Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. | Matthew 5:1–12
Jesus came to be our Savior. But He came to be our Teacher, too.
Jesus did not teach in a school. He taught outside. Sometimes He sat on a hill, on the grass, and He taught the people who sat around Him. Sometimes He sat in a boat, on a lake, and the people stood on shore, listening. Sometimes he stood on the porch of the Temple and talked to the people who had come to worship God. And often, when He walked through the city streets or down a country road, people went with Him and He talked while He walked.
Jesus did not teach people how to read and write. He taught something much more important than that – the most important thing in all the world – to know God. He told the people about God’s love. He helped them to see the dreadful sin that is deep down in our hearts. He told them that He had come to die for our sins, so that we can be God’s children. He told them about the punishment that will come to all who do not listen to God. And He told about the new earth that God is going to make, without any sin in it at all.
The people love to listen to Jesus! They followed Him wherever He went. Sometimes thousands sat on a hill while He told them about the Kingdom of Heaven.
Little children liked to listen, too. Sometimes He took them upon His knees. He put His arms around them. He loved them.
Especially the poor and sick and lonely, and those who knew that they were very sinful, loved to hear Jesus. They thought nobody loved them; but they found out that Jesus loved them. Jesus told them that they must give their hearts to God and not sin any more. And when they saw how much Jesus loved them, they did not want to sin any more.
Would you like Jesus to be your Teacher? He will be your Teacher if you read His words in the Bible. He is your Teacher when you read your Bible storybook. He is your Teacher when you go to Sunday school and church, because the Sunday school teacher and the pastor bring you His words. And they are wonderful words.
Peter was one of Jesus’ disciples. He walked with Jesus every day, and listened to him. He knew there had never been such a wonderful teacher before.
Something to Talk About
- Where was Jesus’ school?
- What did he teach about?
- Why was He the most wonderful of all teachers?
Memory Verse
Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. | John 6:68