Everyday sayings of Jesus

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Index of sayings

You'd think that the sayings of someone who lived 2,000 years ago would be stuck inside a dusty old textbook somewhere, rather than being used every day out on the street – but think again. A good number of the sayings of Jesus are used in modern English speech and continue to add colour and depth to what people say.

 The everyday sayings of Jesus

We’ve gathered 30 of the best known modern sayings and included some notes on what they mean and where you can find them in the accounts of Jesus’ life. Just select a saying from the list to the right.

There are many reasons why the words of Jesus continue to be popular in modern speech, but a key reason has to be the way Jesus himself spoke. He was a great storyteller, giving his teaching in parables – stories which made a point – which were easy to remember. His parable of the prodigal son, for example, paints an unforgettable picture of God loving us in the same way that a father generously welcomes his difficult son back home.

Jesus also loved to use exaggerated and colourful language which is sometimes shocking or chilling, and sometimes funny. The words of Jesus still have the power to shock and surprise us.

The sayings we’ve selected include both direct words of Jesus and also moments and people from his life – such as the crown of thorns he was made to wear before his execution, and doubting Thomas, one of his disciples – both have made it into everyday speech.

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