In today’s world, the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth stand out more than ever, inviting introspection and transformation. Among these teachings are the provocative questions Jesus asked, questions that cut to the heart of human existence and spirituality.
And, in my opinion, studying Jesus’ questions is a great way to learn how Jesus communicated with people, which is in stark contrast with how we typically communicate.
Jesus’ inquiries about eternal life, the nature of the Son of Man, and the weight of worldly wealth challenge our common assumptions and compel us to seek a fuller appreciation of the Word of God. From addressing the “little faith” of the disciples to confronting the “brood of vipers,” or the pharisees, Jesus’ questions in the Gospels pierced the way of thinking during Biblical times and today.
My favorite question that Jesus asked is in Matthew 22:20-22:
“And Jesus said to them, Whose likeness and inscription is this? They said, Caesar’s. Then he said to them,
Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. When they heard it, they marveled.”
This question was asked after Jesus was asked by the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” They were trying to trick Jesus and catch him choosing one side or the other. But Jesus confounded them with his answer instead.
How Many Questions Did Jesus Ask According to the Bible?
According to our own research, Jesus asked 305 questions, according to the Bible, specifically found in the 4 gospels.
We found two other sources with differing answers above the 305 count:
- 307 Questions: According to Rethink, their estimate suggests that Jesus asked a total of 307 questions throughout the Gospel. This count only includes the questions that were recorded, suggesting that the actual number might be higher.
- 339 Questions: According to Biblical Leadership, the four Gospels record a total of 339 questions asked by Jesus.
Here is our top compilation of the remaining 104 questions asked by Jesus…
The Top Questions that Jesus Asked
“Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me?” (Matthew 26:55, NIV)
“And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?” (Luke 18:7, KJV)
“Are there not twelve hours in the day?” (John 11:9, NKJV)
“Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour?” (Mark 14:37, ESV)
“Do you not yet understand?” (Mark 7:18, NASB)
“But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?” (Matthew 26:54, KJV)
“Which of you convicts Me of sin?”
(John 8:46, NKJV)
“Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” (Matthew 20:22, ESV)
“Could you not watch with Me one hour?” (Matthew 26:40, NKJV)
“Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:26, ESV)
“Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?” (Luke 11:40, NKJV)
“Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”
(Luke 2:49, NKJV)
“Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?” (Matthew 7:16, NKJV)
“Do you believe that I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28, NASB)
“Do you believe this?” (John 11:26, NIV)
“Do you bring a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand?” (Mark 4:21, NIV)
“Have you anything here to eat?” (Luke 24:41, NKJV)
“Do you love me more than these?”
(John 21:15, ESV)
“Do you see all these great buildings?” (Mark 13:2, NIV)
“What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51, ESV)
“What do you think? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?” (Matthew 17:25, NKJV)
“Has not Moses given you the law, and yet none of you keeps the law?” (John 7:19, NKJV)
“Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” (John 6:70, NIV)
“Have you never read in the scriptures ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;
(Matthew 21:42, ESV)
the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
“How can anyone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?” (Matthew 12:29, NKJV)
“Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?” (Matthew 9:15, ESV)
“How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?” (John 5:44, NKJV)
“O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you?” (Matthew 17:17, NKJV)
“How many loaves do you have?” (Matthew 15:34, NIV)
“How will you escape the condemnation of hell?” (Matthew 23:33, NKJV)
“When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
(Luke 18:8, NKJV)
“If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” (John 3:12, NKJV)
“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?” (Matthew 12:11, NIV)
“If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?” (John 8:46, NKJV)
“If it is from God, why do you not believe him?” (John 9:30, NIV – paraphrased for context)
“If you believe Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.” (John 5:46, ESV – paraphrased for context)
“If you love those who love you, what reward have you?” (Matthew 5:46, NKJV)
“Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?”
(Mark 3:4, ESV)
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46, ESV)
“Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?” (Luke 14:31, NKJV)
“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?” (Luke 15:8, NKJV)
“Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?” (Luke 14:34, NKJV)
“Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?” (John 18:11, NKJV)
“So if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?” (Luke 16:11, ESV)
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?”
(Luke 15:4, NKJV)
“To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like?” (Luke 7:31, NKJV)
“Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?” (Luke 17:17, NKJV)
“What are you discussing together as you walk along?” (Luke 24:17, NIV)
What did Moses command you?” (Mark 10:3, NIV)
“What did you go out into the wilderness to see?” (Matthew 11:7, ESV)
“What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” (Matthew 22:42, ESV)
“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’” (Matthew 21:28, ESV)
“What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51, ESV)
“What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?”
(Luke 9:25, ESV)
“What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?” (John 6:62, ESV)
“What is that to you? You follow me!” (John 21:22, ESV)
“What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” (Luke 10:26, ESV)
“What is your name?” (Luke 8:30, NKJV)
“What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use for it?”
(Mark 4:30, NIV)
“What were you arguing about on the way?” (Mark 9:33, ESV)
“Where have you laid him?” (John 11:34, ESV)
“Where is your faith?” (Luke 8:25, ESV)
“Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” (John 6:5, NKJV)
“Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’?”
(Mark 2:9, ESV)
“Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” (Luke 10:36, ESV)
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (Matthew 16:13, ESV)
“Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15, ESV)
“Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” (Matthew 12:48, ESV)
“Who of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” (Luke 12:25, ESV)
“Who touched my garments?” (Mark 5:30, ESV)
“Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 8:26, ESV)
“Why are you thinking evil in your hearts?” (Matthew 9:4, ESV)
“Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.” (Mark 10:18, ESV)
“Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?”
(Matthew 7:3, ESV)
“Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” (Mark 8:12, ESV)
“Why do you test Me, you hypocrites?” (Matthew 22:18, NKJV)
“Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me.” (Matthew 26:10, ESV)
“Will you indeed be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades.” (Luke 10:15, ESV)
“Will you give me a drink?” (John 4:7, NIV)
“You are the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?”
(John 3:10, ESV)
“How can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34, ESV)
“Do you also want to go away?” (John 6:67, NKJV)
“Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me.” (Matthew 26:10, NIV)
“Why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” (John 20:15, NIV)
“Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” (Luke 22:46, NIV)
“Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened?” (Mark 8:17, NIV)
“Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?” (Luke 5:22, NIV)
“Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?”
(Luke 24:38, NIV)
“Why are you trying to kill me?” (John 7:19, NIV)
“Why are you trying to trap me?” (Mark 12:15, NIV)
“Why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31, NIV)
“Why do you ask me about what is good?” (Matthew 19:17, NIV)
“Why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?” (Matthew 15:3, NIV)
“Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?” (Matthew 9:4, NIV)
“Why do you involve me?” (John 2:4, NIV)
“Why do you worry about clothes?” (Matthew 6:28, NIV)
“Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?” (Luke 12:57, NIV)
“Why is my language not clear to you?” (John 8:43, NIV)
“Why question me?” (John 18:21, NIV)
“Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’?” (John 10:36, NIV)
“Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected?”
(Mark 9:12, NIV)
“Why were you searching for me?” (Luke 2:49, NIV)
“Will you be lifted up to the skies?” (Luke 10:15, NIV)
“You are Israel’s teacher, and do you not understand these things?” (John 3:10, NIV)
“You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good?” (Matthew 12:34, NIV)
Closing Thoughts about Jesus’ Questions
As we navigate our own lives, the questions Jesus asked remain as relevant today as they were two millennia ago. The way that Jesus was consistently challenged by the religious Pharisees, and each time he left them with no words was simply amazing. Jesus did not need to argue because of the unique way that he communicated with questions.
We can learn from many of His questions. Here is another favorite of mine, “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?”
He said this after the pharisees couldn’t understand why Jesus was welcoming sinners and eating with them. While the pharisees saw “sinners” as people that should be avoided, Jesus went on to explain after this question that “there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”
While many people are constantly searching for answers, I believe that there are powerful answers firmly planted in the questions that Jesus asked.
