How Important are the Teachings of Jesus?

How Important are the Teachings of Jesus?

This study is also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/OTd5aAW573o

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

John 1:11-12 [Jesus] came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become God's children, to them that believe on his name:

We can't receive Jesus without receiving His words, His teachings.

John 3:15-18,36 that whoever believes in [Jesus] should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God didn't send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him. 18 He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn't believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. ... 36 One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who disobeys the Son won't see life, but the wrath of God remains on him."

We can't believe in Jesus without believing His words, His teachings.

John 5:24 "Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has eternal life, and doesn't come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

We don't truly "hear" the words/teachings of Jesus if we don't believe Him. Neither do we believe Jesus if we don't believe in His Father as "the only true God" because that is what Jesus told us in Jn17:1-3 .

John 6:40,47,48 This is the will of the one who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son, and believes in him, should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day." ... 47 Most certainly, I tell you, he who believes in me has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life.

If we believe in Jesus we will have eternal life. But we can't believe in Jesus if we don't believe His teachings.

John 6:68 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life.

Since Jesus has the words of eternal life, why shouldn't we believe His every word?!
The entire chapter of John 6 is about the importance of Christ's teachings. Here is a study on that => https://sidnash.org/docs/John6.html

John 8:51 Most certainly, I tell you, if a person keeps my word, he will never see death."

We can't "keep" the words of Jesus if we don't believe what He says.

John 10:27-29 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of my Father's hand.

But, if we don't believe the words of Jesus, we will not "hear" His "voice" and we will "perish".
The Father of Jesus "is greater than all", including Jesus, according to Jesus in Jn14:28 .

John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies. 26 Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

We should ask ourselves this question: Do we really believe in the teachings of Jesus?

John 12:44-50 Jesus cried out and said, "Whoever believes in me, believes not in me, but in him who sent me. 45 He who sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in the darkness. 47 If anyone listens to my sayings, and doesn't believe, I don't judge him. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 He who rejects me, and doesn't receive my sayings, has one who judges him. The word that I spoke, the same will judge him in the last day. 49 For I spoke not from myself, but the Father who sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. 50 I know that his commandment is eternal life. The things therefore which I speak, even as the Father has said to me, so I speak."

If we believe in Jesus, it is not really Jesus who we believe in after-all. If we truly believe in Jesus it is actually His Father that we believe in. Why? Because it is the words, the teaching of His Father that Jesus spoke, rather than His own words.
"In the last day", we will be judged by the teaching of His Father, as revealed to us through Jesus.

John 20:31 but these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.

If we believe that Jesus is our Messiah(Christ) and that He is the literal Son of God, His Father, we will have life.

1 John 5:1,10-13 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. Whoever loves the Father also loves the child who is born of him. ... 10 He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. He who doesn't believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son. 11 The testimony is this, that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He who has the Son has the life. He who doesn't have God's Son doesn't have the life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

In the Bible, the word "name" often refers to the authority, and/or character and/or identity of a person. In this context, believing in the name means to believe in Jesus as our Messiah and as the literal Son of God. By doing this, "you may know that you have eternal life".

1 Peter 1:10-12 Concerning this salvation, the prophets sought and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching for who or what kind of time the Spirit of Messiah, which was in them, pointed to, when he predicted the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that would follow them. 12 To them("the prophets") it was revealed, that not to themselves, but to you, they ministered these things, which now have been announced to you through those who preached the Good News to you by the Holy Spirit sent out from heaven; which things angels desire to look into.

It was/is the spirit of Jesus, our Messiah, who spoke through "the prophets", but what prophets? The context of this passage strongly suggests that these prophets are the writers of the Bible, but what is the spirit of Messiah? Jesus said, "My words are... spirit and eternal life"( John 6:63 ). So, really, the whole Bible contains the words/teachings of "our Father which art in Heaven"(Mt6.9; Lk11:2 ), given to Jesus, usually given to angels, then given to the prophets. Example =>
- Revelation 1:1-3 This is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things which must happen soon, which [Jesus] sent and made known by his[Jesus] angel ( Rev22:6,16 ) to his servant, John, 2 who testified to God's word, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, about everything that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written in it, for the time is at hand.
Blessed are you who hear and believe the teachings of our Father through His Son, through His angels to us(Gen28:10-13 & Jn1:5) and to His prophets(1Pet1:10-12). AMEN.

"Vital Words From Jesus", another related short study => https://sidnash.org/docs/VitalWords.html

Desiring to live by every word that comes from the mouth of Jehovah ( Deut8:3; Matt4:4 )

-Sid Nash: 08/29/2025. Latest version: https://sidnash.org/docs/JesusTeachings.html