Jesus Is My Teacher

John 1:35-42 (ESV):

35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples,

36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”

37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to

him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?”

39He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him

that day, for it was about the tenth hour.

40One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.

41He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ).

42He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be

called Cephas” (which means Peter).

One of the most important goals that we should have in life as believers of Jesus Christ is to have a deeper

understanding of who our Savior is and what He has done for us. The apostle Paul had perfectly understood the sig-

nificance of this goal, and so, when he wrote the Ephesian believers, he made this prayer for all of them in Ephesians

1:17:

17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in

the knowledge of him,

Notice that the prayer is that these believers be given wisdom and revelation by the Holy Spirit so that they

will know Jesus Christ better. How many of us are making the same request to the Lord today? I know that we ask the

Lord for so many needs every time we pray. Most often, we want the Lord to fill our physical needs, to be more stable

in our jobs, to guide us in all our responsibilities, or to keep us in good physical health. But we often take our spiritual

needs for granted, like becoming more intimate with Him and getting to know Him better. Unfortunately, our lack of

knowledge of Him has kept us from appreciating Him and knowing how much we need Him in our lives.

This is the reason why we would like to take the time to preach through this theme – Jesus is the Answer for

Me. The truth of the matter is that Jesus Christ is more than just a Savior to us. He could bring us so many blessings

that we do not want to miss while waiting to go to heaven. So, for two months, moving towards the resurrection Sun-

day, we will focus on getting to know the person of Jesus Christ and what He has promised to do for us. Last Sunday,

we talked of Jesus as the door. Today, we’ll talk about Him as our teacher.

Our main text narrates for us the starting part of Christ’s earthly ministry when He began choosing His disci-

ples. What makes this passage significant is that we will find the first reference to Jesus being a “Rabbi” or a

“Teacher.” In order for us to appreciate this special ministry of Jesus to us, allow me to share three essential facts

about it:

I THE RABBI AND REDEEMER (vs. 35-37)

Throughout our growing up years, we probably can identify one or two teachers who have impacted our lives

so much. Who was that teacher for you? For me, during my seminary days in the Philippines, it would be Dr. Manuel

Badar. He was more than an academic teacher to me. He was like a second father and adviser for

our Men’s Ensemble. For almost four years, our ensemble of six men traveled with him to many

cities and provinces in the Philippines. What he taught me outside the classroom impacted me

more because He lived out Jesus Christ to me. Certainly, what Dr. Badar did for us six men who

are still actively serving the Lord as pastors has helped mold us to be where we are today.

In the Gospels, Jesus is clearly presented as a “Rabbi,” which is an Aramaic title that means “my teacher” or

“my master.” Within the Jewish culture, a Rabbi is considered a spiritual leader or a religious teacher. During the time

of Jesus, almost all Hebrew boys want to be a Rabbi. As early as six (6) years old, they will begin memorizing the Book

of Leviticus, and by the time they are twelve (12) years old, they should have memorized almost all of the Torah or the

Book of Moses. By this time, they would also have learned the Jewish art of questions and answers. They were taught

always to be curious about the Scriptures and never hesitate to ask their religious teachers to go deeper in their under-

standing of God and His words. If you were smart enough and knew the Scriptures, you could enter the Rabbinical

school at the age of 18 to train to be a full-fledged and official Rabbi at the age of 30.

Now, for Jesus Christ, there was no record of Him going to a Rabbinical school to learn the Scriptures formally,

but when He was 30 years old after He was baptized by John the Baptist at the Jordan River, He began His earthly min-

istry of teaching the Scriptures. Examining the Gospels, there were so many occasions that He surprised the people

around Him with His knowledge of the Scriptures and by the authority He demonstrated teaching them. Listen to Luke

4:31-32 (ESV):

31And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath,

32 and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority.

So, although He was not an official Rabbi sanctioned by the Jewish religion, many regarded Him as a Rabbi or a

spiritual leader. In fact, He was addressed as a Rabbi about fifteen (15) times in the Gospels. Amazingly, even Nicode-

mus, one of the high-ranking Pharisees in Jesus’ day, called Him a Rabbi.

John 3:1-2 (ESV):

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2

This man came to Jesus by night and

said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless

God is with him.”

It is important to take note that Nicodemus saw Jesus as worthy of this title because of all the miraculous signs

He was doing. These signs affirmed that He is from God. However, if you go to our main text, Andrew and John would

address him as Rabbi even before He even started His teaching ministry of the Scriptures. Do you know why? It is be-

cause of the strong witness that came from John the Baptist, found first in verse 29 that says, “Behold, the Lamb of

God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Then, it was repeated in a short version in verse 36, “Behold, the Lamb of

God!”

After hearing this declaration twice, Andrew and John, who were disciples of John the Baptist, started following

the Lord Jesus Christ. So, it is safe to conclude that the main reason why they followed Jesus was because they ex-

pected Him to be not only their teacher but also their redeemer.

During those times, the Jews who regularly offered animal sacrifices for the forgiveness of their sins were well

aware of the prophecies about the Messiah, who would be the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the world. One of the

beautiful descriptions of this sacrifice is found in Isaiah 53:3-6 (ESV):

3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;

and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten

by God, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the

chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the

iniquity of us all.

Indeed, on the cross, Jesus fulfilled this prophecy where He was slaughtered like a lamb, shedding His blood

not for his own sin but for the sin of the world. The apostle Peter referred to the fulfillment of this prophetic passage

in the life of Jesus in 1 Peter 1:18-19 (ESV):

18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things

such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

Ultimately, more than being a Rabbi, Jesus is also the redeemer because He shed His precious blood to pay for

the forgiveness of our sins. So, to personally take Him as our Savior will be to our greatest advantage because, in Him,

you will also find your Rabbi or teacher. Is He your Rabbi already? I sure hope so.

II THE RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR RABBI (vs. 38-42)

Let’s go back to our text and read verses 38-39 – Jesus turned and saw them following and said to

them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He

said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that

day, for it was about the tenth hour.

As the two disciples were following the Lord, the Lord Jesus turned to them and asked, “What are you seek-

ing?” Let’s park here first. In other translations, the question is translated as, “What do you want?” I love the fact

that when Jesus noticed that these men were following Him, He turned to them, asking what they wanted. Jesus is

always interested in those who follow Him. However, there are so many people who are following Jesus Christ who

also need to answer the same question. Perhaps you are here in church this morning, and Jesus would ask you, “What

are you seeking?” How would you respond? Do you really know what you want to experience in Jesus Christ? Or

probably the question of Jesus could also mean, “What are you seeking in life?”

The response from the two disciples was quite unusual but very revealing of what they desired to happen in

their relationship with Jesus Christ. They asked, “Where are you staying?” The reality was that they didn’t just want

to ask Jesus one or two questions; they wanted to stay with Jesus for a longer period of time so they could learn more

from Him. I wanted to highlight the word “staying” because the apostle John will use it often in this Gospel. This word

came from the Greek word “Meno,” and is often translated as “To remain” or “To abide.” One specific example is

John 15:4 (ESV):

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, un-

less you abide in me.

The verse perfectly describes for us how Jesus wants to relate to everyone who follows Him. Abiding in Him

rejects the idea of casually following Him. Instead, it establishes the fact that following Him requires building a grow-

ing relationship that would allow us to know him better.

Most likely, you have heard the statement that Christianity is not a religion but a relationship. In other words,

Christianity is more than just coming to church, a list of do’s and don’ts, or even learning doctrines; it is being vitally

connected with Christ Himself. This truth is plainly stated when Jesus appointed the 12 disciples/apostles who lived

with Him for three years.

Mark 3:14 (ESV):

14And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and

he might send them out to preach.

You see, this is how discipleship works. During that time, if you followed a teacher, you

would have to live with him 24/7. You literally abide with him so you can know him better and

live life like Him. And you know, if you and I do not establish this relationship with Jesus Christ, we will never know

the true value of living a Christian life.

I remember reading a story of a little girl who came to her father and asked him for a quarter. The father

reached into his pocket, but he didn’t have any change. All he had was a twenty-dollar bill. He knew that was a lot of

money, but he figured that his daughter had been a good girl, so he decided to give her the twenty.

The little girl said, “Oh no, Daddy. You don’t understand. I want a quarter.” “No, honey, you don’t understand.

This is a bunch of quarters. This is a twenty-dollar bill.” But the little girl didn’t understand. She said, “Daddy, why

won’t you give me a quarter?” He tried to explain. He tried to tell her how many quarters were in a dollar and how

many dollars were in a twenty-dollar bill. But still, she was not getting it. So, she started crying and having a temper

tantrum. “Daddy, you said you were going to give me a quarter. Why won’t you give me?”

You know, that’s exactly what we do. We settle for a quarter when God is offering us twenties. Yes, Jesus

wants to teach us everything about Him and everything we can enjoy from Him, but please know that we can only

learn all of them in the atmosphere of a personal relationship with our Rabbi.

One perfect example of this blessing is transformation. In verses 40-42, we find Andrew, after staying over-

night at the place of Jesus, went to look for his brother, Simon. Meeting him, he told him the great news that they had

found the Messiah. I love the fact that Andrew felt the burden of reaching out to his brother first to tell him about

Jesus Christ. This is certainly a great example for all of us. It should be a natural commitment for us to make sure that

our closest loved ones come to know Jesus Christ.

Take note: many people today may not recognize Andrew as one of the disciples of Jesus Christ. But there

could have been no Peter among the disciples of Jesus if not for Andrew, who introduced Him to the Savior. How

many of you recognized the name Edward Kimball? He was the one who led D.L. Moody to the Lord during his Sun-

day class when he was 18 years old. D. L. Moody would later become a great evangelist who would lead hundreds of

thousands to the Lord both in America and Europe. Just like Andrew, Mr. Kimball accomplished a lot for the Kingdom

of God by introducing D.L. Moody to Jesus Christ.

Going back to Simon Peter meeting Jesus Christ. When Jesus looked at him, He told Simon that He was chang-

ing his name to Cephas, which literally means “a rock.” There is no explanation in the verse why He was changing his

name, but what is evident later is that Jesus simply told him from the front end what He intended to do in the life of

Peter that after Jesus was done with him, he would become a rock of stability for the church of Jesus Christ.

I believe with all my heart that one good sign that we are vitally connected with Jesus Christ is that our lives

will change for the better. The fact is that Jesus Christ is the only One who can effectively change us (2 Corinthians

5:17).

III THE REPRESENTATIVE OF OUR RABBI

When Jesus Christ was still physically present with His disciples for three years, He provided them with con-

sistent instructions about their life and ministry. However, on the day He announced to them He was leaving them to

go to the Father and prepare a place for them in heaven, they panicked and wondered how they were going to survive

without Him. Within this context, Jesus calmed their hearts by giving them this promise in John

14:25-27 (ESV):

25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you.

26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all

things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be trou-

bled, neither let them be afraid.

This verse talks about the coming of the Holy Spirit, who would come to be the Helper and Teacher. The word

“Helper” comes from the Greek “parakletos,” which literally means “called to one’s side to support, aid, or encour-

age.” Notice also that Jesus emphasized that the Father would send the Holy Spirit “in my name.” In other words, the

Holy Spirit was coming to represent Jesus Christ. He will support and help people who have a relationship with Jesus

Christ by teaching them and bringing to their remembrance what they have learned from the Lord.

The question is: How does the Holy Spirit help all believers effectively? Go back to the earlier verses of John

14, and you will find these words in verses 16-17:

16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper,to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of

truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with

you and will be in you.

The Holy Spirit is able to help believers 24/7 because the moment sinners hand over their lives to Jesus Christ

today, the Holy Spirit comes into their lives and dwells in them. This indwelling is also permanent because Jesus said,

“to be with you forever.” Just like Jesus Christ was present with the disciples 24/7, His representative will do the

same. He is able to guide and teach whenever we need Him. Dr. Tony Evans once referred to the value of being guid-

ed and taught by the Holy Spirit by saying:

“There are two ways to get to a destination. One way is to look at the map and figure it out yourself as you drive.

Another way is to have someone drive you who already knows where you are going.”

Often, we prefer a more complicated journey by always relying on ourselves rather than depending on the

Almighty Holy Spirit, who could guide and teach us effectively. It is always to our advantage when we entrust our-

selves to God to help us in our present journeys.

Are you always sensitive to the presence of Jesus Christ in your life? He wants to be our constant teacher and

guide, so we must be willing to entrust our lives to Him fully. Let me close with the words of this beautiful hymn that

could serve as a prayer to us as well:

O Jesus, I have promised

To serve Thee to the end;

Be Thou forever near me,

My Master and my Friend;

I shall not fear the battle

If Thou art by my side,

Nor wander from the pathway

If Thou wilt be my Guide.

Oh, let me feel Thee near me;

The world is ever near;

I see the sights that dazzle,

The tempting sounds I hear;

My foes are ever near me,

Around me and within;

But, Jesus, draw Thou nearer,

And shield my soul from sin.

Oh, let me see Thy footmarks,

And in them plant mine own;

My hope to follow duly

Is in Thy strength alone.

Oh, guide me, call me, draw me,

Uphold me to the end;

And then to rest receive me,

My Savior and my Friend.

Again, Jesus is our Savior and Friend who wants to teach and help us navigate through this journey of life that

we have. May we be willing to relinquish control over our lives and seek help from our Savior and Friend, Jesus Christ!