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An Analysis of Jesus Christ’s

Personality, Methodology, and Teaching Style

A Paper Submitted To
Dr. Daniel Lioy
In Partial Fulfillment For
CHRISTOLOGY

By
Michael G. England

December 2002
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Outline

I. Purpose
II. Introduction
III. The Personality of Jesus
A. Christ’s Enthusiasm
B. Christ’s Originality
C. Christ’s Faith in His Students
D. Christ’s Sureness in His Conviction
E. Christ Well-Developed in the Extravert and Introverted Realms
F. The Wholeness of Christ’s Psyche
IV. Principles Underlying Christ’s Work
A. Took the Long Look in Selecting His Helpers
B. Stressed the Personal Touch
C. Began Where People Were
D. Dealt With Vital Problems
E. Worked on the Conscience
F. Drew Out the Best
G. Excited and Directed the Self-Activities of the Learner
V. Forms and Techniques Jesus Used as the Medium for His Message
A. Overstatement
B. Hyperbole
C. Pun
D. Simile
E. Metaphor
F. Proverb
G. Paradox
H. A Fortiori
I. The Use of Questions
J. Parable
K. Activity Methods
VI. Conclusion
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Purpose

By studying Jesus’ teaching styles, we can learn much about the right way to approach

people and try to impart to them the basic concepts of the Christian way of life. As a teacher

of pre-service teachers, it is vitally important for me to understand His methods so that I can

present His methods to our future teachers.

Introduction

At first glance it may not appear that the teaching ministry of Jesus was grounded in

any particular principle. Rather, it may seem to be a sort of spontaneous activity without any

definite underlying philosophy. On the surface Jesus seems to have no predetermined

methods of instruction and not stated plan of teaching. However, such is not the case. It was

far from being a haphazard process. But, like Socrates, He always looked for the right

teaching occasion. If Jesus looked for and used the right occasions for teaching, then an

analysis of those occasions needs to be undertaken.

Why was Jesus such a fascinating teacher? What caused large crowds to follow Him?

Hitchcock states it very eloquently:

He was not a maker of theologies, nor a formulator of doctrines. His mind was
so absorbed with the immediate needs of the men and women before and around
him that he poured out his messages to them in the most vital and simple
expressions of his mind. His thought was clear but nor organized into a system.
It was both universal and profound, but poured into the molds at hand in
common speech and familiar thought. 1

It seems clear that Jesus did not try to convince the reason, but rather move the heart of man

through the reason. His aim was always fixed upon the life rather than upon the intellect.

1
Hitchcock, A. The Psychology of Jesus, 167.
 3

An additional factor that I want to consider in this paper also enters the picture and

that involves the personality of Jesus. His personality gave life and vitality to His message.

People loved to listen to Jesus because of the kind of person He was. It was therefore not

only what He taught but also who He was that attracted people to hear Him.

The Personality of Jesus

Christ’s Enthusiasm

Christ’s enthusiasm was one of the elements of His power as a teacher. Marquis

believes that a man whose nature is not on fire with his mission would have never withstood

the seductive appeals of the tempter when Jesus was led into the wilderness.2

Christ’s enthusiasm was contagious. Men around Him caught His fire and spread the

flame of His zeal wherever they went. Throughout His ministry, those who came into contact

with Christ got a new vision and went out with a new zest for religion and new passion for

service.

Lastly, Christ’s enthusiasm was not affected by difficulties. Marquis sums it up well:

The test of a Christlike spirit is not the eagerness we show when people praise
us and things go our way; it is the fire we put into our work when it is hard and
discouraging. Anybody can be enthusiastic over a mounting cause, but only a
man of mettle keeps his enthusiasm at white heat when conditions are below
zero. The Master did this.3

2
Marquis, J., Learning to Teach From the Master Teacher, 62.
3
Ibid, 65
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Christ’s Originality

One of the most alluring qualities of Christ’s personality is that of originality. Carter

states:

He came at a time when thinking was rutted and platitudinous, when people
were convinced that what had been was good enough. They were bound to
tradition. There was the law and there was the custom; who would dare think of
an alteration by a jot or tittle? But into the midst of this decadence and
perversion came Jesus with the most amazing roster of ideas. Again and again,
when he had listened to feeble attempts at substantiating the wisdom and virtues
of the past, he would reply with what we might imagine to be a conceding, “Very
well,” and then the resounding and definitive assertion that we find him
reiterating so often, “But I say unto you,” followed by one of the most original
of declaration.4

Christ’s ideas were new and striking. We are told that when he uttered them, people

looked at him and wondered (I found the word amazed, in regards to His teachings,

mentioned thirty-one times in the gospels—NIV version). This attribute is a valuable asset

for any teacher—the power to make students wonder. Wondering leads to study and the

generation of further ideas, and in my opinion, is the essence of education.

Christ’s Faith in His Students

Christ had faith in the positive possibilities of every person and a firm conviction that

the worst in anyone can be transformed. As a teacher, I have many times thought of a student

as being hopeless and sometimes said to myself, “What’s the use?” Jesus never took that

attitude. Carter concurs:

Christ was accustomed to dealing with all sorts and conditions of men; but in
everyone he saw promise, because he believed that everyone, like himself, was a
creature of God. Never did he, whatever the circumstance, fail to bring to the
surface the best in an individual.5

4
Carter, R., The Eternal Teacher, 27.
5
Ibid, 30.
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We tend to find in people what we look for. One of the most unforgivable traits is

that of making a student feel useless and inadequate.

Christ’s Sureness in His Conviction

Christ was adamant in His conviction. He had that air about Him and was sure of

Himself. He was confident that He was right. He believed what He taught. He was not

seeking applause, or a selfish gain, but doing the thing he thought was of God. Marquis

believes that all great personalities have this quality of sureness; confidence in themselves

and their cause and that it can be cultivated.6

Christ Well-Developed in the Extravert and Introverted Realms

Christ appears to be equally developed in both the extraverted and introverted realms. We

see his extraverted development in a life that involved him with people. Jesus met people

constantly and confronted them both individually and in large crowds. In the Gospel of

Matthew alone we read of twenty-four separate encounters between Jesus and a large

multitude. Such a capacity for outgoing relationships, for functioning competently in the

world, is a characteristic of extraversion. Jesus’ introversion is equally well developed,

however. Often we read that he retires alone in order to pray (e.g., Luke 5:16). He initiates

his ministry by spending forty days of solitude in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1-2; Mark 1:12-13;

Luke 4:1-2), something that no extravert would think of doing. At crucial moments in his life

he retires into solitude again in order to reorient himself and discover his inner direction, as,

for instance, in the Garden of Gethsemane, prior to his arrest and crucifixion (Matt. 26:36-

46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:40-46). It would be impossible from the evidence of the

6
Marquis, Learning to Teach From the Master Teacher, 72.
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Gospels to say that Jesus was an extravert or an introvert; the only conclusion we can draw

from the scriptural evidence is that he was both.

The Wholeness of Christ’s Psyche

The psychologist Jung describes wholeness as four functions of the psyche. The ego orients

itself to life by means of four basic psychological functions. Two of these functions, thinking

and feeling, have to do with arriving at conclusions. Two others, sensation and intuition,

have to do with perception, or the gathering of information. These four functions are of such

a nature that the development of any one of them is ordinarily possible only at the expense of

its opposite.

The sensation function is the so-called reality function; it brings us information about

the facts of our world. In Jesus we can see a well-developed sensation side in his acute

awareness of the facts of the world in which he lived. In his teaching and parables he uses

everyday examples such as a grain of mustard seed, or the sower sowing, or the woman

searching for a lost coin. He is no otherworldly visionary, but a man rooted in the reality of

this world. He is also familiar with the power structure of his society. He knows the worldly

facts of life, who has the power and how the power structure works. No one would ever have

thought of saying to him that he was unrealistic or impractical. All this is the mark of a man

with a well-developed sensation function.

His intuitive function is equally well-developed, however. This is clear from his

immediate contact with the inner world, his use of images, and his sensing of the realities not

visible to the senses but known to the inner vision. His intuition also gives him a keen

insight into human souls (Matt. 22:18; John 6:15; Luke 9:47; Mark 2:8; Luke 20:23). So

John can write of Jesus’ understanding of people: but Jesus knew them all and did not trust
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himself to them; he never needed evidence about any man; he could tell what a man had in

him. (John 2:24-25)

The thinking function of Jesus is seen in his intellectual bouts with the Pharisees, and

in his astuteness. When confronted with a situation that called for quick logical analysis, for

objective and keen thought, Jesus met the challenge with ease, a sign that he was well-

developed as a thinking person. At the age of twelve, we read, he sat among the learned

doctors in the Temple (Luke 2:41-50). At the close of his life we find him engaged in battles

of wits with the Pharisees, who seek to trap him into all kinds of difficulties only to be

outwitted by a man capable of keen abstract conceptualization. (see Matt. 22:15-22; Luke

20:20-26; Mark 12:13-17; or Matt. 22:23-33; Mark 12:18-27; Luke 20:27-40; or Matt.

22:41-46; Mark 12:35-37; Luke 20:41-44).

The feeling function produces accurate realizations of values; it is the evaluative

function par excellence. If thinking tells what a thing is, feeling tells us its value. From a

realization of values come many compassionate, or indignant, responses to people and to life

situations. Examples of Jesus’ feeling function abound in the Gospels. Twelve times, I found

that Jesus was "moved with compassion" for people in various kinds of distress. In this he

shows the great value that he places on individual life. Also, in his encounters with the

Pharisees he repeatedly places the humanness of a situation above the Law, stressing the

highest value. A statement such as "Set your hearts on his kingdom first, and on his

righteousness, and all these things will be given you as well" (Matt. 6:33) is an illustration of

the strongly evaluative feeling function of Jesus at work. Even his cleansing of the Temple

(John 2:13-22; Matt. 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:45-46) illustrates his strong sense of

value, as does his occasional righteous anger.

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The picture we get, therefore, is of a man well developed in all four functions. It is

not possible to isolate any one of the functions of Jesus as an inferior one, for examples can

be drawn showing good development in each. It is as though in the personality of Jesus we

are seeing a whole person.

Principles Underlying Christ’s Work

Took the Long Look in Selecting His Helpers

Jesus knew that the kingdom of God would come not by whirlwind campaigns and

highly fashioned occasions, but by the steady process of teaching and training, “precept upon

precept—line by line.” This long look gave Jesus steadfastness. “When he was blocked in

one direction, he patiently and serenely turned in another. When he was blocked in all

directions and nothing was left to him but to die, he did it as sweetly and confidently as he

fed the multitudes by the sea.”7

Jesus also took the long look at the task of developing character, knowing that it

requires time shape ideals, form attitudes, and develop habits.

Stressed the Personal Touch

For the most part, Jesus’ time was spent with individuals or small groups. He did deal

with crowds and sympathized with them by speaking to them, feeding them, and healing

them. His main service was not rendered in mass meeting activities. “The Master was

evidently more concerned that a few people should thoroughly understand Him and be filled

with His Spirit than that grate multitudes should follow Him in a superficial manner.”8

7
Benson, C. H., History of Christian Education, 30.
8
McKoy, C. F., The Art of Jesus as a Teacher, 146.
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With only a little more than three years in which to do His work, He spent much of

His time in dealing with individuals. “He worked by preference and most successfully with

individuals because of the very nature of crowds. In fact, he did not trust crowds, nor himself

to them, as he trusted individuals.”9

The teacher today should be a personal counselor, guiding their students in the

solution of their problems.

Began Where People Were

Jesus did not give prepared addresses on formal occasions. Whether in the home, the

synagogue, the mountain or by the sea, He taught naturally and informally, starting with the

pupil’s interest and needs. “He began, not with formulated beliefs, subject matter, tradition,

or even with the Bible . . . but with living persons where they were in their experience of

life.10

Jesus sought to take people as they were and to lead them where he wanted them to

go. “He did not take a passage from the law or the prophets, unravel its general principles,

and then look about to discover if there were some place where those principles might be

having an immediate application. Rather did he address himself to the human situation

before him.11

This method of Jesus beginning where people were is stressed in today’s brain-based

education movement. The idea is that the student learns new truths through old ones, or goes

from the known to the unknown. The truth to be taught must be learned through truth

already known.

9
Horne, H. H., Jesus the Master Teacher, 142.
10
Bower, W. C., Christ and Christian Education, 20.
11
Day, G., Christ and Human Personality, 249.
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Dealt With Vital Problems

Jesus dealt with vital problems—matters that pertained specifically to moral and

religious living. I know of no example where He stressed memorization of Scripture, or

matters of theological discussion as did the scribes in their teaching in the synagogues.

In discussing vital issues, Jesus did not spend time denouncing the issues of the day

or used a negative approach. “Jesus positively thought of religion as a quality of life diffused

throughout . . . the person’s interests and activities . . . never a specialized interest apart from

the rest of life . . . He spoke only in terms of . . . divine-human relationships.12

Worked on the Conscience

The scribes and Pharisees, who were the professional religious teachers of the day,

sought to develop character largely through minute regulations. “He [Christ] came to a

people for whom religion involved the acceptance of an elaborate code of rules, of fixed

times and modes of worship.”13 These rules covered minutely almost every phase of life and

burdened the people down. So Jesus made His appeal to the conscience that is one’s sense of

moral obligation or sensitivity to right and wrong. He worked on the conscience more than

the intellect. He made truth both clear and compelling. People went away from His teaching

feeling that something should be done about it. Horne says: “Jesus without a social system

has been more influential in reshaping society than those with a social system because he

gives a social conscience which transforms society.”14

This is a principle that we need to stress more and more if we are to make our

teaching effective and permanent.

12
Bower, W. C., Christ and Christian Education, 22-23.
13
Raven, C. E., Christ and Modern Education, 107.
14
Horne, H. H., The Philosophy of Christian Education, 98.

Drew Out the Best

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Jesus was able to draw out the best that was in people. Whether it was a self-

righteous Pharisee, a deceitful tax collector, or a fallen woman, he appealed to the finer

nature and elicited the good. He did it by stressing their future possibilities, showing an

interest in them, and inspiring them to achieve the good. “He believed that the way to get

faith out of men is to show that you have faith in them; and from that great principle of

executive management he never wavered.”15

When He showed what faith the size of a mustard seed could accomplish, when He

told the adulterous woman that He did not condemn her and to sin no more, and when He

said to His disciples that they were the salt of the earth, he was implanting hope and

confidence that would draw out the best.

15
Barton, B., The Man Nobody Knows, 25.
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Excited and Directed the Self-Activities of the Learner

The student should not merely sit still while the teacher instills. The student’s mind

must be active. The following diagram may shed light on Jesus’ technique.

Jesus thoroughly recognized and acted upon this principle of active learning. “Rather

than give ready-made solutions . . . Jesus threw people back on their own resources.”16 He

was stressing this principle when He said: “If any man’s will is to do his will, he shall know”

(John 7:17). The parable of the talents shows that the one who uses his powers develops

them, and the one who does not, loses them. In the parable of the soils he teaches that it is

the response to the seed that counts.

16
Bower, W. C., Christ and Christian Education, 24.
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Forms and Techniques Jesus Used as the Medium for His Message

Overstatement

One means by which Jesus sought to capture the attention of His listeners was by

overstating a truth in such a way that the resulting exaggeration forcefully brought home the

point He was attempting to make. Some examples are:

(1) Luke 14:26, Jesus says, “If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and

mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot

be my disciple.” The point He is making is that even natural affection for our loved ones

dare not interfere or take precedence over loyalty to Him.

(2) Matt. 5:29-30, “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away . . . “

What Jesus was seeking to convey to his listeners by this use of overstatement was “the need

to remove from their lives anything that might cause them to sin. There is no sin in life

worth perishing over. Jesus is saying in effect, ‘Tear out anything in your life that is causing

you to sin, and keeping you from God.’”17 The words Jesus spoke were not intended to be

an end in themselves but rather were intended to serve as a vehicle to convey His message.

Hyperbole

This is closely related to the overstatement technique. It can only be distinguished by

the degree of exaggeration involved. In hyperbole, the gross exaggeration makes a literal

fulfillment impossible. Some examples are:

(1) Matt. 23:23-24, “ . . . straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel.”

17
Ladd, G.E., A Theology of the New Testament, 457-478.
 14

(2) Matt. 7:3-5, “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice
the log that is in your own eye . . . take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” This is
impossible to imagine, for who possesses an eye large enough to contain a “log”?
(3) Mark 10:24-25, “. . . it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a
rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Pun

A pun is a play on words in which either homonyms suggest two or more different

meanings or the same word may have two different meanings. The previous example alluded

to as a hyperbole in Matt. 23:23-24, where it states, “. . . you blind guides, straining out a

gnat and swallowing a camel.” Stein comments on this:

Jesus’ use of the term “camel” is due to the fact that in Aramaic “camel” and “gnat” both

look alike and sound alike. In Aramaic the word for gnat is galma and the word for camel is

gamla. Jesus in his example made pun. What he said was, “You blind guides, you strain out

a galma but turn around and swallow a galma!”18

Another example would be Matt. 16:18, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this

rock I will build my church . . .” The play on words in this saying is evident also in Greek,

where the terms petros and petra are used respectively for “Peter” and “rock,”19

Simile

A simile is a comparison between two things that are essentially unlike each other and

that are introduced by a connective such as “like,” “as,” or “than” or by a verb such as

18
Stein, R., The Method and Message of Jesus’ Teachings, 13.
19
Ibid, 13.
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“seems.” When a simile is expanded into a picture, the result is a similitude. When it is

expanded into a story, the result is a story parable.20 Some examples of simile are:

(1) Matt. 10:16, “Behold I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be wise as
serpents and innocent as doves.”
(2) Matt. 12:40, “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so
will the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
(3) Luke 17:6, “If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamore
tree, ‘Be rooted up, and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”
(4) Luke 13:34, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent
to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood
under her wings, and you would not!”

Metaphor

A metaphor, like a simile, is a comparison between two unlike things. In contrast to a

simile, where an explicit comparison is made (“The eye is like a lamp for the body”), the

metaphor makes an implicit comparison (“The eye is the lamp of the body”). The following

are examples of metaphors Jesus used:

(1) Matt. 8:15, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”
(2) Matt. 5:13, “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its
saltness be restored?
(3) Matt. 5:14-16, “You are the light of the world . . . ”
(4) Matt. 9:37-38, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord
of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
(5) Matt. 23:33, “You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced
to hell?”

20
Hunter, A., Interpreting the Parables, 9.
 16

As in a simile, there is here a comparison of unlike things, but the omission of the

connectives “as,” “like,” “than,” etc., makes the comparison even more forceful.

Proverb

Stein defines a proverb as “a terse pithy saying that contains in a striking manner a

memorable statement. At times such a statement gives advice on moral behavior and

becomes an ethical maxim.”21 The following may be considered proverbs:

(1) Matt. 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
(2) Mat. 6:34, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious
for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.”
(3) Matt. 26:52, “ . . . all who take the sword will perish by the sword.”
(4) Mark 3:24, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.”
(5) Mark 6:4, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his
own kin, and in his own house.”
(6) Luke 9:62, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom
of God.”
Paradox

These are statements that appear to be contradictory. “The apparent contradiction

must be understood in the light of the beliefs and values present in Jesus’ day, among his

contemporaries, for in another context with different values and beliefs his statements might

not appear contradictory.”22 Here are some examples:

(1) Mark 12:41-44, “ . . . truly I say unto you, this poor widow had put in more than all those
who are contributing to the treasury . . . ”

21
Stein, R., The Method and Message of Jesus’ Teachings, 17.
22
Ibid, 19.
 17

(2) Matt. 23:27-28, “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like white-
washed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within they are full of dead men’s
bones and all uncleanness . . . ”
Despite the apparent contradiction, the gift of a penny was greater in God’s sight that

the much larger sums contributed by the rich, and the beautiful appearance of dress and

outward piety of the Pharisees and scribes, who were the religious leaders of Israel, was at

variance with their inner corruption and spiritual poverty.

A Fortiori

Arguing from lesser to greater seems to have been a common way for Jesus to

challenge thinking. “An a fortiori statement is not so much a figure of speech as a type of

argument in which the conclusion follows with even greater logical necessity than the already

accepted fact or conclusion previously given.”23 Here are some examples:

(1) Matt. 7:9-11, “Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?
Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give
good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good
things to those who ask him.”
(2) Matt. 10:25 (cf. John 15:20), “It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the
servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much
more will they malign those of his household.” In other words, if Jesus’ authority and
influence were not enough to protect him from persecution, how much more will His
followers who have less authority and influence be persecuted.
(3) Matthew 6:28-30, "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field
grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was
dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here
today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little
faith?”
23
Ibid, 20.
 18

In summary, Jesus frequently argued by analogy, more specifically by what is

technically called a fortiori argument. An a fortiori argument takes the following general

form: The truth of A is admitted. The support for B is stronger than the support for A.

Therefore, the truth of B must be admitted.24

The Use of Questions

Jesus' use of questions is one of the most significant factors in establishing Jesus'

reputation as a master teacher. There are over one hundred questions Jesus asked and space

does not permit me to list them. Jesus used questions in a variety of ways and in a variety of

situations. One way in which He used questions was by drawing out from His audience the

correct answer He sought. Another way was the use of a counterquestion which could be

considered a method or argumentation. A third type of question was the rhetorical. Jesus

always expected from His audience a verbal or at least a mental response to His

counerquestion. Generally Jesus made use of the counterquestion as a response to a hostile

attitude or question from His audience (see Mark 3:1-4; Mark 11:27-33).

In summary, Jesus used the question as an effective teaching method. Contact

questions, rhetorical questions, questions answered by another question, examination

questions, and even the questions asked by His pupils: “In them all He was the Master

Teacher, stimulating thought, guiding learning, and challenging His pupils to accept the new

teaching because they saw its rightness for themselves.”25

24
http://www.antithesis.com/features/reasoner_04.html, Internet. Accesed 19 December 2002.
25
Wilson, C., Jesus the Master Teacher, 129-130.
 19

Parables

A final method is probably the most common that readers of the gospel are familiar,

and that is parables or figurative actions. Again, space does not permit me to go into detail of

the numerous parables Jesus espoused. Boucher 26 noted, since the late nineteenth century,

that the parables in the Gospels fall into three groups. These are usually given the names (1)

similitude, (2) parable, and (3) exemplary story (sometimes called illustration). Let me

briefly describe each of these three.

(1) Similitiude— The similitude is the most concise type of parable. It briefly narrates a

typical or recurrent event from real life. It tells a story which everyone would recognize as a

familiar experience. Since it has to do with the recurrent or typical, the similitude is usually

told in the present tense, although the past tense is occasionally used. The similitude gains its

persuasiveness by recounting what is widely recognized as true. No one, on hearing a

similitude, is likely to deny that this is the way life is. Such is how anyone would rejoice on

finding a lost coin (Lk 15:8-10); this is how seed always grows to full harvest (Mk 4:26-29).

Many of the similitudes in Luke's Gospel begin, "Which of you?" (e.g. Lk 11:5; 14:28, 31),

"Or what woman?" (Lk 15:8), "Or what king?" (Lk 14:31). Those in the Gospels of Mark

and Matthew often begin by stating the comparison: "The kingdom of God is as if" (e.g. Mk

4:26, 30-31; Mt 13:33). Some twelve similitudes appear in the Synoptic Gospels. Two

examples of this type of parable are the following similitudes of the Lost Coin and the

Growing Seed.

26
Boucher, M. The Parables, 26-38.
 20

(2) Parable— The parable is often (though not always) longer and more detailed than the

similitude. The parable tells a story, not about something recurrent in real life, but about a

one-time event which is fictitious. While the parables are fictitious, however, they never

indulge in the fanciful or fantastic, but remain true-to-life. They derive their persuasiveness

from being told in a simple, vivid and fresh way which engages the hearer. Though the

Gospels do not use these words, the parables are "once upon a time" stories. They are

usually narrated in the past tense. Typical beginnings are these: "There was a rich man" (Lk

16:1); "A certain creditor had two debtors" (Lk 7:41); "A sower went out to sow" (Mk 4:3;

Mt 13:3; Lk 8:5). In Matthew's Gospel, however, we again find the beginning which

explicitly states the comparison: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to" (see Mt

13:24; 18:23; 20:1; 22:2). Approximately sixteen of the parables in the Synoptic Gospels

belong to the type called parable.

(3) Exemplary Story— The exemplary story, like the similitude and parable, presents an

implied comparison between an event (real or imagined) drawn from life and a reality of the

moral or religious order. The distinction lies in this: the similitude and parable present an

analogy between two very different things (e.g. the reign of God is compared to seed, a

sinner to a lost coin). The exemplary story presents, not an analogy, but an example, one

specific case which illustrates a general principle (e.g. the good Samaritan illustrates love of

neighbor in Lk 10:29-37; the tax collector stands for the humble and repentant sinner in Lk

18:9-14; the rich man exemplifies those with materialistic concerns in Lk 16:19-31). In the

similitude and parable the two things compared are dissimilar, whereas in the exemplary

story they are similar. The exemplary stories resemble the parables (rather than the

similitudes) in these respects, that they are fictitious and somewhat developed stories told in
 21

the past tense. We find only four exemplary stories in the Synoptics, all in the Gospel of

Luke: the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:29-37); the Rich Fool (Lk 12:16-21); the Rich Man and

Lazarus (Lk 16:19-31); and the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Lk 18:9-14). Perhaps the

most beautiful and best known of the exemplary stories is the Good Samaritan.

Activity Methods

In Jesus’ use of activity methods (and of “group dynamics”) we find an ideal balance

between what might be called the old system and the new. The teachings of Jesus were

according to a definite pattern. His students came to Him, and in the natural surroundings of

the mountain, the seaside, and even the home, He gave His lessons, He led them step by step

Jesus’ use of visual aids was astonishing “modern”, even the surroundings of the

moment at times becoming a form of visual demonstration. His miracles were unique visual

aids to moral teaching. “Jesus Himself was the constant ‘Visual Aid’ to His pupils. In Him

they saw personified the ‘abundant life’ which He proclaimed. His use of questions and

various forms of activity methods further proved Jesus Himself to be the Master Teacher of

His time, and ‘His time’ extends to the present day.27

Some modern concepts such as “programmed instruction” and “team teaching” can

also be seen in the Gospel records of His teaching. It is seriously affirmed that Jesus should

be recognized as the Master Teacher of the ages.

27
Wilson, C., Jesus the Master Teacher, 155.
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Conclusion

We must keep in mind that Jesus was born, raised, and lived in a culture quite

different from the scientific culture of our day. In an age that is concerned with technology

we must be careful not to demand the same kind of interest and concern on the part of Jesus.

Jesus’ words were not meant to be photographic portraits or laboratory descriptions for a

scientific culture but rather impressionistic stories and sayings that sought a storytelling

culture to describe the arrival of the kingdom of God.

Jesus’ primary effort was not just to fill men’s minds with new thoughts about God,

but to transform their hopes and lives by bringing them into a new relationship with God.

“He thought of men not as receptacles for His truth, but as responders to His way of life. His

purpose was not to impose knowledge, but to enlist discipleship; not to impress with

learning, but to invite trust and devotion; not just to educate, but to emancipate and to help

men, through faith in Him, to find the ‘power of become the sons of God (John 1:12),’ so

that, enjoying true fellowship with God, they might reflect more of His truth and His love.”28

At the same time He manifested greatest compassion for the multitude and identified

Himself with those He sought to help. “He was nearer to the popular tradition than to the

tradition of the schools, nearer to those who lived by heart than to those whose pride of life

was in their mental culture. Yet He was not a teacher with any conscious principles of

pedagogy, committed to a system laid down in a treatise.”29

28
Cranford, C., Taught by the Master, 21.
29
Hitchcock, A. The Psychology of Jesus, 190.
 23

Since teaching methodology can only be adequately understood in the light of its

cultural and educational thinking, the question must be raised, “can the teaching methods of

Jesus Christ provide any insights for the current religious educator?” I would respond with a

“yes”. While the exact methods of Jesus may be used by the current religious educator, some

guiding principles can be developed. I will list ten guiding principles that can also be applied

in today’s educational setting.

(1) Jesus selected His methods based on the ability of the student. This was seen in the

teaching of Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman.

(2) Jesus selected His methods based on the attitude of the student. The methods used with

the religious leaders differed from those He used with His disciples.

(3) Jesus selected His methods based on the size of the class. Compare the Sermon on the

Mount with discourse with the centurion.

(4) Jesus selected His methods based on the location of His teaching. The teaching at the

Pool of Bethesda was handled differently from the teaching in Phoenicia.

(5) Jesus selected His methods based on the content He was trying to communicate. The

methods He used in His discourses at the start of His ministry differed from those in

discourses at the end of it (parables came later).

(6) Jesus selected His methods based on the purposes of His teaching. Compare the methods

of the feeding of the 5000 and the lesson at the sea.

(7) Jesus used a variety of methods in His teaching, however His variety was purposeful.

(8) Jesus never let the method overshadow the purpose or the content of the lesson. Methods

to Him were a means to an end, not an end.

 24

(9) Jesus based His methods in the practical mundane lives of His students. The discourse

by the sea and the discourse about riches demonstrate this concept.

(10) Jesus used the methods of His day to their fullest potential. It could be said of Him,

“He taught with authority.” (Matt. 7:29)

Herman Horne not only summarizes this paper, but also challenges the current

religious educator when he wrote:

In a way not surprising but confirmatory of our previous impressions, Jesus

embodies those qualities of the Teacher [sic] commonly set up as ideal . . . we have
doubtless repeatedly gotten the impression that the problem of teaching which we
ourselves face are similar to those of Jesus, and the solutions he found may aid us.
Jesus is the Master Teacher. Have we made him ours? 30

People hung on His words and were amazed and astonished by His teaching. He

taught at their level, speaking of nature, farming, fishing, and other common, everyday things

to help people understand and apply His teaching to their life. He appealed to people’s

humanity, needs, emotions, intellect, conscience, and spirit. One of the most outstanding

things about Jesus’ teaching was the authority with which He taught - a result of being

anointed and filled with the Holy Spirit of God. He never made a mistake. He was never

hesitant, uncertain, confused or frustrated. He was the Master of every situation. He never

had to apologize or correct Himself. He never exaggerated, lied, or spoke fables or

imaginary things. He was full of confidence and wisdom. He used every opportunity to

teach the truth and did not waste a moment. Jesus is, in fact, the embodiment of truth.

30
Horne, H. H., Jesus the Master Teacher, 206.
 25

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