From time to time you may hear someone say, “That’s a good question.” This can mean a variety of things to the one who says it and to those who hear it. Usually it means, “I’ll have to think of an answer.” As I read the questions of Christ in the Gospels, I was constantly saying to myself, “That’s a good question…” and almost immediately I would add, “… and it deserves an honest answer.”

Then I endeavored to gather and examine all the recorded questions Jesus asked throughout His life and ministry and honestly attempted to answer them, or to apply their rhetorical truth, one by one, for myself.

The idea of this guide is for you, the reader, to do the same. You will find here, riches yet untapped, available by a simple honest approach to the questions of Christ.

Answers to these questions provide a sound basis to answer questions of life. A foundation of solid understanding awaits an honest seeker.

Much of our time and consideration is given to the questions that we ask God. These questions often go unanswered and leave us in a state of confusion worse than before we asked. Is it that they have no answer? As C. S. Lewis asked, “Can a mortal ask questions which God finds unanswerable? Quite easily, I should think. All nonsense questions are unanswerable.”[1]

But what about the questions He asked us? Because they were formulated in the mind of the Son of God they must be answerable and of inestimable value as well.

At the end of each devotional meditation the question is presented to the reader for consideration in new light. Let an answer formulate within and ponder it and its implications.

It is unfortunate, but the reader will find that today, many of the questions Jesus asked are never posed and certainly never honestly answered. What a waste of resource this is! Jesus was a master communicator.

In this day, we chase to and fro to find someone to help us, to motivate us, to guide us. Communicators we may have among us, but one with such a message, one with such pure motivation, one with pure caring and love for His audience, is more difficult to find.

To whom but Jesus could we ascribe our unrestrained trust with our very lives? Unfortunately, His Bible, though still a best seller, remains least read. Alas, Bibles bought, but not owned; stories read but not heard; questions asked but not answered.

[1] C.S. Lewis (1898–1963), British author. A Grief Observed, pt. 4 (1961).

All we need know is that when we dabble and play with ideas in our minds, encouraging the sinner that lurks in us, or even when we try it our way, it is then that we have nothing to look forward to but fearful expectation of inevitable sorrow to cross our path. We must keep our conscience clear so that when trouble comes, (and it most assuredly will) we can hold our chin up and suffer wrongfully.

91.   Do you think that they were sinners?

Luke 13:1-5, “There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

You may call it instinct, or intuition, or conscience, but we all have the voice within us that asks, “Why did this happen to me?” Whenever calamity strikes, we immediately think of causes in our life that may have brought about the situation. We judge ourselves and take inventory of our recent past when troubles present themselves, and the severity of the calamity is proportional to the depth of the searching. If the pain or loss is deep enough, we are willing to examine our lives back to our first recollection of sin. Dredging up every little thing we can think of, we place our sacrifice of confession at the feet of our accuser.

Are our sins the cause of our misery? Does the past have power over the fortune of the future? When tragedy crawls over the horizon to torment us, can we find the cause for its presence within our own record of sin?

There are victims of war, there are starving persons in Cambodia, Bangladesh, Calcutta, there are homeless in Chicago, New York there are victims of drive-by shootings, public bombings, raids, riots and burglary in all cities. Do you think that these were sinners because they suffered such things? Do you think that they only got what they deserved? Do you think that there was some sin in their life that caused their demise? No, (Jesus would say) there was no sin that caused it, but except you repent you will die like they did.

There is a price to disobedience. There are costs involved in living by our own devices and by our own wits, outside of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Does living outside of Christ’s Kingdom cause these calamities? No, but unless you repent you will likely perish by them.

How many of us have looked at a friend or acquaintance and upon contemplating their misfortune wondered why “everything” seems to happen to them. Have we ever listened to someone tell their story and it is populated with every kind of misfortune imaginable and wondered why they continually get the bad deal, the bad “luck” or the short end of the stick? Are these people sinners above all others? Are they worse than most of the other people who have relatively few troubles in life? No, but except you repent you will all likewise perish.

In the Scripture above, the “tower of Siloam” was a description of the garrison of soldiers that guarded that area. Pilate sent these soldiers in to slay in cold blood the worshipers who were visiting from another part of the country as they were making sacrifice. Thus it is said that their blood was mingled with sacrifices [blood].

This was a horrible tragedy and it undoubtedly caused many to wonder and doubt the sincerity and purity of the worshippers whom God watched die at the hands of wicked men, doing nothing to stop it. Jesus asked, “Were these men more wicked than all who were at Jerusalem?” He answers is own question in the negative, then adds, “but… except you repent you will all likewise perish.”

What Is He Telling Us?

Is He saying that if we repent we will not suffer such things? We know this is not the case, but He IS saying that we most assuredly will suffer these things if we do not repent.

The main difference is the word “perish.” When these troublesome things happen to some people they perish by the trouble, when it happens to the righteous it makes them better. Calamity follows some people around. Individuals who lie all the time, those who you cannot believe anything they say, have many troubles in their life. Just ask them! Their lives are tragedies in most every area.

Those who steal, those who cheat, those who slight men what is due, who don’t follow rules, who don’t obey when not being watched, and those who cannot be trusted, are usually plagued with every sorrow and calamity. This calamity and misfortune seems endless in the lives of these poor souls and they are usually blind to its cause. They convince themselves that they must cheat and/or steal to get by or to make up for their “bad luck.”

When we step from the higher plain to indulge in a little cheating (just a little) or we move to a darker mode of thought, we are toying with this network of misfortune and inviting it to join itself with us.

When we say that which is not true, when we exaggerate or diminish (whatever benefits us most), when we demand what is exact when it is coming to us and then pay out with a slack hand, when we are quick to collect a debt yet slow to pay one; when we refuse to suffer, refuse to give, refuse to lose; when we cheat the lengthy path and search for shortcuts, we are dabbling with the cause for all men’s troubles. Our most valuable ally, our conscience, is in danger of being compromised.

The newspaper, the radio, and TV news all are replete with stories of the misfortunate innocents of coincidence. “If they had not been there at that time the train would have not hit their car.” The recent sniper in Washington triggered more thoughts of intriguing coincidences “If he had not arrived at that moment he would have never encountered the gunmen.”

These are speculations we all consider when senseless calamities strike the lives of the blameless. A little faster, a little slower, if they had come another night, if they hadn’t come at all – how are we to defend against such a thing if there is no pattern – no plan – no justice?

Because we have toyed with sin we are beleaguered with uncertainty. Because of our uncertainty we are plagued with “if” scenarios in our mind that go nowhere and accomplish nothing. We are perishing under our load not the weight of those who stalk us, or the calamities that await us.

All we need know is that when we dabble and play with ideas in our minds, encouraging the sinner that lurks in us, or even when we try it our way, it is then that we have nothing to look forward to but fearful expectation of inevitable sorrow to cross our path. We must keep our conscience clear so that when trouble comes, (and it most assuredly will) we can hold our chin up and suffer wrongfully.

If we suffer for no cause of our own making, we may bypass the soul-searching, the sin dredging, and the self-abasement and loathing. We need not wonder what we have done to deserve our fate; we can know that we’ve done nothing amiss. This is the secret to joy in tribulation. Who would have thought it? It is as simple as: Do right – always.

When you hear of the senseless death or trouble of seemingly innocent folks and wonder if they were involved in some sinful behavior, hear the Lord’s question again, “Do you think that they were sinners, above all others?

Then hear his answer, “No, but except you repent…”

The questions in red letters became a curiosity to me because of their depth and scope, but more so, because of who asked them. Albeit some of the questions asked by Jesus Christ were rhetorical, that is, asked for effect, or asked more to provoke thought than to solicit an answer, some questions Christ posed were asked merely because He wanted an answer.

For some, it makes them uneasy to think that Jesus did not know the answer in advance. We have been taught that “Jesus knew everything” as if He were some sort of mind reader or telepathic. The Scriptures do not support this idea; it is therefore only conjecture. Poor conjecture, in my opinion. When the Scriptures state, “…Jesus knew their thoughts…” (Luke 6:8 – Matthew 12:25) they simply speak of perception.

Jesus was infinitely wise and extraordinarily perceptive and He knew mankind better than they knew themselves. As John states so perfectly, “But Jesus … knew all men… for he knew what was in man.” (John 2:24-25)

It is Christ’s keen perception and His unique wisdom that shines from His questions. Sometimes, with His questions, He exposed hypocrites to the world. Once, He asked the sanctimonious Pharisees, “The Baptism of John, was it commissioned from heaven or of men?” knowing they could not answer and remain veiled to the people. Sometimes His questions quietly and discretely exposed the inner thoughts and motives of His own disciples so that their intentions would become apparent to themselves, as when He queried them about their motivation for attending John the Baptist’s meetings in the wilderness, “What went ye out to see?” But, sometimes He asked a question simply because He did not know the answer and wanted one, as when He asked Mary about the burial place of her brother, Lazarus, “Where have ye laid him?”

Whatever the reason Jesus asks His questions, in all our conversational encounters with the Savior, it will be His wisdom that beams, His glory that shines, and His Heart of love and compassion that is laid before us. Your answers to His questions will sometimes make you uncomfortable and lay your heart open to Him in return, but to whom, save Christ, could you trust your candid answers and confessions, and before whom could you lay your condition in forthright display in full assurance of acceptance? Who is able to open your life for examination in pure love and unfeigned truth as Jesus can?

What a Preacher He was, what a Teacher, and what a Friend we have in Him.

As you hear His questions and consider your own answers, you are thrust into His time and He into yours. By quiet contemplation, words on a page become a live conversation. In meditation, ink and paper can become living words in your ears, and it is then that the words of God become The Word of God. It is then that you will experience more than the mere reading of history; you will become part of a verbal exchange, a part of the repartee, banter, and even argument with our Lord Jesus Christ! If you will only answer His questions honestly and with sincerity, you may well peer into depths of your own soul and purpose, heretofore undiscovered and unknown.

Ours is a quest to learn of our Messiah and His Father, YHVH. Jesus asked questions of the people in the Bible’s stories to fulfill the will of God, and that was (as it remains with us) to bring the chosen ones closer to His Father. With this devotional, you can experience a daily exchange of thought with the Christ of the Bible, leading you closer to Him, revealing His ways, His thoughts and eventually, if He wills it so, His Father. As He said in Matthew 11:27-28, “All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.”

There will be no quotes from Greek poetry here, but you will find an abundance of Scripture. May I assume you have a familiarity with the Gospel accounts of the life of Christ?

The questions, in some cases, are composites from all Gospel accounts containing the same question. For clarity, all Scriptures where the question appears are noted. If you doubt your level of familiarity and want to re-read the Gospels, this devotional will make a good companion for such an endeavor. The text references are in chronological order (as much as is possible) so you can follow the events in the life of Jesus if you want to. However, there is no necessity to follow my order if you are not inclined to do so. My advice is to read this book in the same manner it was written to help you appreciate (and hopefully, experience) the power in which it was received.

Over a period of four years of morning devotional time and meditation, life experience and revelation was this book created and edited into the form you have in your hand. Time cannot be a factor in revelation of truth, dispensation of grace, or receiving of solace from our God.

Take one question at a time. Read it and contemplate it quietly for a while; allow time for the Lord to speak to you. Resist the temptation to push through to the next question. Each question takes only approximately ten minutes to read, take again as long to sit quietly and then perhaps add notes of your own impressions. Trying to read several questions one after the other or an attempt to quickly finish the book will not prove to be satisfactory. You may be prompted to worship or pray afterward, so time allotted for this will be very valuable. Sometimes the message of one question will be on your mind all day. These are times when Truth is to be revealed many hours after devotional time has ended. Take your time.

The context and background of each story will prove to be a rich source as well. Have your Bible handy to establish context and read the references and footnotes given. In my personal devotions, I would read the verses before and after the referenced Scripture to understand the timeframe of Christ’s life and to get a feel for the mood of the hearers before I would meditate on each question.

What a wondrous journey writing this was for me. Each devotional was written during and after my early morning hours of meditation as the Lord opened them to me, one question at a time. It was always a joy to discover a new question and explore it. When the end of the Gospels was drawing near I felt a sadness, as if I was losing a magnificent opportunity to visit with the Savior each morning.

I am happy to share these devotionals with you. I would love to know that you received them in the same richness of Spirit that I did.

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NOTES:

Your host has the highest respect for the Bible as a document miraculously given from God to contemporary man. It is not, however, prudent to elevate it to the status, rank, or position belonging to our living Savior as our Teacher and Guide. His promise was to send a Comforter who will lead and guide us to all Truth. That Guide is none other than His own Spirit, the Spirit of God.

The Bible is a true and accurate record of men experiencing that selfsame guidance. However, the record of this guidance in the lives of others is merely that – a record. A glorious and markedly valuable record indeed, but this record should never replace the personal experience of sitting at the Master’s feet. Jesus Christ is alive again from the dead and fully capable of opening the Scriptures to His followers.

We know that God spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets. Has He in these last days spoken unto us by ink and pen? No! He has spoken unto us by his Son. So says Hebrews 1:1-2.

It is our Father’s intention to teach us directly through a living relationship with His Son Jesus Christ. In times past, He used men as prophets; it is mistakenly assumed that today He uses only a book. The verse in Hebrews, cited above, makes no such assertion nor does it defend such an idea. From this Scripture it is clear that Jehovah speaks to us by His Son.

Discussions on the infallibility of Scripture, contradictions found therein, dubious inspiration of modern Bibles, etc., I will leave to some other forum. These views are usually traditional, typically personal, frequently inflammatory, and have proven to be useless deliberations that put man no closer to his goal of reconciliation to God. Regrettably, it is also observable that those who enjoy engagement in these disputes are usually the worst violators of their own Bible’s clearest doctrines.

The Bible is an inestimable gift of God to lost and lawless mankind. Without it, in our modern sinful and separated condition, living so far from our ancestral family in God, I fear it would be nearly impossible (especially in our short lifetimes) to gain such instruction from our Father directly. Even so, to merely learn it or read it is not the same as hearing it.

Remember, Jesus’ words were not, he who has eyes let him read, but he who has ears, let him hear. To mistake one for the other, results in deficiency and confusion, harm and loss. For this singular reason, churches, supposedly built upon unambiguous teachings of an infallible Bible are diverse, contradictory, and dissimilar rivals. Hear the voice of the living Savior. He will guide you.

Luke 24:32, “And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?”