Long before Jesus arrived on earth in human flesh, it was prophesied that he would use parables as a way to teach the people. This would be another sign of the Messiah to come: that he would employ this technique to help his hearers connect the dots from what they had been taught to the spiritual truths he was now revealing.

These words also highlighted how important it would be for each generation to pass on the truths of God to the next so they would recognize the message being taught to them by the master Teacher! “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deuteronomy 6:5-7).

God expects the same of us today. I do not love the Lord perfectly and am only too well aware of the corners of my soul I keep for myself, unwilling to surrender to him. I allow opportunities to point my children to Jesus pass by in favor of something “more important” at the moment. Even in this current season of Advent, I think first of the traditions I’ve established over the years in my heart and home. It’s too easy for my fickle desires to jump from the things the world tells me are necessary for a “perfect Christmas” back to the one thing God reminds me is necessary for salvation.

And so I am grateful for the priceless reminder that the babe in the manger is the same Son of God who has taken away all those failures and granted us forgiveness. We are encouraged to rethink the traditions and priorities we’ve made over the years and ask ourselves if they are pointing to Jesus or away from him. We want the next generation to hold fast to the only Gift that won’t break or be outgrown in a year: Jesus.

With over 30 of his parables recorded in Scripture, Jesus would certainly fulfill the prophecy of using parables to teach! This was an effective teaching method. Jesus taught deep spiritual truths by incorporating human experiences into his teachings and allowing listeners to feel a full range of emotions as he did so. He often included common vocations such as farming, baking, fishing, and shepherding—vocations that his hearers could relate to while at the same time revealing the mysteries of the kingdom of God. “With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything” (Mark 4:33,34).

What a priceless treasure Jesus offers to his hearers and to us! We could not even conceive of knowing these spiritual concepts without Jesus revealing them to us, nor could we understand them without the power of the Holy Spirit.