The School of Christ

School is back in session — new backpacks, new teachers, new lessons. Watching our young people head off to class reminded me that learning doesn't end when we leave a classroom. In fact, I believe that if you follow Jesus, you are still in a school: the School of Christ. In this post I want to share what I taught recently at Gentry SDA Church about why lifelong learning matters spiritually, how the Bible describes Jesus as both student and teacher, and practical ways we can keep growing in the knowledge of God.

Why learning never stops

Newton D. Baker once said, “The man who graduates today and stops learning tomorrow is uneducated the day after.” Harry S. Truman put it another way: “It's what you learn after you know it all that counts.” I agree — whether we're nine or ninety-nine, we still need to grow in knowledge and wisdom.

Luke 2:52 tells us of Jesus' younger years: “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” Those years between twelve and thirty were formative. By the time he began his ministry, Jewish leaders were astonished at his understanding (see John 7:15). Yet Jesus himself said to his disciples, “I have yet many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now” (John 16:12). He promised the Holy Spirit would continue the teaching (John 16:13).

Jesus as the ultimate continuing-education teacher

Jesus taught while he was with the disciples, but he also prepared a way for their learning to continue. The coming of the Spirit was his answer: “He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). In other words, what begins with the Gospels continues through the rest of Scripture and through the Spirit’s work in us. The New Testament can be seen as the continuing education program for followers of Christ.

“I have yet many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now.” — John 16:12

The law as schoolmaster: leading us to Christ

When Paul calls the law a “schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ” (Galatians 3:24), he’s using an image from the ancient world. A schoolmaster or tutor led children to their studies and taught them the basics. Paul’s point is that the law — including ceremonial and moral instruction — points us to our need of Christ.

Far from canceling the law, faith establishes it. Paul anticipates the objection “Do we then make void the law through faith?” and answers emphatically, “God forbid... Yea, we establish the law.” The heart changed by Christ will want what the law reflects: love for God and neighbor.

“The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” — Galatians 3:24

Examples of a learner’s heart

I shared the story of Booker T. Washington as an illustration of hunger for learning. At sixteen he worked in coal mines and overheard of a school that changed his life. He saved, traveled five hundred miles doing odd jobs, and arrived nearly penniless. Asked to prove his worth, he swept a room until it was spotless and was admitted. He said getting into a schoolhouse felt like “getting into paradise.”

That’s the posture I want for us toward spiritual learning — a single-minded longing to know God more.

God’s knowledge is infinite — and inviting

Scripture repeatedly reminds us that God’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8–9). Paul exclaims, “Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God” (Romans 11:33). 1 Corinthians 2:9–10 tells us that the things God has prepared for those who love him are revealed by the Spirit. We will never exhaust the treasures of God’s wisdom — which means the School of Christ has no graduation day in the final sense.

Practical steps to remain a student of Christ

• Read Scripture with expectancy: Treat the Bible as a living classroom. Ask the Spirit to reveal new depths.
• Pray for the teacher’s presence: Jesus promised the Spirit would guide into all truth. Invite that guidance daily.
• Listen and discuss: Join a Bible study or small group where questions are welcome and discovery is communal.
• Apply what you learn: Spiritual growth is not just information; it’s transformation that shows in character and service.
• Keep a learner’s humility: Be willing to be corrected and to grow — like the pupils in Christ’s school, old and young alike.

Why it matters

When we allow the law to convict us and lead us to Christ, our hearts change and we want to know him more. Jesus wasn’t “loaned” to humanity for a few years — he became one of us forever. The scars in his hands remind us of that connection and of his everlasting role as our teacher and Redeemer.

“Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors: for whoso findeth me findeth life.” — Proverbs (as quoted by Jesus)

Conclusion — enroll in the school

If you’re reading this, consider it an invitation. Enroll in the School of Christ. Let your spiritual curiosity be kindled. Come to Jesus with the heart of a student: eager, humble, persistent. I pray you will find rest under his yoke and a lifelong joy in learning more of his grace.

Credit: This message was adapted from a sermon presented at Gentry SDA Church. If you’d like to hear the full sermon or connect with the church, search for “Gentry SDA Church — The School of Christ.”