Page 146 - Discipleship Ministries Student E-Book

As Jesus would be walking along with huge crowds surrounding him, he would notice a poor blind man
yelling his name off in the distance. He noticed a woman touching his garments. Jesus paid attention to
people who sought him and needed him. He concentrated on people’s needs.
6. Jesus was a Teacher Who Challenged His Followers
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Matthew 14:22-33 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to
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the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a
mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a
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considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking
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on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29 “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw
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the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you
doubt?”
32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat
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worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Jesus told those he taught to “Get out of your boat!” He asked them to sell all they had and follow Him.
As a great teacher, he asked his audience to RESPOND to his lessons and take some sort of action.

7. Jesus was a Teacher Who Taught with Authority and Purpose
On several occasions, Jesus was approached and questioned about his authority as a leader. In Luke’s
Gospel, Jesus was asked about his authority.

Luke 20:1-8 20 One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the good
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news, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him. “Tell us by
what authority you are doing these things,” they said. “Who gave you this authority?”
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3 He replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me: John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human
origin?”
5 They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Why didn’t you
believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded
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that John was a prophet.”
7 So they answered, “We don’t know where it was from.”
8 Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

Matthew 7:28- 29 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his
teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

Jesus taught by the authority of God. His openly displayed his knowledge of Scripture and how to apply
it to the situations he found people in. A great teacher will be recognized as a teacher who, on behalf of
Jehovah mighty, speaks to his class.

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