When I first began studying the Bible, I was surprised that it was OK to question. I was more of the persuasion that I would hear God’s Word in a sermon, or read something, and then not give it much thought other than its “Gospel truth.” End of discussion.
Wrong.  Students of all ages are encouraged to ask questions in the classroom; it’s no different if
I discovered that not only did Jesus welcome honest questions, he asked a lot himself. I googled “how many questions did Jesus ask?” and found that people have actually counted. There are about 300 apparently, depending on how you count them. Wow.

Why Did Jesus Ask Questions?

Obviously Jesus didn’t ask questions because He needed an answer. I think He asked the questions because He wants us to search ourselves. He has a lot to teach us. Of course, He wants to be clear in what He is saying. He’s like a professor with 24 hour office hours. There is no question too dumb, no time that is inconvenient. If we have a question or a doubt, He wants to help.

Jesus Questions Andrew and John

When Jesus first started His earthly ministry, He noticed that two men, Andrew and (probably) John (who wrote the book of John) were following Him. He turned and asked them a question- what did they want? What were they looking for? He saw their interest in Him and wanted them to think about why they were following Him around. Just curious? Or did they really want to know more about Him?

Why Do You Follow Jesus?

I think He wants us to ask ourselves the same question. If we are honest in our answer, He can use that to help us sort out our purpose. Last year, our bible study leader told us she would be praying for each of us individually to know our purpose. That led me to question why I was feeling uneasy in class. What would I do to learn and grow if I didn’t have someone asking me the hard questions? It took a while, but it became clear (I asked A LOT of questions!)

Questions to Ask Jesus

Recent events might have you asking even bigger questions. Why God? Shootings and hurricanes? Death and destruction? Even in our own everyday life, we all have pain, loneliness, sadness. If you study God’s character, however, you will find that He is just as heartbroken as we are. He made our world so perfect. It’s us humans that messed it up. God can bring good out of the evil. Someone once asked me why God doesn’t intervene and fix the world’s problems. My response? He did-He sent us. He’s counting on us to share hope, love, and comfort. To take care of the planet He so carefully made. He gave us each a unique personality to carry out His instructions and make this world a better place. We all have talents and gifts He can use. Ask the questions. Search for the answers. We’re lucky to live in a world where you don’t even have to have a physical Bible in your hand to find answers. There are numerous free bible apps out there. Let’s keep learning together.

What questions would you ask Jesus if you saw Him walking down the street today?

How have you seen God working out His purpose in your life?

Blessings,

AnnMarie

John 1:35-39 (italics are mine) –The next day John (John the Baptist) was there again with two of his disciples (Andrew and ?John.) When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look the Lamb of God!” When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi”, (which means Teacher), Where are you staying?” “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him.