Introduction To Jesus’ Classroom

David W Palmer

(Matthew 4:23 DKJV) And Jesus led them around the whole Galilee region, teaching in their local synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Why did Jesus call his disciples to follow and observe him going all around “teaching”? Is teaching all that important?

(Matthew 4:16, 23 DKJV) The people who dwelt in darkness saw great light, and to them who sat in the region overshadowed by Death, light has risen (dawned) … {23} And Jesus led them around the whole Galilee region, teaching in their local synagogues …

From this passage, we are reminded that the light of God’s glorious truth was not reaching his people in Israel before Jesus went to the wilderness. Here the Holy Spirit shows that the culprit was “Death,” the enemy’s deadly spirit; it was “overshadowing” or blocking the light. Before Jesus, no one had cleansed the heavens of its lethal influence, so even the listeners to God’s word could not receive the full light of revelation from it. The Holy Spirit confirms that the enemy’s spirit is responsible for blinding eyes to the light of God’s message, even today:

(2 Corinthians 4:4 NKJV) Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

In the following passage, the Holy Spirit confirms that this darkness, lack of light, lack of God’s knowledge is what created the whole evil world system—through the sin of fallen man. In truth, this problem was so prevalent that it “blinded” people. What’s more, without revelation of God’s word, they could only be described as those “who do not believe”; therefore, they could not receive the benefits of God’s kingdom. This is because receiving revelation of God’s word is the only way faith can come (See: Rom. 10:17).

(Ephesians 4:17–19 NKJV) “This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, {18} having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; {19} who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.”

After Jesus cleansed the spirit realm of this light-blocking, blindfolding influence, suddenly the same word that had been read for years in the Synagogue was now empowered with God’s Spirit of wisdom and revelation. That is, when Jesus taught and preached it under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, it entered the heart of his listeners with power and light, changing them to believers:

(Mark 1:22 NKJV) And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

(Psalm 119:130 NKJV) The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.

Thus, after removing the blindfold and “blindness of their hearts” through his intercession, Jesus began immediately to “teach” God’s word everywhere he went—to anyone who would listen. With the blindfold gone, the light of God’s word entered. This removed the dark “ignorance that was in them.” Consequently, Jesus’s audience received: revelation, faith, life, and light. Those thus receiving God’s faith were then able to receive healing, freedom, life, joy, peace, and deliverance from all kinds of evil.

No wonder they were grateful and celebrating. Jesus’s intercession and teaching had produced a great result; God’s grace could be seen! (See: Acts 11:23.) After they had witnessed the freedom and revival produced by the living Word, this was the ideal time for Jesus to take his apprentices to the classroom:

(Matthew 5:1–3 DKJV) And observing the crowds, he (Jesus) went up to the mountain, and when he had sat down, his disciples came to him, {2} and he opened his mouth, and began to teach them, saying: {3} “Blessed [happy and well-off now] are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Without wanting to detract from any other translation or teaching on the beatitudes, I would like us to reflect on this scene. One way to look at these 8 or 9 statements about how blessed those he ministered to were, is to see it in context. Jesus made his statements as a commentary on what was “now” happening since he removed the blindfold, and turned on the light. Suddenly, people were happy and well off—enjoying the blessing. Jesus could truly describe what was actually taking place before their eyes, by saying in effect: “Now” poverty of spirit is actually receiving the benefits of God’s kingdom; “Now” those who mourn are receiving comfort; “Now” the pure in heart are actually seeing God, etc.

I believe God wants us simply to picture this scene, and to sense God’s excitement and his joy at seeing that what he originally planned for his people was finally working. As we watch and reflect on this picture in our spirits, let’s include the parts where Jesus fasted and overcame the enemy in warfare; and the part where he taught. He focused on teaching because he knew what the problem with humanity was; they were cut off from God’s “life” because of ignorance—due mostly to the enemy’s blindfold and overshadowing.

Let’s now listen to Jesus’s triumphant exclamations over those for whom his intercession, teaching, and ministry had such a freeing result:

(Matthew 5:3–10 DKJV)

(3) “Blessed [happy and well-off now are] the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

(4) Blessed [happy and well-off now are] those who mourn: for they will be comforted.

(5) Blessed [happy and well-off now are] the meek: for they will inherit the earth.

(6) Blessed [happy and well-off now are] those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (justice): for they will be filled.

(7) Blessed [happy and well-off now are] the merciful: for they will obtain mercy.

(8) Blessed [happy and well-off now are] the pure in heart: for they will see God.

(9) Blessed [happy and well-off now are] the peacemakers: for they will be called sons of God.

We all need to sit at Jesus’s feet and hear him teach; we need all the dark ignorance vanquished from our minds by the absolute holy light of his truth. This way, we will not only be healed and set free ourselves; but we can be his disciples indeed, and follow him into the same ministry he had:

(John 8:31–32 NLT) Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. {32} And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

I encourage you to devote yourself to the selfless life of study, worship, holiness, and yieldedness that Jesus did in his preparation. Then, as the Holy Spirit leads you—albeit into a wilderness—to take on the satanic realm, you too can return victorious. Having cleansed the heavens of Death’s darkness; having un-blocked the dawning of God’s light; and being clothed in the Holy Spirit’s power, you will then be doing the works of Jesus. Great freedom, joy, blessing, and celebration will result.

May you be filled with God’s grace as you follow Jesus further in his gospels, and as you work through this next series! Let’s pray the Holy Spirit-inspired prayer from Ephesians 1 as we prepare for this next series of devotional teaching on: “Following Jesus to His Classroom.”

(Ephesians 1:17–19 NKJV) “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, {18} the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, {19} and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power”