Much of the last week of Jesus’ life is spent teaching and preaching the gospel. During the day he was relatively easy to find. He was in the temple. When he was a boy he had gone to the temple and sat asking questions. When Mary and Joseph found him after three days he asked them, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” Here, twenty one years later, we find him in the temple again astounding people with his questions:
- “Was the baptism of John from heaven or man?”
- “What then is this that is written: The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone?”
- “Whose likeness and inscription does [the denarius] have?”
- “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son? David calls him Lord, so how is he his son?”
Questions are powerful tools. They can help us draw near to God in trust. They can help to root out the deepest hypocrisy of our hearts. They can be the humble cry of the needy, “Will you help me?” They can be an inspirational battle cry, “If God is for us who can stand against us?”
It seems to me that we often make being a “good Christian” about having the right answers. Often when people talk about why they don’t feel comfortable sharing their faith with others they will say, “What if they ask me a question and I don’t know the answer?” We have painstakingly put together creeds, catechisms, books and study guides to help people give the right answer. When we do confirmation much of what we are looking for is the right answers.
Not that right answers are bad. I want right answers, and I want us to know that the heart of our faith is in Jesus’ death and resurrection. I want us to know the stories of the Bible – not for the sake of knowing but because we see God’s salvation at work in people’s lives, and God works through those stories to give us salvation and strengthen our faith. I wish that everyone would become experts in God’s Word continually pouring over it – but not just so they can have right answers but they can experience the heart of God as the Holy Spirit works through these pages.
But the God that we meet here has a bit of mystery about Him. He is other. He is holy. “Who has known the mind of God.” So perhaps being a “good Christian” also means having questions. Abraham asked questions. David asked questions. Paul asked questions.
Don’t underestimate the value of asking questions when you share your faith or when you have a conversation with someone. Questions can help us pique curiosity and challenge people’s preconceived notions. Jesus used them a lot. Perhaps a good question to start each day as you read God’s Word is, “Lord, what are your teaching me today?”
Father in Heaven, thank you for your Word. I sometimes treat the Bible as a set of facts or a history book. Help me as I read it to find You in these pages. Teach me Your ways, guide me by your Spirit and overwhelm me with the love that you have shown me in Jesus’ death and resurrection. Help me to be in wonder and awe of what you do, and let is show for Jesus sake. Amen.
- “Was the baptism of John from heaven or man?”
- “What then is this that is written: The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone?”
- “Whose likeness and inscription does [the denarius] have?”
- “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son? David calls him Lord, so how is he his son?”
Questions are powerful tools. They can help us draw near to God in trust. They can help to root out the deepest hypocrisy of our hearts. They can be the humble cry of the needy, “Will you help me?” They can be an inspirational battle cry, “If God is for us who can stand against us?”
It seems to me that we often make being a “good Christian” about having the right answers. Often when people talk about why they don’t feel comfortable sharing their faith with others they will say, “What if they ask me a question and I don’t know the answer?” We have painstakingly put together creeds, catechisms, books and study guides to help people give the right answer. When we do confirmation much of what we are looking for is the right answers.
Not that right answers are bad. I want right answers, and I want us to know that the heart of our faith is in Jesus’ death and resurrection. I want us to know the stories of the Bible – not for the sake of knowing but because we see God’s salvation at work in people’s lives, and God works through those stories to give us salvation and strengthen our faith. I wish that everyone would become experts in God’s Word continually pouring over it – but not just so they can have right answers but they can experience the heart of God as the Holy Spirit works through these pages.
But the God that we meet here has a bit of mystery about Him. He is other. He is holy. “Who has known the mind of God.” So perhaps being a “good Christian” also means having questions. Abraham asked questions. David asked questions. Paul asked questions.
Don’t underestimate the value of asking questions when you share your faith or when you have a conversation with someone. Questions can help us pique curiosity and challenge people’s preconceived notions. Jesus used them a lot. Perhaps a good question to start each day as you read God’s Word is, “Lord, what are your teaching me today?”
Father in Heaven, thank you for your Word. I sometimes treat the Bible as a set of facts or a history book. Help me as I read it to find You in these pages. Teach me Your ways, guide me by your Spirit and overwhelm me with the love that you have shown me in Jesus’ death and resurrection. Help me to be in wonder and awe of what you do, and let is show for Jesus sake. Amen.
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