Essay Example on Jesus Mission: Teach, Criticize & Sacrifice for Humankind

Introduction

The mission of Jesus on earth was to die for the sake of the salvation of humankind. Before his death, he went about teaching people and revealing to them about the kingdom of God. In his teachings, Jesus criticized the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the Scribes for their hypocrisy. The mode of teaching greatly contrasted that of the Scribes as he taught with authority. One of the main criticism Jesus faced was that he came to abolish the Law of Moses contained in the Old Testament. However, Jesus came to uphold and complete the law. Jesus used parables to teach multitudes of the kingdom of God to call them to a righteous life of discipleship of loving each other and God.

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Difference between the Teaching of Jesus and the Scribes

The teachings of Jesus were significantly different from those of the Scribes. The Scribes were teachers of the law whom Jesus confirmed that they sat on the seat of Moses (New International Version, Mathew 23.2). This description meant that Scribes were believed to have taken up the responsibility of teaching the Jews the law. The teachings of the Scribes were thus mainly based on the Law of Moses, which they knew by heart. The Scribes also based their teachings on the laws of other Rabbis who preceded them. As a result, Scribes taught using the authority of Moses and were so particular on the laws as opposed to following God. A good example of their teaching was that of keeping the Sabbath holy as stipulated in the Ten Commandments. The Scribes thus taught that people had to observe the law at all circumstances regardless of the situation or the consequences, a depiction of deontological ethics. However, Jesus' teachings were not based on laws but on doing what was good and righteous.

During one Sabbath, Jesus healed a woman possessed by an evil spirit in a synagogue. However, the Scribe of the church condemned the crowd urging them to seek healing on other days besides the Sabbath (New International Version, Luke 13.14). This healing showed the difference in their teachings. For the Scribes, they taught to follow the law blindly. However, Jesus taught people to do the will of God by helping their neighbors.

Additionally, the teachings of the Scribes focused on physical life as opposed to living a righteous life. One of the key teachings of the Scribes was to wash hands before eating. This teaching was considered essential, failure to which it would bring calamity to the offender (Cragun 81). On the contrary, the teachings of Jesus focused on the spiritual lives of people. At one time, the Scribes questioned Jesus when his disciples failed to wash hands before eating. Jesus was adamant, quoting Isaiah, who prophesied that people would honor God with their lips with their hearts astray, and following teachings that were merely human rules (New International Version, Mathew 15.8-9). Jesus later also criticized the Scribes for washing the outside of the cup and disregarding the outside. The teachings of Jesus and the Scribes were different from Scribes focusing on human rules while Jesus taught how to do the will of God.

Another main difference between the Scribes and Jesus was that he taught with authority. The Scribes, on the other hand, did not teach on their authority but that of Moses. When Jesus was starting his ministry in Capernaum, it is recorded that people were astonished as he taught with authority, unlike the Scribes (New International Version, Mark 1.22). In his teachings, Jesus would begin by saying, 'I say to you.' This showed the authority he had as the son of God. However, the Scribes referred their teachings to the law and Moses.

Favorite Teaching Techniques of Jesus

One of the most favorite teaching techniques of Jesus was parables. Jesus mainly used parables that would take the form of stories that had hidden meanings. Jesus used parables to conceal his message to those who had hardened their hearts. Some parables were easy to decipher, while others were a challenge even to the disciples. For instance, the parable of the sower was so difficult that Jesus had to explain it to his disciples in private. The parables had different messages and applications. For instance, when Jesus was teaching about the kingdom of God, he used the parables of the mustard seed and the hidden treasure. Jesus also taught the importance of prayer using the parable of the friend at midnight and the unjust judge. The parables were a captivating way of preaching that made the teachings interesting and called upon listeners to think further.

Jesus also used questions frequently to teach his disciples and the crowds that followed him. Questions were a way of engaging the audience before he gave them answers. At one time, when Jesus wanted to reveal his identity to his disciples, he asked them whom people thought he was (New International Version, Mathew 16.13-20). Peter provided the answer claiming that Jesus was the Messiah and the son of God (New International Version, Mathew 16.16). Jesus used questions to get the view of his audience before correcting them. For instance, before Jesus narrated the parable of the good Samaritan, he asked the crowd who a neighbor was. Besides asking questions, Jesus allowed people, especially Pharisees and Sadducees, to ask him anything. On numerous occasions, the Pharisees set out to trap Jesus with questions, but he used them as learning moments. For example, when the Pharisees asked Jesus whether it was rightful to pay taxes to Ceasar, they wanted to find fault on him. However, Jesus used the moment to teach the masses to give to Ceasar what belonged to Caesar and God what has his (New International Version, Mathew 22:21). Besides the Pharisees, Jesus also allowed others to question him, such as the rich man who wanted to know what to do to inherit the kingdom of God.

Jesus also loved to use exaggerated statements in his preaching to show the importance of putting God first. When teaching about sin, Jesus instructed his followers to pluck out their right eye if it made them sin (New International Version, Mathew 5.29). This is an overstatement to showed the importance of eliminating anything that prevented a person from achieving the kingdom of God.

In his preaching, Jesus loved to make comparisons, especially when using parables. Comparisons elaborated by the use of metaphors and similes allowed Jesus to relate, for instance, the kingdom of God with earthly things (England 15). These comparisons made it easier for people to understand the teachings of Jesus. For instance, Jesus likened the kingdom of God to a hidden treasure and a mustard seed which grows to become a big tree (New International Version, Mathew 13.31-44). As a result, the teachings of Jesus were simplified and more relatable for the audience.

Jesus also performed miracles not only to help those who came to him but to teach his followers. When he healed on the Sabbath, he wanted to teach the followers that man was made for Sabbath and not Sabbath for a man (New International Version, Mark 2.27). This healings thus showed that while the Sabbath was important and should be kept holy, it was made so that people could serve God by helping each other out. Also, Jesus used miracles to teach the importance of faith. A good example is the Centurion who asked Jesus to heal his servant without going to his residence. Jesus used the opportunity to portray the essence of faith.

Sermons and lecturers were also favorite techniques used by Jesus. The Beatitudes is a classic case of a sermon that Jesus gave to teach people of the qualities that God desired (New International Version, Mathew 5.1-12).

The Central Message of Jesus

The central message of Jesus was the kingdom of God (Sendriks 1). All the teachings of Jesus were to enlighten people about the kingdom of God and what they had to do to inherit it. Jesus used the parables of the sower, the fishnet, the weeds, hidden treasures, and weeds to teach about the kingdom of God. These parables show how repetitive Jesus was when teaching about the kingdom of God. A closer look at the other parables also shows that the main theme was the kingdom of God. For example, the parables of the lost coin and the prodigal son both show aspects of something or someone who is lost, but upon repentance gets to inherit the kingdom of God.

Even his death and resurrection were for the salvation of humankind so that humanity could inherit the kingdom of God. Jesus showed the importance of the kingdom of God when he urged people to seek the kingdom, and all other things would be given to them (New International Version, Mathew 6.33) This verse showed that the kingdom of God and its pursuit were the most important thing in the life of human beings as opposed to seeking wealth and prosperity on earth. As a result, despite the presence of multiple themes in the teaching of Jesus, the kingdom of God was the main message.

The Kingdom of God

Jesus used the phrase 'kingdom of God' multiple times in the gospel. The kingdom of God is portrayed both as present and future. When John the Baptist and Jesus were preaching, they urged people to repent and pray for the kingdom of God was near or at hand. Also, in the Lord's Prayer, Jesus taught people to pray 'your kingdom come' (New International Version, Mathew 6.10). These Bible verses point to the kingdom of God as a time in the future when God will rule over heaven on earth. It depicts a time when God will be on his seat as king and reign over every creation.

Jesus also portrayed the kingdom of God as present. Jesus told people that the kingdom of God was in their midst (New International Version, Luke 17:21). Jesus further elaborated that the kingdom of God would not be something that would be seen coming. This description means that the kingdom of God, which seeks to save all humanity, is present but not fully in the lives of people. In the parable of the mustard seed, Jesus said the kingdom of God was like a small seed that was planted that would grow to have many branches where everyone would find shelter. This, therefore, shows that the kingdom of God is already present but not in its fullness as it is still growing.

Importance of the Old Testament

The Old Testament was crucial to Jesus. Although the Pharisees and Scribes criticized Jesus for breaking the law contained in the Old Testament, he was only affirming it. Jesus confirmed this when he said that he did not come to abolish but fulfill the law and the prophets (New International Version, Mathew 5.17). One of the reasons as to why the Old Testament was crucial to Jesus was that it contained prophecies, which he was to fulfill. Many of the prophets in the Old Testament prophesied the coming of Christ. It was, therefore, crucial that Jesus fulfilled the prophesies. Prophet Isaiah prophesied of the birth of Jesus by a virgin (New International Version, Isaiah 7:14). This prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus was born by Mary, a virgin. Isaiah also prophesied the death of Christ alongside robbers (New International Version, Isaiah 53.12). These and many others were fulfilled by Jesus, showing the importance of the Old Testament.

Jesus also showed the importance of the Old Testament during his transfiguration. The Old Testament contained two main aspects, the law, and prophets. During the transfiguration of Jesus, Moses and Elijah appeared representing the law and the prophets, respectively. This appearance was a testament to the essence of the Old Testament to Jesus.

Jesus further proved the significance of the Old Testament by quoting verses from it. During his temptation, when asked to change stone to bread, Jesus referred to the Old Testament, which instructed that human beings should not live on bread alone (New International Version, Mathew 4:4). Jesus also affirmed the teachings of the Old Testament when he was asked what people should do to...