7 Must Read Life Lessons From Jesus

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There are many words used to describe Jesus – Lord, Savior, King, Redeemer. One word that some people forget is Teacher. What some don’t know is that of the 90 times Jesus was addressed directly in the gospels, 60 of those times He was called Jesus. This is a big indicator that His role as a teacher to the disciples and to us is important. John 13:13 says, “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.” As a teacher, Jesus taught many lessons. What’s so incredible about Jesus is the fact that His teachings are profound yet simple enough for a child to understand. They cause us to reflect on our faith, but are also relevant to our everyday lives. One of the biggest lessons Jesus taught is that the Kingdom of God has begun on earth with His ministry. We can learn so much from His great teachings. Here are seven must read life lessons from Jesus.

A Lesson on Miracles

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There are many miracles of Jesus recorded by the disciples throughout Scripture that show us the power of Jesus at work in our lives. Jesus performed thousands of miracles during His earthly ministry and the Gospels recorded at least 37 detailed miracles. The largest group of miracles mentioned in the New Testament involved cures. Matthew 4:24 tells us “They brought to [Jesus] all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics and he healed them.” Sick and broken people came to Jesus not only from Israel, but throughout the surrounding nations to be restored to new life. From healing the sick, to curing the blind, each miracle is associated with specific teachings that reflect the message of Jesus. Through these miracles, we are not only able to see that Jesus had the ability to heal and do wondrous things, but also how God is still at work in our lives today.

A Lesson on Forgiveness

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Our lack of obedience leads to our constant need for forgiveness. Scripture tells us, “Be gentle and ready to forgive never hold grudges. Remember the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others" (Colossians 3:13). But forgiveness is a concept many Christians struggle with. Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Our inexcusable behavior has been forgiven by God, so if we are to have the stamp of Christ on our lives, that would include forgiving the inexcusable behavior of others towards us. We must be repentant and truly sorry for the hurt we have caused God and others. We must not ask for forgiveness just because the Bible tells us. While this is a good starting place, we have to know and feel in our hearts that we need to be forgiven so that we can begin to truly forgive others.

A Lesson on Blessing Others

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The Bible tells us, “love your enemies and bless those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). While Jesus encourages us to sacrifice ourselves and speak kind words of blessings to those we disagree with most, for many Christians, that isn’t always how we respond to others. There is always new controversy taking place in the Church. This can involve one group of Christians disagreeing with another group of Christians and the outcome of this situation ends with those taking to the internet to write slanderous posts about the other. This is not Jesus’ way and is absolutely contrary to what He would do. Instead of cursing those who offend us or those who we don’t agree with, Jesus calls us to speak blessings over them, even if the only thing we want to do is curse them out.

A Lesson on Witnessing

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One of the key elements of Christianity is being open and willing to share your faith with others, but the practical way of doing that is often a struggle. Many Christians don’t share their faith out of fear of being ridiculed, disapproved and persecuted by the world. We hesitate to share and fear-based thoughts begin to show up. How do we tell others about God in a way that is effective? Some people think of sharing their faith as a commandment enforced by knocking on doors and throwing Bibles. Fortunately, this is not what God commands. We serve a loving God who didn’t design sharing your faith as a way to condemn others. We can witness to others by spreading God’s love and approaching witnessing with the right attitude and state of mind.

A Lesson on Condemnation

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Many Christians spend a lot of time addressing the people that God is opposed to and who He condemns. They also spend time addressing how to shift from a place of condemnation before God to a position of grace through believing the right things about Jesus. They will also talk about those who disagree or live contrary to their understanding of what is “righteous” as those who are under condemnation from God. But when you take a close look at Jesus’ life and teachings, we see that He not only befriended, but loved and affirmed some of societies' most despised and vile people. He also chastised the religious leaders who condemned others for their sins. Jesus said, “I have not come into the world to condemn it but to save it” (John 3:17). It appears that Jesus spends very little time telling sinners they’re wrong or speaking words of condemnation over them, but rather extending love and grace to those who have steered off path and need God most.

A Lesson on Time With God

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How many times have you read the quote, “a relationship with God is the best relationship you can have”? Our time with God is important. Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours” (Matthew 11:24). As Christians, we know that prayer is a key part of our relationship with God but it isn’t always a part of our regular practice. Many Christians struggle with making adequate time for God, through prayer and communication. We live in a fast-paced world and while many Christians say God is most important their life, many struggle with fitting God into their daily agendas. Our lives don’t always reflect that God is at our center. What’s special about a solid relationship with God is that when we face struggle, we know where our help comes from.

A Lesson on Salvation

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One of the clearest messages throughout all four Gospel accounts is the way that we enter the Kingdom of God is through living in obedience to the Law of Christ. Throughout the Gospel, Jesus makes very clear statements that condemn those who think they will be saved because they say the right things or do the right religious rituals. Jesus responds to those who believe they are religious and deserve Heaven by saying that their outward religiosity is detestable and the only thing God desires is that they exercise their faith is by obeying the command of God – to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly. We enter His Kingdom by doing God’s Will, through loving God and neighbor. Looking or acting religious isn’t a qualifier.

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