A professionally designed book. A collection of fifty-two questions that Jesus asked or that people asked Jesus arranged in 2-3-page chapters. The book can be used like a devotional and would work well for group study. It will help the reader to grow in spiritual maturity. Some of Jesus' parables are explained because they provide answers to questions or raise questions themselves.
It provides a commentary on the most interesting questions in people’s interactions with Jesus—people like the Samaritan woman at the well, Nicodemus, and Mary and Martha. Do you wonder what is the unforgiveable sin against the Holy Spirit, or the sign of Jonah?
Jesus asked questions to engage His listeners or to challenge their thinking. His disciples often wanted to understand Him but sometimes to use Him; His opponents sharpened them as weapons against Him. Some of Jesus’ questions seem stupid, even rude—they’re not! As always with Jesus, there’s more to everything He said than at first appears. The interactions have lasting value too—for us. What lies behind the questions we sometimes ask God? What do His questions teach us about ourselves? His questions examine us and encourage us to think and live more like Him.
A professionally designed book. A collection of fifty-two questions that Jesus asked or that people asked Jesus arranged in 2-3-page chapters. The book can be used like a devotional and would work well for group study. It will help the reader to grow in spiritual maturity. Some of Jesus' parables are explained because they provide answers to questions or raise questions themselves.
It provides a commentary on the most interesting questions in people’s interactions with Jesus—people like the Samaritan woman at the well, Nicodemus, and Mary and Martha. Do you wonder what is the unforgiveable sin against the Holy Spirit, or the sign of Jonah?
Jesus asked questions to engage His listeners or to challenge their thinking. His disciples often wanted to understand Him but sometimes to use Him; His opponents sharpened them as weapons against Him. Some of Jesus’ questions seem stupid, even rude—they’re not! As always with Jesus, there’s more to everything He said than at first appears. The interactions have lasting value too—for us. What lies behind the questions we sometimes ask God? What do His questions teach us about ourselves? His questions examine us and encourage us to think and live more like Him.
Head counts help keep families together. Most parents do a subconscious count when they set out. Even with a largeish family squeezed into an SUV, that’s straightforward. However, it was easy to lose a dusty child in a convoy of relatives, friends, and animals strung out on a rough road through the Judean hills long before cell phones.
It happened to Jesus when He was twelve years old. His parents had taken Him to Jerusalem. One day’s journey towards home, they realized He was missing.[1] They returned and eventually found Him in the temple—three days later.
Most twelve-year-olds would have missed their parents after a day. Not Jesus. He was happy hanging out with the temple teachers. Mary and Joseph were hurt. Apart from the anxiety of losing Him and imagining what might have happened to Him, there was the embarrassment of admitting to everyone that they had forgotten to count their kids. Four brothers and at least two sisters are a lot, but they still fit on the fingers of two hands.[2] Once the tears of relief had subsided, there were questions.
[Jesus’] mother said to Him, “Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You!” And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s [things[3]]?” (Luke 2:48-49)
In situations like this, assumptions are often the source of the tension. Parents assume the worst and think their fragile offspring are insensitive to their concerns. Kids think parents will pay attention to more changes than the growth lines scratched on the door jamb, dated, and never painted over.
Jesus was surprised they had spent three days scouring Jerusalem. Apparently, twelve-year-old Jesus saw life differently; it was obvious where He would be. His identity was already in His relationship with the Father; that was natural and the priority. Of course He would be in the temple.
But why the temple? After all, Jesus said later that the Father is not restricted to sacred spaces; He is spirit (John 4:21-24). Also, 75% of the recorded visits of Jesus to the temple or synagogues ended in conflict. So He wasn’t there for the location; rather, He sought the “things” of His Father. In this case, that meant discussing Jewish Scriptures—our Old Testament—with the teachers. And He wasn’t soaking up sermons. Jesus was in their midst, stunning them with His questions and answers (Luke 2:46-47). Was He learning, or were they?
Jesus never fits expectations well; He thinks and behaves differently from us. We often have a hard time figuring out where He’s coming from. He longs for everyone to embrace His ways because that’s what God designed us for. Still, change is hard for us; some sort of tension is inevitable. That difference is a theme throughout His life. It’s the reason for most of His questions, and His answers to other people’s questions. Already, as a boy in the temple, Jesus was in business with His Father—challenging and changing thinking.
Perhaps His parents should have known Him better. Anyway, it’s good for us that they didn’t count heads before returning home.
[1] According to custom, Mary may have traveled with women while Joseph went ahead with men. Perhaps they each assumed Jesus was with the other, without checking. However, the same ideas expressed in this piece could still apply.
[2] Matthew 13:55-56 tells us about Jesus’ siblings.
[3] Forget the word ‘house’; the Greek simply reads, “en tois tou patros mou.” No houses anywhere!
The Questions of Jesus by John Avery is filled with several small, devotional-like lessons that take a close look at both the questions Jesus asked people and the questions people asked him. The short sections and Avery’s easy-to-read style make each lesson a breeze to get through and simple to understand.
Going through the questions found in the gospels in this way is a unique idea that intrigued me. Avery’s teachings are direct as he delves into the bigger spiritual issues and lessons behind the questions being asked in each section. He uses personal anecdotes and appeals to the reader's own experiences, making each lesson constantly engaging. Many times, I realized that I had never thought about a passage in the way that Avery explained it. He takes stories from the gospels that people frequently skip over because they know them so well and looks at them from a different angle. Even while just doing a straight read-through, I found a lot of value in what Avery had to say, as just about every lesson was centered around a different topic, including things like believing God’s promises, watching for the opportunities God puts in your life, and living full of the Holy Spirit.
In addition to the valuable material within the book, The Questions of Jesus is refreshingly well put together. The formatting and editing are spotless, and Avery’s points are always clear. The links at the beginning of the ebook directing to each section are a nice touch as well.
This book is a wonderful addition to any Christian’s library. It teaches you to dive deeper into the gospels, especially the stories that you already know well. It also details many important truths that Jesus revealed during his ministry. I look forward to reading this book again at a slower pace, digesting one lesson each day. Overall, it’s a very well-written book.