Questions Jesus Asked

can you say that the one whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said, “I am God’s Son”? (John 10:36) This question comes as Jesus was staring down the stones held in the hands of those who wanted Him dead. Their charge was that Jesus was claiming to be the Son of God. Jesus defends Himself by quoting their own scripture where it was said that those to whom the word of God had come were "sons of God." Following that logic, Jesus counters, to say He is the Son of God is not a chargeable offense and certainly not worth death. Jesus asks for them to believe in the works He was doing so that they could see that the Father was in Jesus and Jesus in the Father. What evidence have we given lately that Jesus is in us?

If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? (John 8:46) How frustrating for anyone, even Jesus, not to be believed. You and I have been in that situation, and it angers us to not be believed. Imagine Jesus. Jesus never spoke a lie; all He shared was the Truth. He lived the truth, and the truth was that God loved and wanted everyone to be in relationship with Him. How sad to know that not all people welcomed the Truth, and in fact, some hated Him. Not one word out of His mouth did they believe. And to have Him ask this question is sad to us, but made them laugh. Someone is not laughing now. Let it not be us. We know Jesus. We love Jesus. We trust Jesus. Let His words bring life to us and to those we are around.

Which of you convicts me of sin? (John 8:46) Jesus now asks those who would seek His death, this question: Which of you convicts me of sin? In all their search, did these religious men find any evidence of sin in Our Lord? The obvious answer is no. In fact, the only one in the Bible without sin is Jesus. Yet, their search, their questions, their lies were all geared to make Jesus look guilty and sinful. And they could not find any sin in Him. How I wish that were true of you and me. We are indeed guilty of sin; but He who was without sin, removes our sins whenever we ask. Let us therefore, live as forgiven people of the Lord!

Why do you not understand what I say? (John 8:43) Jesus was right; when we don't accept something, we easily can say we don't understand it. If we're facing someone whom we oppose or dislike, and they say something, we might say we don't understand what they are saying. Jesus' accusers did not like Jesus and wanted Him dead, and didn't try to hide that either. And so as Jesus teaches on God in ways that were contrary to theirs, they said they did not understand what Jesus was talking about. Of course not, Jesus' words were making liars and frauds out of them, so they conveniently did not understand. Seek to love all, and we will understand better.

Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? (John 8:10) A woman caught in adultery was brought to Jesus and He was asked what they should do; beginning of course with them quoting Moses' law about stoning her to death. Jesus knew their hearts and the desire of their hearts was to kill this woman. This taking place at the Temple. Jesus bends down to write on the ground, then says, "Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." And once again, Jesus writes on the ground. One by one, the accusers left, leaving the woman alone with Jesus; this His question: Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? Sometimes the greatest condemnations on us come from us; Jesus calls us to be without sin. And if we are free from sin, we will be free of self-condemnation and the condemnation that easily and freely comes from others. Jesus is there to remove our sin.

Are you angry with me because I healed a man’s whole body on the sabbath? (John 7:23) Jesus' healing of a man's whole body on a Sabbath angered more people than blessed them. The Law forbid most things on the Sabbath, but they did not understand God's love behind the law. The letter of the law was more important to them. They had the law to follow and they sought that instead of blessing God. Jesus' holy action of restoring a man's body to wholeness made the religious think about murder. What does that say about their hearts? What does that say about our hearts? Do we place higher importance on some things, like tradition, ritual or habit above grace and compassion? Does anger rule our responses to things we don't understand? Lord, help us to see healing and restoration to wholeness as being above what we think. Your will be done.

Why are you looking for an opportunity to kill me? (John 7:19) Sometimes we just have to ask the question that is right before us. Some have said, "We have to talk about the elephant in the room;" the elephant being the desire of the crowd of religious men who wanted nothing more than the death of Jesus. This sparked anger, for most evil people will deny their intentions and angrily protest that such a thing could be on their minds. Jesus knew their hearts and the desire of those hearts. It's not much of a life to live wanting someone else to die. Jesus was not about death; He came to bring life, and that in abundance or "to the fullest." (John 10:10) Satan, as Jesus explained, "came to kill, steal, and destroy." Even now, those options are out there for many. It's up to us to show others the way of life.

Did not Moses give you the law? (John 7:19) Again, Jesus is being pushed to His limits. The very ones impressed with His ability to teach, and more so, the content which He shared, seek to kill Him. Yet, when confronted with that truth, accuse Him of being demon-possessed. Yet, Jesus' question if a good one; how can those who know the Law not follow it? Moses' stature and importance has not waned among the religious of the Jewish faith even to this day, and even among Christians, Moses is someone to respect and admire; but those who knew the Law did not know God and thus Jesus' question. We can be religious. We can be faithful in our religiosity, but until we come to know the One behind the Law, we are missing everything. Moses came to know God and through God gave the law. We have to know and love God, and enjoy the grace that Jesus gave us which has led us into the abundant life we now have.

Did I not choose you, the twelve? Yet one of you is a devil. (Luke 6:70) After Jesus asked the 12 if they also wanted to go away, Peter answered that they were with Him because He had the words of enteral life and their faith in Him had come through what He had said and done. Jesus counters with this question and declaration: Did I not choose you, the twelve? Yet one of you is a devil. Jesus said it because of what Judas was to do later. Jesus was speaking to His betrayer. Jesus has chosen us to have the words of eternal life, and great, unexplainable blessings, and our duty is to remain faithful and fruitful. Our prayer and hope is that never would Jesus call us a devil for our lack of action or use of action that betrays His love for all.

Do you also wish to go away? (John 6:67) It's easy for me to remember the verse right before this one, because it is John 6:66, and a verse that makes me sad. The verse reads, "Because of this many of His disciples turned back and no longer went about with Him." The doubts about the spiritual things, the unseen things, made them doubt and question and this got the better of them and they made a bad decision and choosing not to follow Jesus any longer. This still happens today, and Jesus' question still stands: Do you also wish to go away? No one in their right mind and in their right spirit, one of relationship with God, would ever want to go away, but sometimes the opportunities to doubt and sin present themselves and they choose those instead of faithfulness, and they find themselves away from Jesus. The good news is that we are never too far from Him. He always welcomes us back. May we say, "No, Lord, I don't wish to go away; I want to grow closer

Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? (John 6:62) The things of Jesus are best understood when approached from a spiritual standpoint. Yesterday's question asked if something He said offended them. This question makes more of a statement about what is to come and how we are to best understand it. The disciples were to see Jesus ascend into Heaven; the question was, would they understand it? May our prayer be to better understand all things from our faith base. A commitment to prayer, Bible study, worship, and seeking God always, will help us see wonderful, unexplainable things. And it may help us ascend up to where Jesus is.

Does this offend you? (John 6:61) Interesting question about the Bread from Heaven and eternal life. Jesus knows the hearts of those listening and knows that some of them are offended in hearing about sharing in His body and blood. Jesus reminds them that God had provided bread from Heaven to those in the wilderness during their 40 years of exodus and journey into the Promised Land. Sadder still, the following verses say that Jesus knew who would believe and who would betray Him. The truth is that spiritual things will offend the carnal-minded; Jesus knew that and believers know that as well. Leaving behind sin and walking towards life and life in abundance will offend many. We're called to be loving and patient with them, but to not leave behind that which brings us life, and one day eternal life. Does this offend you?

Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat? (Luke 6:5) Ah, the faith of the disciples! Yes, they had faith, but there were times when the physical overcame the spiritual. What church wouldn't welcome a crowd of 5,000 on a Sunday morning? It would be an awesome problem to have! Well, for most people. There will be those like the disciples in this story, who would say, "Where will we fit them all?" or "Why did they choose this Sunday to all come?" or "Why didn't they go to the church down the street?" This question posed to the disciples comes before they had time to start worrying. Now, they had to worry about money, and they themselves guessed they'd need 6 months of salary to feed such a big crowd. The question was made to have them examine the circumstances and to seek ready answers with what they already had. You know the rest of the story, there was a little boy prepared for the day, whose mom probably packed his lunch of fi

But if you do not believe what (Moses) wrote, how will you believe what I say? (Luke 5:47) Jesus was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. Jesus was the fulfillment of Moses' laws. Jesus was the embodiment of God's love and grace. Yet, the religious of His day had trouble believing that Jesus was anything. This discussion about His authority and His ministry center on what Moses taught, and so Jesus asks this pointed question: But if you do not believe what (Moses) wrote, how will you believe what I say? We have free will. We can reject anything and everything that Jesus wrote. Or, we can accept and live what Jesus is all about. I believe the better option is the latter. What about you?

How can you believe when you accept glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the one who alone is God? (John 5:44) As Jesus continued His defense about a healing on the Sabbath, which was a violation of the Law, Jesus addresses the Law and the search for eternal life in scriptures. Jesus knew the practices and hearts of those trying to entrap Him, and this question is directed to their practices and hearts. "How can you believe when you accept glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the one who alone is God?" God was, sadly, somehow out of their equation, and Jesus challenges them to put God back in. Eternal life cannot be found outside of God, the giver of all life. Looking to live forever? Look no further than God!

‘Do you want to be made well?’ (John 5:6) The man who was asked this question lay by a mystical pool. The pool was said to have its water stirred by angels at certain times of the day, and the belief was that those who got into the pool immediately after the angel's stirring, would be healed. This man had never had a chance to be at the right place at the right time, until this day, when Jesus sees him and asks him this question: ‘Do you want to be made well?’ The man explains his situation and Jesus simply says, "Stand up, take your mat and walk." The man was made well immediately and he took his mat and walked. One problem, Jesus healed on a Sabbath, which was against the Jewish law; but it mattered more to Jesus that this man be restored to wholeness. Jesus still offers healing and wholeness, and His question still remains: ‘Do you want to be made well?’ Just ask.