Teachings of Jesus

I have decided to post my inductive study of Jesus' teachings that I am going through at church with the college class. This will be an ongoing series of posts as I study through the gospels. The main purpose of this series is to explain the sometimes enigmatic teachings of Jesus in a short, understandable way. Since the goal is to be accessible, I will not post my research or unnecessary historical information. I'm starting in Matthew and will continue through the four Gospels, skipping over repetition of pericopes.

The Temptation of Jesus

Matthew 4:3-10 And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." (4) But he answered, "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" (5) Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple (6) and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, "'He will command his angels concerning you,' and "'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'" (7) Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" (8) Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. (9) And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." (10) Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written, "'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'"

The first temptation was for Jesus to have a ministry of provision. A person would not break a 40-day fast with bread, so it would not make sense for the temptation to be an appeal to Jesus' hunger. It makes more sense that in his weakened state, Jesus could literally relate to the starving multitudes of the land. The temptation to turn the rocks into loaves of bread was for their sake, not Jesus'. He was being tempted to meet the physical needs of the people, however Jesus knows that their greatest need is not food, but God. A ministry of material provision would fail to meet people's greatest need.

Contemporary Expression
Jesus later commands his followers to meet physical needs and be generous with all people. There is no rational not to help the needy, however all giving must be done in the name of God with the purpose of bring those helped closer to God.

The second temptation is one of religious spectacle. The temple would be filled with people seeking to "encounter" God; they would be ripe for turning into followers if Jesus would simply "wow" them with a sign. Jesus knows that the type of follower who is guided by "signs" is fickle and would lack any real commitment.

Contemporary Expression
Real life is not filled with wonders and signs. Even in the Bible they are quite rare and rarely had lasting effects. Faith that is built around wondrous signs cannot be sustained during the long periods when signs are missing. It is far better to train oneself to see God working in the world in its "normal" course.

The third temptation is of religio-political dominance. In Luke's account, Satan asserts that he has all authority in Earth, in Matthew this is implied. In neither account does Jesus refute this claim. Although Jesus would be able to exercise complete authority over the earth (ie. laws, morals, etc.) he would have to make himself subordinate to Satan. Jesus sees this as unacceptable, for submission to God is what matters above else.

Contemporary Expression
Many Christians today believe that political and social domination of our country or the entire world is the ultimate goal of the Church. However this teaching rejects that idea. People's hearts do not turn to God when the law is changed to reflect religious morals. Passing "Christian" legislation or electing "God's" candidates to public office usually turns people off to God. Domination is a desire of Satan. God desires responsive love from the world, which historically has been hindered by political domination (ie. Constantine's empire, the feudal empires of Europe, missionary domination in Africa and Asia, etc.)

Jesus Defines His Ministry

Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

After being tempted to pigeon-hole his ministry by the three themes offered by Satan, Jesus reveals what his true ministry is to be, to usher in the Kingdom of God (God's will and reign), make it accessible to people, and urge them to repent. Repentance in the teaching of Jesus best means to deliberately turn away from the earthly kingdom and consciously turn to the kingdom of God. His teachings will illuminate how this plays out in the lives of people.

Contemporary Expression
Jesus' words "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," must be the center of our lives and ministry. Everything we do in our own lives and in any form of ministry must be centered on these words. This is our mantra.

Jesus Defines His Followers

Matthew 4:19 And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."

Jesus' first command to follow him contain the promise of mission. His followers will bring others to him.

Contemporary Expression
Our special relationship with God as followers of Jesus is anchored in our purpose, to gain more followers. Like ancient Israel, who was chosen to be an elect nation for the purpose of bring the world to God, we too find our identity as Christians in our purpose- to bring God to others.