LIKE THE TEACHER

It is interesting to me that Jesus never asked his followers to be like Pentecostals, Catholics, Baptists, Five Point Calvinist, Lutherans, or Independent, Got it All Figured Out … or any other such group. The thing he did ask us to be like was himself… like the teacher.

“A pupil is not above his teacher,” Jesus said, “but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40). Perhaps the beginning of wisdom and maturity for the follower is to follow Jesus and what he taught instead of some other teachers.

“A student is not better than his teacher, and a servant is not better than his master. A student should be satisfied to become like his teacher; a servant should be satisfied to become like his master” (Matthew 10:24-25). We are encouraged to become like him, but not better than him. We become like the teacher, but not above the teacher.

“No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15). Jesus has taught us what was taught to him. That is mindboggling to me…but that’s what it says. “Everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you…” Oh, my.

“I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them at the present time” (John 16:12). The reason we can’t ‘bear it’ is because it will take the Holy Spirit to teach us. ”When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future” (John 16:13) To be like the teacher requires the Spirit of God within us. The next verse:

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.” Jesus