Christ—The Story, 3of5

~ Our Divine Teacher ~

“I love to tell the story—it will be my theme in glory!”

The World’s Most Important Story told from Scripture in five parts:  1) God’s Greatest Gift,  2) The Spotless Lamb of God,  3) Our Divine Teacher,  4) Our Loving Savior, and  5) The Lord of Glory. 

“For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).

“There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.  This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him’” (John 3:1-2). 

“But Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life’” (John 6:68). 

“For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren.  Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you’” (Acts 3:22).

“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds” (Hebrews 1:1-2).

“Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people” (Matthew 4:23).

“Seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.  Then He opened His mouth and taught them’ (Matthew 5:1-2).

“‘Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.  But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell.  And great was its fall.’  And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matthew 7:24-29).

“And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority” (Luke 4:32).

“Then He said to them, ‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!  Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?’  And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:25-27). 

“He answered and said to them, ‘Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.  And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”  For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.’  He said to them, ‘All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.  For Moses said, “Honor your father and your mother;” and, “He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.”  But you say, “If a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban’”—(that is, a gift to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.  And many such things you do.’  When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, ‘Hear Me, everyone, and understand:  There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!’  When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.  So He said to them, ‘Are you thus without understanding also?  Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?’  And He said, ‘What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within and defile a man’” (Mark 7:6-23). 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

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