© 2014 by Tom Boynton (editing by Kathy Boynton)
Why do people ask questions? Often it is to learn something they did not previously know. This, however, cannot apply to Jesus because He already knows all things. He is God! This fact was demonstrated when Jesus asked Peter whether or not Peter loved Him. Peter’s response is instructive: “Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee…” (John 21:17).
You might ask, “If Jesus already knows everything, why in the world did He ask so many questions?” Once we understand that Jesus knew and knows the answers to all the questions He ever asked, this understanding unlocks the secret of Jesus’ questions! He asked His questions in order to instruct our hearts!
Parents today use this technique. When a parent asks Johnny, “What is two plus three?”, it is understood that the parent already knows the answer. The question is not asked so that the parent can discover new information but, rather, to instruct the student.
When you read God’s Word with this in mind, you will discover that you can learn much about yourself by contemplating the questions of Jesus. He asked them for that purpose!
What, then, are some of Jesus’ questions? He asked Simon Peter one of them. “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?” (John 21:16). Today He asks you, “Do you love me?” Your answer is incredibly important.
According to the Bible, if we love Jesus, we’ll follow and obey Him. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: …” (John 10:27). Jesus, Himself, said “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). This is the acid test for whether we are on our way to Heaven, or on our way to eternal torment. Paul, an apostle of Jesus, wrote these words: “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha” (1 Corinthians 16:22). The word, “anathema,” means “to bind under a great curse.” How do you stack up when you answer this question of Jesus?
The Lord Jesus offered Himself as a blood sacrifice to redeem all who cry to Him for mercy and forgiveness. Those who truly do are given hearts that follow Him.
If you claim to be a Christian, do your answers to Jesus’ questions prove your claim to be true, or false?
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