Jesus as teacher, and taught

 Caspar David Friedrich - Tree of Crows

A common modernist subversion and denigration of Christianity is to label Jesus as a Great Teacher.

Yet even the greatest imaginable teacher is of limitedvalue; since he will be in a particular time, place, language and culture; and utterly dependent on having his ideas preserved and propagated - and indeed retaught, again and again.

The greatest imaginable teacher reduces to one specific teacher, and the individual student. 

Even a truly great teacher from Palestine 2000 years ago - even if the very greatest teacher ever - cannot, in isolation, be indispensable. His teachings cannot ever be known with confidence.

But Jesus insisted that his primary teaching would be done by The Holy Ghost after his death and ascension; and therefore this teaching was universal - for all times and places, and regardless of language or culture.

Such teaching can be direct to the soul - without intermediary of language or education; individually tailored to personal capacity and need.

So Jesus must be divine to be the kind of great teacher which would be of decisive value to you and me, here and now.

At the same time, such teaching is a personal challenge, a solid responsibility upon each - because if anybody can receive it, and everybody can understand it; then the onus is wholly upon our-individual-selves whether we act upon it.

Happy Christmas!