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clear, fresh, with power to slake the soul’s thirst.” (The Interpreter’s Bible, New Testament Articles,
Matthew and Mark, page 335)

3. Jesus Was a Teacher Who Taught with Compassion
Legalism and living by the letter of the Jewish law were powerfully present during the ministry of Jesus.
Compassion took the second place to the law. However, this was not the strategy of Jesus. His ministry
was one of compassion.

Mark 3:1-6 Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was
there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he
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would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of
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everyone.” Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life
or to kill?” But they remained silent. He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their
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stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was
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completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might
kill Jesus.

Jesus did not separate his compassion from his ministry or his teaching.

Mark 6:34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were
like sheep without a shepherd. So, he began teaching them many things.
4. Jesus Was a Teacher Who Could Teach Scholars
The parables of Jesus are strong examples of how Jesus could teach to the young, simple, and
uneducated. His ability to teach was recognized by the highly educated teachers of the first century.
Luke 5:17 One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They
had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was
with Jesus to heal the sick.
5. Jesus was a Teacher Who Taught by Placing People First
Luke 13: 10-17 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there
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who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at
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all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your
infirmity.” Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.
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14 Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There
are six days for work. So, come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.” The Lord answered
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him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead
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it out to give it water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept
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bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?” When he said
this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he
was doing.
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
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
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