Jesus as a Small-Group Leader (pt. 1)
An exploration of Christ's use of community as a means to change the world
| posted 2/13/2008
| Topics: | Group leader, Jesus Christ, Leadership, New leader, Shepherding |
| Filters: | Apprentice, Group Leader, New leader, Train |
| Purpose: | Discipleship |
| References: |  |
| Date Added: | February 13, 2008 |
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It's kind strange to think of him this way, but I believe that Jesus was the ultimate small-group Bible study leader. This article will examine that claim in light of Jesus' fitness to teach spiritual truth, his audience, his goals, his values, his methods, and his results as a group leader.
The six explorations in this article are a combination of my own study and the influence of a book written by J. M. Price in 1946 called Jesus the Teacher.
1. Jesus' Fitness to Teach Spiritual Truth-
Jesus lived authentically. The most important element in the qualification of any group leader is himself or herself. Our most effective lesson must be the authenticity with which we live our life. In Jesus' case, the authenticity of his life gave meaning to his teaching: "The people there were amazed at his teaching. He did not teach like their teachers of the law. He taught like a person who had authority" (Mark 1:22, ICB).
What about you? Do you live authentically with your group? Do they see your humanity along with your spirituality? -
Jesus desired to serve others. A small-group leader must have a desire to serve and help people understand spiritual truth. Jesus was not too proud to help anyone. He was not as much concerned about creeds, ceremonies, or proper procedure as he was about people. As Scripture says in Mark 6:34, Jesus saw people as "sheep without a shepherd."
What about you? Do you genuinely care for the people entrusted to your spiritual care? Are you willing to serve them with a "whatever it takes" attitude? -
Jesus believed in teaching. At least 45 times in the Gospels, Jesus was called "teacher." He was never called preacher. He even called himself "teacher" in John 13:13. In addition, he called his followers "disciples," which is a word that means "learner." That term is used 243 times in the Gospels. Jesus taught everywhere and anywhere, and at all times. He was constantly connecting real life experiences with eternal truth.
What about you? Do you work hard at making the truth of God simple enough to understand? Do you believe that the truths you share can really change the lives of those in your group? -
Jesus knew the Scriptures. A group leader should know and study the Bible, and Jesus consistently used the Scriptures to validate his teaching. Matthew 4:1–11 is a good example; so is Luke 24:27. During his ministry, Jesus quoted from at least 16 Old Testament books.
What about you? What kind of time do you put in at personally knowing the Scriptures? Do you practice Scripture memorization? -
Jesus understood people. A small-group leader must understood people in order to lead them. One cannot apply the Scriptures to the life of an individual until they understand that individual's needs. Indeed, John 2:25 says that Jesus knew what was in man, and Matthew 9:4 says that he knew what was in their hearts.
What about you? What kind of time do you invest in hanging out with the people in your group? Do you balance your time equally between Bible Study and hanging with people? -
Jesus used a variety of teaching methods. We will forever be learning from the skills of Jesus. He used methods with perfection. He used questions, lectures, stories, conversations, discussion, dramatics, objects, and demonstration—all to teach different people the truths of God.
What about you? Do you do the same thing every time you lead your group? What can you do to become more creative in teaching spiritual truth?
History and the Scriptures reveal to us that Jesus' small group of disciples were slow to understand his truth. Over and over again, Jesus had to explain and repeat what he had already taught them. At times, we may be discouraged when we sense a lack of life change in those we lead. But we can be encouraged when we compare our audience to the audience Jesus had in his groups. They were:
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