To have these books about Jesus - the gospels - to have access to any time we like is such an amazing blessing.
Discussion Questions:
Do you like learning new things? Why/why not? Talk together about how you like learning - do you like watching YouTube like I do, or reading books or do you like people explaining things to you?
Mum/Dad, what is one thing you have learned from Jesus’ teaching that really struck you as being really memorable and why?
