Teacher | Day 7

Think about your favorite teacher. What makes them your favorite? It’s probably because that person took time to explain something that made you better as a person, not just for a good grade on a test. Good teachers want to see their students succeed. They delight when students experience a “lightbulb moment” and “get” the material. Teachers love finding new ways to connect with students that allow them to hold new knowledge and use it in the real world! 

When Jesus came down to earth to be our Lord and our teacher, He proved that He had the same goal in mind for us. Thank God that Jesus didn’t just do His own thing and just hope we would catch on! He chose to walk us through, step by step, how to pursue a relationship with Him!

“You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am.” – John 13:13

In Matthew 19:13-15, the disciples thought Jesus was too important and too busy to stop and teach a lesson to the children. When Jesus found this out, He immediately said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19:14, ESV). Jesus was not “too busy” or “too important” to teach children about a relationship with Him! 

In John 13, Jesus even took time to teach His disciples that he was not “too busy” or “too good” for them – by washing their feet. This was a way to teach them by giving them an example to follow!  

When teaching children a new skill, such as baking a cake, it most definitely takes three times as long to complete (and includes a much bigger mess)! When children are learning how to pour liquids and measure flour, the mess becomes MESSY! But once they’ve been doing it for years, there is less mess AND they are able to complete a task they used to not be able to do! 

Jesus teaches us new skills all the time – they just look like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23) instead of baking a cake! And He is SO gracious and kind and patient as we are learning and making a mess because He knows that the more we practice and the more He guides us, the closer our relationship with Him will grow! 

Psalm 86:11-12 says, “Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.”

God gave us His Word, the Bible, so that we can reference all of His teachings in one place! When we don’t yet know how to approach a situation, His guidance is right there in those pages! May we strive to walk in His truth and glorify His name forever! 

Reflection Question

• What made your favorite teacher your favorite?  
• What is a lesson God is trying to teach you in this season? 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Jesus down to earth to teach us how to have a relationship with You. Thank You for allowing us to reference all of Your teachings in the Bible and showing us how to approach our relationships with You and with others with patience and gratitude! Amen! 

Family Activity (Optional):

Make a Sandwich: Gather the ingredients needed to make a sandwich. (You can modify the ingredients to fit your family’s preferences.) Have your children take turns teaching you how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but be sure to follow the rules EXACTLY how they say them. For example, when they say “put the peanut butter on one piece of bread”, you can set the jar on top of the bread. Go through this step by step and follow their directions word for word. Heads up – it will be messy … and there will be a lot of laughter! Once you’ve actually made the sandwich correctly, reflect on how grateful you are that the Bible gives good directions and doesn’t leave us guessing! 

Song to Sing Together: Teach Me Thy Way, O Lord (a hymn) 

Name Above All Names | Day 7 | Advent 2025