Jesus Loves to Ask Questions – Introduction

Jesus Loves to Ask Questions – Introduction.

“Have I been with all of you for so long a time and you still do not know who I am? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. So how can you say then, ‘Show us the Father?’ Do you not believe that I am in the Father and that the Father is in Me?” (Jesus asking three straight questions of His disciples in John 14:9-10).  

Messiah Jesus was a Master of asking questions: some were open-ended, others were very pointed; some were out of curiosity, others were challenging; some seemed rhetorical, others seemed painfully obvious; some were to reveal Himself, others were to guide the other into self-understanding; some were intentionally provocative, others were to kick-start a conversation; some questions were asked to explore a topic to deepen understanding and stretch toward the truth; some were leading questions that He designed to suggest a particular answer, and others were questions in response to questions asked of Him; some were hypotheticals to stimulate the imagination, other questions were used  by Him as stepping stones to think logically from one point to the next. Jesus used questions to dignify the listener, letting that person know that He is taking that person seriously and listening carefully. Many of His questions were acts of friendship and used to pursue a more profound intimacy with someone. Jesus asked very few yes-no questions, and since time was usually irrelevant for Him when He was people, He rarely asked a “when” question. Several biblical scholars have studied the gospels with Christ’s questions in mind, and they have literally counted a total of 307 questions in His various conversations.

Jesus the Curious Learner. In Luke 2 we find that Jesus was born to ask questions. In the Temple among the rabbis, we see the twelve-year-old Jesus as He reveals how Jewish boys were trained to learn about Scripture. He is showing us what it takes to learn, to grow in wisdom. This is a good glimpse of Jesus growing up and becoming a learner. He sits, listens, asks questions, and responds.

1. Jesus Sits. This is the traditional posture of a willing student, a sign that reveals respect and honor for the teacher. This is the position of humility, a willingness to accept the leadership, experience and knowledge of the teacher. Sitting at their feet, Jesus was humble enough to know that there was still more to be known.
2. Jesus Listens. Because of his humility, Jesus placed himself in a position to keep an open mind in an attitude of receptivity. He showed an attentive interest in what is being offered by his elders. He wanted to grow in knowledge and wisdom, so Jesus was all ears.
3. Jesus Asks. Learning is inevitable with an active curiosity, a strong desire to probe knowledge and engage the teachers. Earnest questions reveal that a learner cares, is personally interested, and wants to learn more. There is no such thing as passive learning.
4. Jesus Responds. Jesus gathered the courage to voice his thoughts and respond to the knowledge being offered. He wasn’t afraid to think out loud. He risked the critique of the elders. He learned by verbally processing what was being discussed. Jesus was learning to think for himself in the company of others.

One could say these are the four ancient tools of learning. This is one aspect of the Lord’s childhood pattern, and it needs to be taken to heart by parents and children and teachers. Jesus provides for us a fascinating picture of a student for the ages: humble and respectful; open and receptive; curious and inquisitive; willing to respond thoughtfully. Joseph and Mary and the rabbis taught Him well.

Taking His Questions Personally. The first recorded words spoken by Jesus was actually a question in John 1:38, when He asked two men who were following Him as He was walking down a road: “What do you want?” or “What are you seeking?” Or better yet, “What are you looking for?” Eventually Jesus merely told them, “Come and see for yourselves!” The last recorded question asked by Jesus was, “Do you love me?” These bookend questions suggest to us that we should take Christ’s questions personally even now, 2,000 years after He asked them. Our answer to His first question is that we want to follow Him down the road and dwell in a relationship with Him in the greatest adventure known to humankind. We follow Jesus as tells us not where we are going but Who our traveling partner will be. Likewise, the final question asked by Jesus, addressed to Peter three times, demands that we walk our talk of faith and simply love Jesus. Our response to Jesus’ first question is that we want to follow Him. Our response to His last question is that we want to love him with our whole being. It would seem wise to allow these and all His other questions to be taken personally as we read them in the Gospels.

God’s Questions in the Garden of Eden. The first words of God after He spoke creation into existence was in the form of a question… “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9). And He immediately followed that up with a whole string of further questions: “Who told you that you were naked?” “Have you eaten of the forbidden tree?” “What is this that you done?” (Gen. 3:9-13). God asked pointed questions right from the beginnings of planet earth, and He has been asking them ever since. The responses of Adam and Eve to God’s questions form a practically perfect confession: Where are you? I was in hiding Lord, but I am now standing right here before you. How did I know I was naked? Because I now see myself with open eyes and live in guilt and shame. Have I eaten the forbidden fruit of rebellion against You? Yes, and I deeply regret my desire to be like a god. What have I done? I have gone against your will for my life, Lord, and I am truly sorry. We can only be forgiven, it seems, when we take God’s questions personally and address them as if He asked them of us.

A Mystery.  There is something here that we don’t understand, do we? God is all-knowing, He knows everything there is to know in the entire universe. There is nothing that God does not know, there is nothing outside of His knowledge and experience. So why does He ask questions if He already knows the answer? The Lord of the world certainly is not ignorant, or confused, or forgetful. So why do God the Father and God the Son ask so many questions? Pastor Mark Buchanon believes that God is by nature curious and inquisitive. The Lord can’t contain His curiosity as He desires to observe us, to see where we are going, what we are doing. God’s questions, too, are for our benefit, not His. Questions are bridges of His making that connect us to Him, a way to gain intimacy with the people made in His image. God wants fellowship with His children, and asking questions is an effective way to bridge the gap between immortal God and mortal man. The Lord wants to dignify us by asking questions of us and thus declaring that we are worthy of His attention. God knows our thoughts before we think them, but we surely don’t. And so God’s questions are one way of helping us in self-discovery, of deepening our self-understanding, of inspiring us to use our God-given minds as we respond to His questions. God doesn’t need to ask anything, but He does anyway out of love for us.