Jesus was the Master Craftsman as a Teacher. He utilized a wide range of teaching techniques to help facilitate lasting impressions of the things He wanted His disciples to learn. Jesus' methods of teaching were highly interactive and designed to get His disciples to think for themselves so that they could not only know the truth, but also know WHY the things that they were being taught were true.

Jesus taught in simple language to His disciples and to the multitudes, but at the same time, the things that He said and taught could be very profound; He spoke plainly yet seemed complex at times. The things that He spoke and taught were appreciated by the common people, yet at times were exasperating to the religious teachers and leaders of His day. Jesus frequently expressed His messages encapsulated in a rich variety of literary forms. Most of all, He knew how to present His material in such a way that required His students to think and to see certain things vividly played out in their mind's eye. He was a master at the use of figurative language and evoking wonderful imagery. He used this technique often when teaching to get a specific principle across. 

Jesus was an expert in the use of many kinds of literary expression such as analogies, metaphors,  poetry, comparison, contrasts, hyperbole, euphemism, repetition, parables, etc., etc. For instance, Jesus often used hyperbole in His statements to emphasize a concept or principle. At times He would use outrageous examples, exaggerations, or shocking statements to grab the people's attention.  These statements were not meant at all to be taken literally and people knew that, but they definitely made them stop and think about what He had to say.  The things that He exaggerated were meant to help get certain points across. For example, Jesus did not really mean that His followers must rip out their eyes or amputate their hands if those things caused them to sin (Please see Matthew 5:29-30). He was trying to emphasize how important it is to get rid of anything in our lives that tempts us to sin. He also did not mean that the people who harshly judge others literally had logs in their eyes (Matthew 7:3-5). He was trying to make a point by painting a ridiculous picture in His hearers' minds about how ludicrous it is to point out others' sins when the ones doing the pointing are even more guilty of sin than the ones they are accusing.

From studying the Gospel accounts we can clearly see that Jesus also possessed an unsurpassed oratorical teaching ability. This skill was displayed by His articulate poetic short sayings and by His eloquent discourses such as was given in the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) is a superb example of His oratory/teaching skills. He was able to hold His audience captive with teachings like they had never heard before, delivered with a style that still amazes scholars and commentators to this day.  In His sermon Jesus made brilliant use of metaphors, rhetorical questions, analogies from nature, synonymous and antithetic parallel construction, repetition, and satire. Those who heard His message that day were astonished at how well He could speak and teach.

Matthew 7:28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: 29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

As future priests training and practicing to be teachers in the Kingdom, we can learn much by reading and studying the teaching style of Jesus and by incorporating and practicing the techniques that He used in our own teaching methods.

The Gospels have much in the way of instructing us on the subject of teaching by giving us many examples of how Jesus taught that we can emulate. The things that we learn from studying and observing how He taught will help us become even more effective teachers that will be better able to instruct others about God and about the things of God. Following are some of the techniques that we can emulate from Jesus' example.

We know that as a Master Teacher Jesus fully understood the subject matter that He would be teaching. Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be filled with the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. These two elements form the bedrock of all of His other teachings and doctrines. These were the subjects that His disciples would need to thoroughly understated and incorporate into their own character as well and enable them to be godly teachers. In due time all peoples and nations will turn to God and will be taught the fear of the Lord which will enable them to begin to comprehend the deep spiritual things of God.

Isaiah 11:2 And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; 3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:

Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

Jesus, at the age of 12, stayed behind to inquire of the religious teachers and they were amazed that such a young boy at His age had so much wisdom and understanding. He showed that He could understand the deep things of God by the kinds of questions that He asked and by His answers to the questions that were directed back to Him. Jesus demonstrated to them that He knew what He was talking and asking about and they were astonished at His wisdom.

Luke 2:46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. 47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers...Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

Jesus is an excellent example for us, that we must first teach ourselves on any particular subject matter that we want to teach others. Those who are called to teach on spiritual matters must thoroughly know Scripture and understand all of its doctrines and teachings in order to teach those things to others.  It is imperative that the one doing the teaching studies his subject first and is thoroughly informed and gets educated himself before he begins to teach the material.  The best teacher, among other things, is the one who fully understands his subject matter before he attempts to teach his students.

The Bible tells us that Paul instructed Timothy to study God's Word so that he would be fully equipped and competent to teach others the Word of God and not be ashamed. If Timothy would apply himself to studying and learning thoroughly the Scriptures, he would be skilled to teach the precepts and laws of God and in rightly dividing the Word of Truth. Just as Timothy, we too, must diligently study and come to know the Bible and whatever subject that we want to teach thoroughly and well before we can teach it to others.

2nd Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing [accurately handling] the word of truth.

Which leads us to the next point.

As teachers of the Bible it is of utmost importance that we never compromise with the truth. We should never stray from the truth when teaching others even if we know some may be offended by our speaking and teaching the truth.

The English definition of truth is  "sincerity in action, character, and utterance".  The Scriptures give an even more accurate definition of "truth": God's Word is TRUTH.

Psalm 119:160 Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one [the sum total] of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.

John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

As true Christians, we believe that every word in the Bible is true; this is the foundation upon which we live our lives and that should be the premise of everything that we teach.

Jesus taught the truth no matter what and even when He knew that some in His audience would not like what He was teaching. He was truthful in the things that He taught, but no matter how biblically accurate He was in His teaching, some found Him very off-putting. Jesus did say hard things at times and many were not ready yet to accept the truth. But no matter, Jesus was never concerned with what the people thought or about political correctness, or if His teachings offended the religious leaders; and neither should a teacher of God's Word ever be concerned about pleasing men rather than teaching the pure spiritual milk of the Word. (1st Peter 2:2) Anything other than God's truth will not bring anything of lasting value to the student. It is only the truth (and God's laws) that sets one free and only the truth will enable our students to attain to salvation and lead them to eternal life.

Psalm 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

Matthew 22:16 And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.

Jesus taught boldly about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and that the disciples should not follow after their false teachings nor try to emulate them. He didn't care that the Pharisees heard Him teach against them.

Matthew 21:45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.

The apostle Paul refused to swerve from teaching the truth in order to find approval from men.

Galatians 1:10 Am I now trying to win the favor and approval of men, or of God? Or am I seeking to please someone? If I were still trying to be popular with men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.

A teacher may be the best teacher in the world, brilliantly using every teaching technique imaginable to the hilt; but if he compromises with the truth in any way in order to get a following, or to appease the crowd, or to make money, all of his brilliant teaching techniques are in vain! 

One of the most prominent technique that Jesus used as a method of teaching was His storytelling. As we covered last week, Jesus used parables to teach powerful lessons. His parables were purposeful, illustrative stories which were meant to help His disciples understand difficult things and to see more clearly godly spiritual principles at work. Jesus was a master at telling stories to illustrate a moral or a spiritual principle. He had the ability to hold people's attention by entertaining them with a story, and yet at the same time the story was teaching profound spiritual truths woven within it.

Anyone familiar with the Bible knows that Jesus told a multitude of parables. He was an expert at pulling spiritual truths from everyday life events. For example, the parables of the lost coin and the lost sheep illustrate God's concern for His children even when they stray, that He seeks after those that are lost and the endings describe the joy He has when they repent. Not only did these stories make His teachings more meaningful, they made it easier for His students to learn and retain the essence of the spiritual truths portrayed in them. Simple everyday event stories are easy to remember and makes it easier for the students to retell them when they, too, want to explain the lesson or principle to others.

To illustrate just how powerful this method of teaching is, think about the parable of the Prodigal Son. Jesus could have just taught in one sentence the principle of the Father's love and mercy for His children. 

He could have said, in so many words, "God forgives a child that has strayed but will welcome him back with open arms if that child returns to Him in heartfelt repentance and will shower him with forgiveness and acceptance".

Instead, Jesus tells the story of a young man who demanded that his father give to him his inheritance early, departs and squanders all the inheritance money on riotous living. When he found himself working in a pig farm in a miserable and desperate condition, he came to himself, became convicted of his sin, repented of his sinful behavior, and traveled back to his home and to his father to beg for mercy. To his amazement his father had been looking and waiting for him every day to come back home to him and when he saw his son, he ran to meet him with loving arms and even celebrated with his whole household the fact that his son had returned home.

What method pictures this quality of the Father's forgiveness the most? A good teacher will captivate the attention of her students if she can use parables as effectively as Jesus did. As teachers, we can be creative and can draw many stories from our own and others' experiences or even from our imagination. A good teacher will make good use of parables by taking advantage of everyday life events and scenarios to teach profound spiritual truths.

Each of Jesus parables has a logical flow which makes them easy for His hearers to follow the story line. The parables were recorded and were written for our learning as well.  They are interesting and intriguing and easy enough to remember so that they are easy to pass on to others. Teachers who learn this art of story telling will greatly enhance their students' ability to retain certain principles by associating them to the parables that clearly illustrate those principles.

As teachers, we too, can make use of stories, metaphors and illustrations to make our lessons come to life. We can tell stories that illustrate the spiritual truths of God or even use media tools like video clips, songs, or pictures as additional illustrations that add to what we are trying to teach. The saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" is very true and an illustrative photo or artwork can be used sometimes to augment our teaching efforts. By taking advantage of parables and illustrations we are using teaching techniques that Jesus used on many occasions to teach the truths of God.

Jesus' teaching wasn't always planned. Sometimes He brought home a lesson that came about spontaneously. An event took place, or someone did something or said something, and Jesus would use it as a platform to teach a lesson. Some of a teacher's best teaching will not happen in the classroom and according to a plan, but will occur when least expecting it. A thoughtful and creative teacher will see instantly a lesson hidden within the event or action related to something that he can teach others. A teachable moment might happen while having a meal, while riding with others in a car, watching a movie, walking the dog, or while working on a project with our students. As teachers, we must keep our eyes open for such moments and take full advantage of them.

It was characteristic of Jesus to make use of any occasion or happening as it arose. It seems that He could take any event and use it to teach a spiritual truth. This was another technique that He used to teach, He would take advantage of the situation and turn it into a teachable moment even if it was a somewhat negative or sad occasion. The Gospels are full of such occasions and teachable moments. When the woman, which was a sinner, came into the house to anoint Jesus' feet with her tears and her hair in the house of Simon the Pharisee, Simon thought within himself how terrible it was for Jesus to permit her to even touch Him. Jesus could tell what Simon was thinking and used the occasion to teach Simon some lessons on forgiveness.

Luke 7:39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.

Jesus then proceeded to combine this spontaneous teachable moment with a parable to teach Simon, and the others who were sitting at the table with them, about forgiveness and how those who are forgiven the most tend to love more. (Please see Luke 7:36-49)

We think of when a Canaanite woman suddenly came running up to Jesus begging Him to heal her daughter. This was an excellent opportunity to teach His disciples and others standing near by about the importance of faith and to point out an exemplary example of faith as expressed by this poor lowly Canaanite woman.

Matthew 15:21 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. 28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

And another teachable moment was when His disciples were hungry and picked some wheat kernels off the wheat plants to munch on. The Pharisees saw and they instantly accused them of working on the Sabbath and breaking the Sabbath. Jesus used the occasion to teach the disciples by pointing to the poor examples displayed by the Pharisees. These religious leaders were not showing any mercy, also, they were condemning those whom God did not condemn for simply grabbing a few pieces of grain to satisfy their hunger. Further, Jesus used this situation to teach the Pharisees of the proper way of observing the Sabbath and how it really was made for man and not the other way around for the Pharisees had made up many strict demanding rules and regulations that God had never intended for the Sabbath.

Matthew 12:7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. (Please see Matthew 12:1-8 )

Teachable moments might be as simple and ordinary as making bread with our child. As we work and then watch the bread rise we can teach her about spiritual leaven and how it makes sin grow even if we have just a little sin. We may think a little sin is not that important and compare it to the making of bread and how it only takes a tiny bit of yeast to make it puff up. If we happen to be playing a board game or participating in a sports activity and we see someone cheating or not playing fair, we can use it to stress to our child or our student the importance of playing fair and never cheating, working as a team, etc. 

Whatever we may be doing, we will have many opportunities to use whatever is happening as a teachable item to use as an object lesson to teach spiritual values to whomever we are with.

Deuteronomy 6:6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

Just as Jesus did, teachers can take advantage of teachable moments when certain things take place to teach vital lessons to their students. Even in the classroom situations can arise that may provide perfect opportunities to speak of certain truths and lessons. Rather than bemoan it as an inconvenience or as a disruption of regular teaching time, good teachers can think of ways to apply that situation as a means to teach a lesson. Also we can deliberately look for teachable moments, no matter how small or insignificant, become aware of them and take advantage of them as wonderful examples to teach appropriate precepts and principles associated with them.

Does God ever laugh? We are told in Psalm 2 that at times He does laugh and in Luke 10 and Psalm 16 these verses indicate that He is filled with rejoicing and joy.

Psalm 2:4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

Luke 10:21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced [was filled with intense joy] in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.

Psalm 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

The Gospels reveal that Jesus was a man with a deep sense of joy and even playfulness at times. We see this quality that He had as we read about some of His interactions with His disciples and with others that came into His life, including little children. We see humor integrated as well in many of His metaphors, similes and parables.

Jesus knew how to use humor to "grab" His listeners. His stories were often funny and somewhat provocative.  To catch the attention of those He wanted to impart a lesson to, He would sometimes use a a funny story, a clever parable or some satire. 

Jesus is often depicted in certain religious circles as someone who was somber and sad and the so-called paintings of a false Jesus distort people's view of what Jesus was like. But by studying the life of Jesus in the Gospels, this portrayal is not correct at all. It is true that there were times when Jesus sorrowed and was sad, but at other times He showed that He could be funny, playful, and lighthearted. Think of the wedding that He attended in Cana; the accusations by those observing Him that He was a gluttonous man and a winebibber just because He had enjoyment in food, wine, and feasting at times. (Matthew 11:19, John 2:1-10)

The picture of Jesus that we find in the Gospels is one of a well-rounded, joyful man with a magnetic personality. He was a gentle man who obviously enjoyed children and carried them in His arms. The children were not intimidated by Him which means that they must have sensed His joy. He probably laughed with them and had playful moments with them whenever He could. On one occasion, Jesus told His disciples not to go around in mourning as long as they had the Bridegroom in their presence. (Matthew 9:15)

The very fact that humans have a sense of humor indicates that God does too, for we are made in His image. When we look out at all of His creation we can see that God definitely has a sense of humor. Jesus is the expressed image of His Father, so we can sense that they both very much have a sense of humor. As the Son of Man when Jesus was here on earth, He must have shared many hours of fun and laughter with His disciples. As humans, we cannot imagine life without humor and laughter and appreciate it when our teachers share in humor as well. It just naturally warms the heart and makes for a relaxing atmosphere in which students love to be in and makes the learning fun, as well as interesting. If the teacher can use humor at times, it helps the students to be able relate to her as a person, the kind that can laugh at herself and also laugh with her students over the many humorous things that life throws at all of us.

Jesus had a serious mission to accomplish while He was here in the flesh, but He was not one to be somber all the time. Jesus empathized with human beings completely and felt all of the emotions that humans have. Laughter is part of life, and Jesus truly lived life; He had the whole gamut of emotions that humans experience.

As a teaching method, did Jesus ever use comical sayings, hyperbole, irony, wit or make "tongue in cheek" statements to make lessons fun and engaging? Perhaps like the verse that talks about the blind leading the blind and how the religious leaders of His day would be so intense about straining out a gnat out of their drink, but at the same time think nothing of  swallowing a camel? This is just one of many ways that Jesus expressed humor and He at times used humor to make a point and to teach a lesson.

It was said of Jesus that the people who heard Him were amazed because He taught as one who had authority, unlike the other teachers that taught them. "And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes".  (Matthew 7:28-29)

Jesus backed up His teachings with God's Word quoting often from the

Matthew 5:21-21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 2 But I say unto you... (See also Matthew 5:22, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44).

Why do we mention authority as a teaching technique? We are not to teach on our own authority, but by the authority of Jesus and all of His Word. By teaching God's Word and using it to back up what we teach, we use the authority that comes from Christ alone.

2nd Timothy 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.

2nd Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Jesus made frequent use of the Scriptures and quoted the writers of the Old Testament often. He thoroughly knew the Scriptures and so did His students. It was the Scriptures that gave witness to Jesus as the Christ. Everything that a godly teacher teaches must be validated by what God has to say in His Word. If we are diligently teaching the Word to our students they will grow in their knowledge of God as well as their faith, for faith comes by hearing and then by understanding what they have heard.

Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Jesus often used familiar Scriptures to explain the more difficult Scriptures and He let Scripture interpret Scripture. When teaching about a particular subject we must put together all the Scriptures on that subject to get the correct interpretation and meaning of what the Bible truly teaches on that subject.

The Bible tells us that we are not to add or to subtract from God's Word, which means we must not interject our own interpretations or outside beliefs on any given subject. Godly teachers must be adept at making good use of all of the Scriptures from all sections of the Bible. Scripture should provide more than the general theme of what we are trying to teach. The Bible contains truth and everything we need for living with the central theme and the thread that runs throughout Scriptures being about Jesus Christ.  The Bible is about the fact that Christ is the Messiah and that He is the Way to all Truth and makes it possible for those that are willing and cooperative to attain salvation and eternal life. Jesus demonstrated that in all of His teaching, and a good teacher must do so as well.

Jesus Christ is our authority and that is what a good teacher of God's Word must consistently base all of his or her teaching on at all times.

Good teachers ask good questions that help their students think about what they are being taught. It is a method of teaching that motivates students to think for themselves. Jesus was brilliant when it came to using questions as a teaching technique. For example, here are two questions that Jesus asked as He seized the moment to get the people to think about some very profound principles over rather mundane issues that had come up with His dealings with them.

Matthew 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Matthew 22:20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? 21 They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.

Rather than just give people the answers right up front or telling them the straight facts, Jesus would often first ask a question to get His audience or students to stop and contemplate upon the possible answers to His question. In this way He would engage His students to look at the issue at hand from several different angles; to think about all of the possible answers that might apply and then really think about the one that would make the most sense and the one that fits in with God's truth and all aspects of His commandments.  

Many times the questions that Jesus posed were meant to get His listeners to see the spiritual intent of God's law in conjunction with the letter of God's law. Most of the people in the land of Israel already knew and understood the letter of the commandments but had not really considered the spiritual ramifications of them. Jesus' questions were meant to motivate them to think about the spiritual principles that He was teaching and how to apply them as well as the letter of the law. (See Matthew 5-7 again)  They then could come to rightful conclusions based on putting all the facts together as they thought about them, putting all the pieces to the puzzle in place to get the full picture.

This reminds me of how math and algebra are taught. The fastest way to learn math is to be given problems to work out based on the principles of math. The student has to really think and apply the principles that he has learned to come up with the correct answer to the problem. He discovers that the answer is always the logical conclusion based on certain laws and principles of math.

While a student in one particular math class when I was in grade school, the teacher assigned homework from the chapter that we were studying. Each chapter included new or more complicated math rules, adding to the previous rules learned in the previous chapter, with a sample of math problems at the end of the chapter that would incorporate the new rules. 

Our teacher would assign some of those problems for us to do as our homework during the week. In those years the answers to the problems would be at the back of the text book. The teacher would tell us to look at the answers only after completing the problems to check our work to see if we got the answers right. 

Some of the kids did not want to take the time to do the homework so they would just look up the answers and write them down on their homework papers because they were too lazy to do the assignments; or they wanted to get outside to play rather than to do their homework. But the teacher was smart enough to know what some of the kids were doing. She told us, "alright, you may be getting A's on your homework assignments because you just wrote in the correct answers without figuring the problems out. But when it comes to the Final Test, you will not have access to the answers at the back of the book. If you learned how to solve out the problems through the week by using the principles I taught you and practicing them on your homework assignments, then you will do well on your tests. But if you did not LEARN HOW TO SOLVE OUT THE PROBLEMS on your own, you will not be able to figure out the correct answers and you will fail the test."

Jesus used many different kinds of questions as an effective teaching method. He made use of contact questions, rhetorical questions, questions answered by another question, examination questions, and even the questions asked by His pupils were put to use to teach.

Through questions Jesus stimulated thought, guided the learning, and challenged His students to come to up with answers that reflected the truth of God. This technique helped them to see their need to follow up by doing what they could, now, see as the truth of the matter. Look at how brilliantly Jesus wove the command to "go and sin no more" to the woman "who had been caught in adultery"; first by asking her a question, and then her own answer helped her to reflect even more profoundly about what she had just experienced: that because of God's forgiveness and mercy she had  been spared of being stoned and that God had given her a second chance at life, but now to live it according to God's ways!

John 8:10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

Asking questions can be a powerful teaching method and in this way can stimulate critical thinking. Good questions make the study material more interesting and our audience will most likely WANT to know the answers. A thought provoking question will usually stir up the students' or audiences' curiosity and most people will just naturally want to know the answer and will give the teacher full attention until they find out.

The four Gospels show that Jesus asked many different questions during the three and one half years of teaching His disciples, and working with the crowds and even the questions He had for the religious leaders of His day. The questions were always related to the lesson, and brilliantly appropriate for the particular person that He was dealing with. Both the question and the answer were consistently built into the very fabric of the lesson that He happen to be teaching. Jesus always took the time to patiently answer every one that came to Him with questions and then directed them to the "way that they should go" and how to understand the spiritual implications to what they wanted to know. Sometimes He would answer a question with a question to make the person think about what he was asking.

Sometimes Jesus would ask a question to introduce one of His stories to teach those who erred in their thinking and in this way He could direct the lesson that He wanted to drive home with a parable that answered the question. In Luke 15 Jesus addressed the Pharisees and scribes who were murmuring about the fact that He welcomed sinners and even ate with them. Jesus asked them a pointed question to introduce the parable of the lost sheep and showing them how He had come to save that which was lost, including lost sinners.

Luke 15:1 Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. 3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying, 4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

Jesus would ask a question to sometimes to arouse interest, and once interest is aroused it is the teacher's task to guide the thinking processes of his listeners to bring them to the right conclusion. 

These examples help us to see how, we too, as teachers can use all kinds of questions to get conversation started, to introduce a subject, or to even rebuke someone who is not behaving properly or thinking right. A good question in the course of the conversation can direct the line of thinking to where we need for it to go in order to teach our lesson. Jesus provides us with many examples in regard to this teaching method throughout the four Gospels.

Another type of question that Jesus often asked were rhetorical in nature such as the many asked in the Sermon on the Mount. He did not expect His students to answer these questions, rather Jesus used rhetorical questions throughout His sermon to prove key points that He wanted to get across to them and to get people to think.

Matthew 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted?

Matthew 5:46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

As teachers we can use rhetorical questions as a highly effective means in engaging an audience just as Jesus used them to engage His audience in the Sermon on the Mount. While questions are normally used for gaining information, Jesus uses rhetorical questions throughout the Scriptures to emphasize and to prove key points. The typical structure involves laying down a foundational point and following up with one or more rhetorical questions for emphasis or clarification. The rhetorical questions were especially important in bringing the teachings from an abstract level to a practical level. It should also be noted that sometimes Jesus answered a question with a rhetorical question. 

Other rhetorical questions that Jesus asked can be found in many other Scriptures as well that He used in teaching His disciples and also the multitudes. (Matthew 10:29, Matthew 11:7-9, Matthew 12:26-27, Mark.3:23)

Another kind of question that Jesus employed was a type of examination question to test a person to see how he would answer. An example of this was when Jesus asked Philip where they could buy bread for the huge crowd that had gathered on the mountain side to hear Jesus.  The Bible says that Jesus ask Philip a question and did this to test or prove Philip to see what he would answer and in this way show Jesus his level of understanding. Also, by asking the question and then miraculously providing plenty of food for the people through a miracle, Phillip would have this test of faith impressed forever upon his memory. 

John 6:5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? 6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.

Sometimes Jesus used this type of examination question to bring thinking to a logical conclusion and to determine if the previous lessons had been understood. An examples is: "Who do you say that I am?" And another example can be seen on the shores of Galilee after the resurrection. "Simon son of John, do you truly love Me more than these?"

Just as teachers use questions on exams and tests to determine how much their students have gained a good understanding of the subject matter, Jesus too, asked questions just to see how much His disciples had truly grasp as far as understanding the lessons given so far. In this way teachers can know if there is a need to go over the subject even more to further help the students to more fully understand it; or if they answer the questions showing that they do fully understand what has been taught, then the teacher can know that it is time to move on to other lessons.

Jesus not only asked questions directed to His disciples and others that He had contact with but He also encouraged people to ask questions. He wanted them to ask and in this way it gave Him opportunities then to address their questions, to expound upon them further and thereby teach valuable lessons.

Students show that they are interested in the subject matter by asking lots of questions. Students learn even more when they have questions and they get answers to their questions. As long as the questions are relevant and genuine, students should never be discouraged from asking questions. When a teacher takes time to address a student's question, this lets that student know that his teacher is approachable and interested in him as an individual. And questions from their students give the teacher opportunity to expand on their lesson more than they otherwise would have done if the question had not been asked.  

After Jesus had finished His teaching on the correct way to go to an offending brother and forgiving him if he repents, Peter came to Him and asked about how often he should forgive a sinning brother.

Matthew 18:21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

After hearing Jesus teach on the subject of forgiveness Peter had a question about how much a person was to forgive, i.e. how many times. Jesus used his question as an introduction to the parable about the debtor that was forgiven for a huge debt by his master but then refused to forgive a servant that owed him a small debt. The lesson on forgiveness that was started in Matthew 18 was expounded upon even further by the question that Peter asked. It was the prompt that motivated Jesus to expand even further on His lesson regarding forgiveness adding to it a demonstrative parable that made His lesson even more detailed and enlightening than if Peter had not asked Jesus to expand upon what he had meant by forgiving a brother and how many times.

Matthew 18:22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. (See the parable of the debtors in Matthew 18:23-35)

Matthew 24:33 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

They also asked Jesus about what His parables meant and Jesus welcomed all of their questions. He knew that questions showed that His disciples were interested in His lessons, and He encouraged them to ask. He never put down anyone for asking a "silly" question that was asked in all sincerity. He, like any good teacher, realizes that a good question that is asked can be the starting point for further instruction. A good teacher takes the time for careful explanation with interactive questions and answers and discussion until the subject is fully understood by the students.

A good teacher wants his students to have open minds and that they wonder about and meditate upon the things that they are being taught. Godly teachers do not just give facts and information but they are constantly inviting their students to look at the world through biblical eyes; to interpret information using logic and common sense and to think through problems using godly principles and precepts. The best teachers, like Jesus did, help their students to learn how to think on their own, rather than telling them what to think. And questions, asked by both the teacher and the student, are a marvelous method of engaging the mind into further exploration to come to right conclusions and how those conclusions can be instilled into his student's heart and therefore applied to his life.

2nd Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

2nd Corinthians 4:66 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Paul basically told the brethren in 1st Thessalonians to prove all teachings in their minds before they come to conclusions on them. That is the purpose of a truly godly and wise teacher; to show his or her students not just what to think, but to encourage them to use their minds to think for themselves.

1st Thessalonians 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

Luke the writer of Acts commended the Bereans for using their minds to think through and to prove all the things that they were learning from their teacher the apostle Paul.

Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Effective teachers understand that learning is about exploring the unknown and that such exploration begins with questions. Not the kind of questions that are simply asking the students to repeat back memorized information. And not the kind of questions that are to be answered from a choice of multitude answers (a.,b.,c.,);  but questions that inspire serious thought and lively discussion and that open a door to deeper understanding, such questions as, "How does that work?" and "What does that mean?" and "Why?" and most importantly "Why is that true?" A good teacher coaches his or her students to THINK in a godly fashion and to rightly understand and discern truth; that is how godly leaders are molded and fashioned and NOT just trained to become blind followers like so many today.

In regard to teaching, so far we have barely scratched the surface on all the qualities and techniques of a good teacher. This week we touched upon a few. Next week we will continue as there is so much more that we can learn as far as emulating the ways in which Jesus taught and incorporating them into the ways that we can teach others. 

We will need to learn all we can now so that we will be competent, skilled teachers when we are drafted into the ranks of priests and teachers that will be teaching the multitudes in the Kingdom of God.

Constance