I recently found a
list of questions Jesus asked. The anonymous author wrote, “Jesus never asked a
question because he needed to know the answer. He used questions the way
a surgeon uses a scalpel, to cut delicately into a new level of understanding.”
These powerful,
probing questions demand thought and answers still today. As you read them,
please leave a comment about one or more that you find among the most
interesting and/or challenging.
The better we are able
to answer Jesus’ questions for ourselves, the more effective we will be in
asking others the questions that will help them follow Him. So first let’s answer Jesus! Then let’s ask others
what He would ask!
1. If you love those who
love you, what reward will you get? (Matt 5:46)
2. If you greet only your
brothers, what are you doing more than others? (Matt 5:47)
3. Who of you by worrying
can add a single hour to his life? (Matt 6:27)
4. Why do you worry about
clothes? (Matt 6:28)
5. Why do you look at the
speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in
your own eye? (Matt 7:3)
6. Do people pick grapes
from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? (Matt 7:16)
7. Why are you so afraid?
(Matt 8:26)
8. Why do you entertain
evil thoughts in your hearts? (Matt 9:4)
9. Which is easier: to
say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? (Matt 9:5)
10. How can the guests of
the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? (Matt 9:15)
11. Do you believe that I
am able to do this? (Matt 9:28)
12. What did you go out
into the desert to see? (Matt 11:7)
13. To what can I compare
this generation? (Matt 11:16)
14. If any of you has a
sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and
lift it out? (Matt 12:11)
15. How can anyone enter a
strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the
strong man? (Matt 12:29)
16. You brood of vipers,
how can you who are evil say anything good? (Matt 12:34)
17. Who is my mother, and
who are my brothers? (Matt 12:48)
18. Why did you doubt? (Matt
14:31)
19. Why do you break the
command of God for the sake of your tradition? (Matt 15:3)
20. How many loaves do you
have? (Matt 15:34)
21. Do you still not
understand? (Matt 16:9)
22. Who do people say the
Son of Man is? (Matt 16:13)
23. Who do you say I am? (Matt
16:15)
24. What good will it be for
a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man
give in exchange for his soul? (Matt 16:26)
25. How long shall I stay
with you? How long shall I put up with you? (Matt 17:17)
26. From whom do the kings
of the earth collect duty and taxes–from their own sons or from others? (Matt
17:25)
27. What do you think? If
a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the
ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? (Matt
18:12)
28. Why do you ask me
about what is good? (Matt 19:17)
29. What is it you want? (Matt
20:21)
30. Can you drink the cup
I am going to drink? (Matt 20:22)
31. What do you want me to
do for you? (Matt 20:32)
32. John’s baptism—where
did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men? (Matt 21:25)
33. What do you think? (Matt
21:28)
34. Which son did his
father’s will? (Matt 21:31)
35. Have you never read in
the Scriptures? (Matt 21:42)
36. Why are you trying to
trap me? (Matt 22:18)
37. What do you think
about the Christ? Whose son is he? (Matt 22:42)
38. Which is greater: the
gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? Which is greater: the gift, or
the altar that makes the gift sacred? (Matt 23:17-19)
39. How will you escape
being condemned to hell? (Matt 23:33)
40. Why are you bothering
this woman? (Matt 26:10)
41. Could you men not keep
watch with me for one hour? (Matt 26:40)
42. Do you think I cannot
call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve
legions of angels? (Matt 26:53)
43. But how then would the
Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way? (Matt 26:54)
44. Am I leading a rebellion,
that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? (Matt 26:55)
45. My God, my God, why
have you forsaken me? (Matt 27:46)
46. Why are you thinking
these things? (Mark 2:8)
47. Do you bring in a lamp
to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand? (Mark
4:21)
48. What shall we say the
kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? (Mark
4:30)
49. Why are you so afraid?
Do you still have no faith? (Mark 4:40)
50. What is your name?
(Mark 5:9)
51. Who touched my
clothes? (Mark 5:30)
52. Why all this commotion
and wailing? (Mark 5:39)
53. Are you so dull? (Mark
7:18)
54. Don’t you see that
nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him ‘unclean’? (Mark 7:18)
55. Why does this
generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be
given to it. (Mark 8:12)
56. Why are you talking
about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts
hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And
don’t you remember? (Mark 8:17-18)
57. When I broke the five
loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?
(Mark 8:19)
58. When I broke the seven
loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?
(Mark 8:20)
59. Do you still not
understand? (Mark 8:21)
60. [To the blind man] Do
you see anything? (Mark 8:23)
61. Why then is it written
that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? (Mark 9:12)
62. What were you arguing
about on the road? (Mark 9:33)
63. Salt is good, but if
it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? (Mark 9:50)
64. What did Moses command
you? (Mark 10:3)
65. Why do you call me
good? (Mark 10:18)
66. What do you want me to
do for you? (Mark 10:51)
67. Why are you trying to
trap me? (Mark 12:15)
68. Do you see all these
great buildings? (Mark 13:2)
69. Are you asleep? (Mark
14:37)
70. Could you not keep
watch for one hour? (Mark 14:37)
71. Why were you searching
for me? (Luke 2:49)
72. Didn’t you know I had
to be in my Father’s house? (Luke 2:49)
73. Why are you thinking
these things in your hearts? (Luke 5:22)
74. Which is easier: to
say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? (Luke 5:23)
75. Why do you call me,
‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? (Luke 6:46)
76. Where is your faith?
(Luke 8:25)
77. What is your name?
(Luke 8:30)
78. Who touched me? (Luke
8:45)
79. Will you be lifted up
to the skies? (Luke 10:15)
80. What is written in
the Law? How do you read it? (Luke 10:26)
81. Which of these three
do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?
(Luke 10:36)
82. Did not the one who
made the outside make the inside also? (Luke 11:40)
83. Who appointed me a
judge or an arbiter between you? (Luke 12:14-15)
84. Who of you by worrying
can add a single hour to his life? (Luke 12:25)
85. Why don’t you judge
for yourselves what is right? (Luke 12:57)
86. Or suppose a king is
about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and
consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming
against him with twenty thousand? (Luke 14:31)
87. Salt is good, but if
it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? (Luke 14:34)
88. Suppose one of you
has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in
the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? (Luke 15:4)
89. Or suppose a woman
has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house
and search carefully until she finds it? (Luke 15:8)
90. So if you have not
been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true
riches? (Luke 16:11)
91. Were not all ten
cleansed? Where are the other nine? (Luke 17:17)
92. And will not God bring
about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he
keep putting them off? (Luke 18:7)
93. However, when the Son
of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8)
94. For who is greater,
the one who is at the table or the one who serves? (Luke 22:27)
95. Why are you
sleeping? (Luke 22:46)
96. For if men do these
things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry? (Luke 23:31)
97. What are you
discussing together as you walk along? (Luke 24:17)
98. What things? (Luke
24:19)
99. Did not the Christ
have to suffer these things and then enter his glory? (Luke 24:26)
100. Why are you troubled,
and why do doubts rise in your minds? (Luke 24:38)
101. Do you have anything
here to eat? (Luke 24:41)
102. What do you want?
(John 1:38)
103. Why do you involve me?
(John 2:4)
104. You are Israel’s
teacher, and do you not understand these things? (John 3:10)
105. I have spoken to you
of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak
of heavenly things? (John 3:12)
106. Will you give me a drink?
(John 4:7)
107. Do you want to get
well? (John 5:6)
108. How can you believe if
you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise
that comes from the only God? (John 5:44)
109. If you do not believe
Moses’ writings how will you believe me? (John 5:47)
110. Where shall we buy
bread for these people to eat? (John 6:5)
111. Does this offend you?
(John 6:61)
112. What if you see the
Son of Man ascend to where he was before! (John 6:62)
113. You do not want to
leave too, do you? (John 6:67)
114. Have I not chosen you?
(John 6:70)
115. Has not Moses given
you the law? (John 7:19)
116. Why are you trying to
kill me? (John7:19)
117. Why are you angry with
me for healing the whole man on the Sabbath? (John 7:23)
118. Where are they? Has no
one condemned you? (John 8:10)
119. Why is my language not
clear to you? (John 8:43)
120. Can any of you prove
me guilty of sin? (John 8:46)
121. If I am telling the
truth, why don’t you believe me? (John 8:46)
122. Why then do you accuse
me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? (John 10:36)
123. Are there not twelve
hours of daylight? (John 11:9)
124. Do you believe this?
(John 11:26)
125. Where have you laid
him? (John 11:33)
126. Do you understand what
I have done for you? (John 13:12)
127. Don’t you know me,
even after I have been among you such a long time? (John
14:9)
128. Who is it you want?
(John 18:4,7)
129. Shall I not drink the
cup the Father has given me? (John 18:11)
130. Is that your own idea,
or did others talk to you about me? (John 18:34)
131. Why question me? (John
18:21)
132. If I spoke the truth,
why did you strike me? (John 18:23)
133. Why are you crying?
Who is it you are looking for? (John 20:15)
134. Friends, haven’t you
any fish? (John 21:5)
135. Do you love me? (John
21:17)
136. What is that to you?
(John 21:22)
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