Learning From Jesus: An Overview As God incarnate, God in the flesh, Jesus offered a previously unknown personal knowledge of God and fellowship with him. In addition, Jesus’s birth, life, death, and resurrection became the foundation of Christian belief and practice. Jesus Christ is the central figure in our lives as Christians. For us to be near to the Father as Jesus was near to the Father, we need to be near Jesus. As we come closer to him. Jesus Christ informs and transforms us.
It is important to look at who Jesus is, his teachings, and their significance and to look at how he interacted with those around him. It is also crucial to be asking the question : What does this mean for our spiritual formation, for our growth into Christ-likeness? For it is in Jesus that this concept of spiritual formation is illuminated. As The Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible states, “At last it becomes absolutely clear what ‘spiritual formation’ is all about: disciples are to teach ‘them everything that I have commanded you’ (Matt. 28:20). Obedience means to bring our inner person into such a transformed condition that the deeds of Christ naturally arise out of it. It is not to focus on the actions themselves, for that way leads to deadly legalism, and surely we have had enough of that already. Instead Christian spiritual formation focuses on becoming a ‘good tree’ with the full assurance that ‘no good tree bears bad fruit’ (Luke 6:43). The end result of such a process is a natural and ‘automatic’ obedience to Christ and his ways.”
By studying Jesus’s life and words, while seeking to become ever more obedient and guarding against legalism, we see that he teaches that the kingdom of God is available to us all and that we can be part of it right now. By taking on the mantle of flesh, Jesus teaches us that the physical—our bodies, our world—is beautiful and holy. Furthermore, Jesus’s life shows us that we are engaging in discipleship at all times—in our workplace and in our family life as well as when we are actively engaged in religious rituals or engrossed in prayer.
Even better, Jesus himself continues to teach us. He has not contracted laryngitis. His voice is not hard to hear. His vocabulary is not difficult to understand. He is the good shepherd, and his sheep do hear his voice. He guides his people. He corrects his people. He forgives his people. He instructs his people. Are you ready to learn from Jesus?-from Renovare study Bible
