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Teaching of Jesus

  1. Lesson One
    Kingdom of God (Matthew 5–7, Luke 6–7)
    15 Activities
  2. Lesson Two
    Discipleship (Matthew 10, 16, Mark 10)
    16 Activities
    |
    2 Assessments
  3. Lesson Three
    Prophetic Critique (Jeremiah 7, Matthew 11, 23, Mark 14–16)
    14 Activities
    |
    1 Assessment
  4. Lesson Four
    Introduction to Parables (Luke 14–16, 18–19)
    21 Activities
    |
    2 Assessments
  5. Lesson Five
    Themes of Parables (Matthew 13, 18, 20–22, 24)
    17 Activities
    |
    1 Assessment
  6. Course Wrap-Up
    Course Completion
    1 Activity
    |
    1 Assessment

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Jesus was not the only person of His time to use parables with His disciples. Other Jewish teachers and rabbis also used parables.

Johanan B. Zakkai was a leading 1st century AD Jewish scholar and contributing author to the Mishnah, a central text of Judaism. He illustrates the necessity of daily conversion and of constant readiness to appear before God in heaven with the following parable: 

A king invited his servants to a banquet without stating the exact time at which it would be given. Those who were wise remembered that all things are ever ready in the palace of a king, and they arrayed themselves and sat by the palace gate awaiting the call to enter, while those who were foolish continued their customary occupations, saying, “A banquet requires great preparation.” When the king suddenly called his servants to the banquet, those who were wise appeared in clean raiment and well adorned, while those who were foolish came in soiled and ordinary garments. The king took pleasure in seeing those who were wise, but was full of anger at those who were foolish, saying that those who had come prepared for the banquet should sit down and eat and drink, but that those who had not properly arrayed themselves should stand and look on.
Shab 153a