The Teachings of Jesus (TOJ)

TOJ #66: John is the last OT prophet. [MT 11:4-15] This literal truth is amplified by a metaphorical truth: John is Elijah, the harbinger of the Messiah (ML 3:1 & 4:5). {MT 17:11-13//MK 9:12-13, LK 7:18-28, 16:16}

TOJ #67: Many souls are not truth-seekers. [MT 11:15-19//LK 7:31-35] They are deaf toward the truth, so they do not dance with joy at hearing the gospel; and they are hypercritical of GW, although they may be educated (1CR 1:18-25), so they will not learn no matter what teaching method is used. {MT 13:14-15, JN 8:43, 10:25a&26} This is similar to TOJ #46. Some statements {MT 11:25-26, MK 4:12//LK 10:21} sound as though Jesus or God wanted to prevent people from understanding the gospel, but since God is not tricky (TOJ #29, #30, #44, #53, etc.), we must infer that Jesus was employing irony.

TOJ #68: Woe to unbelievers! [MT 11:21-24//LK 10:13-15] This is the other side of TOJ #9. It is not a wish, but a tragic fact. Woe refers to hell, the just/logical consequence of rejecting God’s heaven. Unbelievers will lose all blessings and true knowledge. {MT 13:12, 18:6-9, 25:29, LK 6:24-26, 7:31-35, 17:1, JN 3:18}

TOJ #69: GRFS is simple enough for a child to satisfy. [MT 11:25-26//LK 10:21] Thus, Jesus commanded parents/adults to let little children hear the gospel and accept Him {MT 19:14//MK 10:14//LK 18:16}. Perhaps He had in mind Psalm 8:2. {MT 20:16} He does not give an exact age, but moral/spiritual understanding and consequent accountability seems to develop around the age of ten or just prior to puberty.

The Bible does not reveal the destiny of pre-moral or unaccountable children, but certainly they would not be damned. So, if a child accepts God/Christ as soon as he/she understands GRFS and remains Faithful until death, then there is no time when he/she is not saved. (See TOJ #99.) This is God’s “plan A”, although it might not make a very entertaining testimony!

TOJ #70: Genuine theists will become Christians. [MT 11:27//LK 10:22] Whoever truly loves/worships God will accept Jesus as God’s Son/Messiah. {JN 5:42-43, 6:45, 17:3} He/she will perceive that Jesus spoke the truth. {JN 7:16-17, 8:39,42&47} They are His sheep {JN 10:27, 14:1b}. This TOJ should be understood in conjunction with the fact that God desires to save or be known by all souls (v.28, JN 3:16, RM 5:8, PHP 2:10-11, 1TM 2:3-4). The reverse side of this truth is that whoever does not acknowledge Moses and other prophets will not accept Jesus as more than a prophet. (See TOJ #177, #179 & #202.) {LK 18:17, JN 8:42}

TOJ #71: Satisfying GRFS is as easy as an act of will. [MT 11:30] The act of will/Faith is like opening one’s hand to receive a gift. It is a condition for salvation, but it is not meritorious. How God is able to equip souls with volition is a mystery, and why anyone would reject truth, love and eternal joy by choosing to doubt in the absence of disproof is also unfathomable. (See TOJ #69 & #136.)

TOJ #72: It is lawful to do good work on the Sabbath. [MT 12:9-13] Jesus demonstrated this truth by healing a man with a shriveled hand {MK 3:4-5//LK 6:9-10} and a crippled woman {LK 13:10-17}. It is lawful to do good work every day, but employers should let workers have at least one day of rest per week (MK 2:27).

Many people then and now have trouble distinguishing between man-made mores and divine virtues. Even many of the God-inspired rules taught by Moses were meant to be temporary. Eternal moral laws are affirmed in the NT (GL 5:22-23). Paul (in CL 2:16-23 & RM 14:1-6&20-23) and the author of Hebrews (HB 10:1-16) tried to explain that certain Mosaic doctrines had the purpose of preserving Jewish culture until Messiah was born (RM 9:5), at which time they were superseded by a new covenant based on the eternal law of love (TOJ #55). {JN 7:21-24}

TOJ #73: The worst sinner may become the best witness. [LK 7:37-47] The most hateful persecutor can become the most loving disciple. The apostle Paul felt himself to fit in this category (1CR 15:9-10). (This and the following teaching from Luke would seem to fit about here in Matthew’s record, because they precede the Parable of the Sower.) This principle may be the basis for language about degrees of reward in heaven. The difference is not so much how God treats saints as it is their varying capacity to appreciate His blessings. (See TOJ #18.)

TOJ #74: Souls are saved by faith in God. [LK 7:48-50] Implicit in this teaching is that saving Faith is in God and His Messiah. Although Jesus spoke of Faith (vs. Sin) and working faith (vs. sins, see TOJ #51), He did not specify which type He meant {in MK 10:52//LK 18:42, LK 8:48, 17:19, JN 5:14}. Paul clarified the relation between them in passages such as Romans 3:21-4:16 and Ephesians 2:8-10. {JN 3:16, 6:29}

TOJ #75: Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is unforgivable. [MT 12:25-32//MK 3:29//LK 12:10, LK 11:17-22] Jesus attempted (in v.25-29) to show the Pharisees how their logic was perverted. The meaning of “blasphemy” is speaking against, and speaking comes from the heart (see the next TOJ).

Speaking against the Spirit of love is a symptom of hatred for God/Good. Repentance and forgiveness is possible before death (TOJ #57) except for Believers who intentionally commit apostasy (HB 6:4-6) or repudiate their Faith, after which there is no reason for reconversion (HB 10:26-29), so God’s Spirit is no longer able to convict them of Sin (PS 53:11). They are callous (MT13:14-15) and thus “the final condition of that man is worse than the first.” {MT 12:45} (See TOJ #79.)

TOJ #76: What you say and do manifests who you are. [MT 12:33-37//LK 6:43-45] Jesus described vulgar language and immoral behavior as making a person unclean {MT 15:10&17-20//MK 7:14-23}. Paul also spoke against obscene language (EPH 5:4). We should say what we mean and mean what we say. Shooting off one’s mouth is as irresponsible and potentially harmful as firing a loose cannon. James compared evil words to fire and poison (JM 3:5-12). Words are deeds. Sin may precede sins (PR 16:2).

TOJ #77: Do not expect God to prove Himself by means of miracles. [MT 12:39//MK 8:12//LK 11:29-32] Jesus characterized sign-seekers as wicked and adulterous {MT 16:2-4}. The reason is because prideful people want proof. However, proof would be tantamount to being forced to follow God’s will from fear of damnation, which would not be free and genuine cooperation. Of course, only those who saw the miracle would be persuaded, and then only until the memory faded, so Jesus would have to work miracles for everyone now and then from then on if that way (rather than teaching the gospel/GW) were to be His “SOP” or normative method of conversion. (See TOJ #4.)

Thus, God’s typical mode of operation is not performing miracles {MT 24:24}. (TOJ #78) This is the point of Abraham’s discussion with Lazarus {LK 16:29-31}. God wants souls to live by Faith (2CR 5:7) and to freely reflect His love (1JN 4:10-11), although He did perform deniable miracles in order to enable Moses to free the Israelites from Egypt (EX 7:3-5) and in order to establish the New Covenant (JN 2:11, 10:38, 11:4, 14:11, 20:30-31). These miracles include prophesying {JN 13:19, 14:29, 16:4}.

We need to ponder this doctrine, because we products of modern science demand demonstrable evidence that something is true (cf. JN 4:48), and we may wish God would zap evildoers and disprove false preachers. [We can hope to learn the answers to such questions when we arrive in Heaven; cf. TOJ #92 :]

TOJ #78: God normatively communicates via human teachers. [MT 12:41-42] (See TOJ #3 & #77.) The apostle Paul taught this truth (in 1CR 1:22-23) and indicated that some form of preaching/teaching of GW is available worldwide (via general revelation, RM 10:14-18). As Peter wrote (2PT 1:5-15), I find myself in need of continual reminding of this truth and others that will add goodness to my faith. {LK 11:31-32, JN 20:29}

TOJ #79: Remain filled with the Holy Spirit. [MT 12:43-45//LK 11:24-26] Paul clarifies (in EPH 5:18) what Jesus implies. A new Believer grows spiritually by LGW and remaining Spirit-filled more and more of the time until his/her life is characterized by love as a mature Believer. (See EPH 4:11-15) Jesus taught this truth again by saying (in JN 8:11), “Leave your life of sin.” A Believer who becomes complacent about evil is in danger of committing apostasy. (See TOJ #60 & #75.)

TOJ #80: Christians are spiritual siblings. [MT 12:48-50//MK 34-35//LK 8:21] Christian spouses are siblings, and Christian parents are siblings of their believing children. Thus, teachings regarding relationships with fellow Believers are applicable to family. The brotherhood of mankind is an ideal that can only be made real by souls becoming children of God. {LK 11:28}

TOJ #81: Be teachable/humble. [MT 13:3-23//MK 4:3-9&13-20//LK 8:5-8&11-15] In Matthew 11:29 the word “yoke” represents humility, while teachability is literally denoted by Jesus’ command to learn (cf. PR 11:2). The Parable of the Sower is a figurative story that conveys a literal truth related to several other TOJ: on LGW (TOJ #3), on perseverance (#60), on worry (#40), and on humility (#10). Three attitudes opposed to teachability include: a hard heart or closed mind (v.11-15), a shallow or insincere desire to learn, and worries or materialism. {MT 18:4//MK 9:37}

TOJ #82: Disciples of Jesus are wise. [MT 13:11-17//MK 4:11-12&24-25//LK 8:10, 10:23-24] They are truly wise in the virtuous sense found in the Proverbs (PR 1:1-7, etc.), which is described by Paul as the mind of Christ (1CR 2:6-16). Unbelievers are foolish or deluded by lies disguised as wisdom (MT 11:25, RM 1:22, 1CR 1:17-25, 2CR 4:4, 11:14; cf. TOJ #59 & #89). {MT 25:29-30}

TOJ #83: There will be a final judgment. [MT 13:24-30, 37-43 & 47-50] At the moment “believing is seeing”, uncoerced conversion is not possible and fearful “faith” (MK 5:36, LK 2:10, 1JN 4:18) would negate the purpose of this mortal life. Without the Day of the Lord (1THS 5:2, RV 16:14) faith in Christ would be futile and life would be a farce. {MT 16:27-28, 22:13} (See TOJ #195.)

TOJ #84: The kingdom of heaven will be universal. [MT 13:31-33//MK 4:30-32//LK 13:18-21] The promise made to Abraham (GN 22:17-18, RM 4:16-18) is relevant in this regard. This teaching is similar to #49, but it emphasizes the extent rather than the content of faith. Jesus will become the head of one flock or body of Believers {JN 10:16}. (See TOJ #191.) Paul referred to this universal mission (EPH 1:9-10) and catholic church (CL 1:18-20).

TOJ #85: Heaven is worth everything. [MT 13:44-45//MK 10:29-30//LK 18:29-30] It is well worth the wait and the cost of every earthly pain or sacrifice or persecution for admitting Faith in Christ (PHP3:7-8). {MT 10:32-33, 16:25-27, 19:28-29, MK 8:36, LK 9:25-26} (See TOJ #38.)

TOJ #86: A prophet’s message tends to be demeaned by his/her family and friends. [MT 13:57//MK 6:4//LK 4:24] Stating this in terms of a well-known saying: Do not let familiarity with a truth-teacher breed contempt for his/her true teaching.

TOJ #87: Legalists cite tradition as an excuse for subverting morality. [MT 15:3-9//MK 7:6-13] Jesus cited the fact that traditionalists would water or rescue an animal on the Sabbath while prohibiting healing a human {LK 14:5, JN 7:23-24}. (See TOJ #72.) He connected this sin with hypocrisy (TOJ #134). Ungodly legalism is usually the case when people fight in the name of God. If Jews and Muslims truly worshipped the one true God, they would unite in Christian fellowship as Messianic Jews/Muslims (GL 3:28-29, EPH 2:19-22, TOJ #160). Whoever does not teach the truth is a blind guide {MT 15:13-14}, Pharisee {LK 11:39-44} and hypocrite {LK 13:15-16}.

TOJ #88: Jesus’ primary mission was to Israel. [MT 15:24//MK 7:27] However, Jesus commissioned Paul to focus on the Gentiles (ACTS 9:15, GL 2:9), who may be the “other sheep” Jesus cites in John 10:16 (TOJ #49). The persistent Gentile woman of Matthew 15:25-28 may be an example of the “forceful men” Jesus mentioned in 11:12. {Also, see MT 10:5-6.} The Koran is mistaken in teaching that God intends for Jews and Muslims to follow Moses and Mohammed rather than to fellowship in Christ Jesus. (See TOJ #84.)

TOJ #89: Be wise as well as educated. [MT 16:2-3, LK 12:54-57] We need to heed spiritual storm warnings, too, and to learn about spiritual reality {JN 3:10-12}. Do not let genius blind one to common sense {JN 9:39}, so that one becomes foolish. (See TOJ #59 & #82.)

TOJ #90: Ultimate truth may be expressed by figurative (non-literal) language. [MT 16:11-12//MK 8:15-17//LK 12:1] Yeast symbolizes teaching (cf. TOJ #95 for another example). In John’s gospel Jesus spoke of His flesh as the bread of life {JN 6:48-58}, and He also stated this truth literally {in JN 16:25}.