Jesus Christ’s Authority as a Teacher of Wisdom

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Jesus' teachings on repentance, forgiveness, inner purity and moral motivation show his authority as a teacher of wisdom.

In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5), the writer presents Jesus as teaching about God’s law on the side of a mountain.
- This presents Jesus as the new Moses, a highly significant image to his Jewish audience.
This image is then reinforced when Jesus frequently talks of Mosaic law, with statements such as “You have heard that it was said” (Matthew 5:21, 27, 31, 33, 38, 43).
Jesus also talks of his mission to 'fulfil' the law of Moses rather than 'abolish' it (Matthew 5:17).

One key theme found in the teachings of Jesus is that of repentance and forgiveness.
Repentance (Greek = metanoia) indicates a change of mind, a turning around or a reversal.
- We can see this in the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32).
- The disobedient son has to literally turn around and go back the way he came to return to his father and seek forgiveness.
Forgiveness (Greek = aphiemi) means ‘to let go’.
- It is principally used to explain forgiveness as the cancelling or clearing of debt.

The Parable of the Prodigal Son demonstrates repentance and forgiveness through the reactions of the father and the elder son to the younger son’s return.
- The father welcomes his son with open arms.
- The father immediately restores him to his place in the family and celebrates his return. He lets go of any anger or resentment at his son’s actions.
But, the elder son holds on to his anger and resentment.
The father has to coax the elder son into welcoming home the returning offender.

The Lord’s Prayer reinforces the message of repentance and forgiveness.
- It does so with the statement 'Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.'
We ask God not to hold our sins against us but to forgive us of those sins, and in turn, we should do likewise to others.

A second key theme in Jesus’ teaching is on inner purity and moral motivation.
Jesus is very critical of the Pharisees, persistently accusing them of hypocrisy and legalism.
His particular annoyance with them is that they focus on the minutiae of the law at the expense of the purpose of the law.
- Jesus accuses them of hypocrisy and of being 'whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful but inside are they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth'. (Matthew 23:37)

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus intensifies the law of Moses’ prohibition of murder and adultery.
- Jesus argues that 'if you are angry with a brother or sister', or if you look 'at a woman with lust' (Matthew 5:22,28), you have already committed those actions.
- It is no longer sufficient to keep the law the way the legalistic Pharisees do. We must pay attention to the inner motivation for our actions.
Jesus’ conclusion is that we should 'Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.' (Matthew 5:48)