​The Art of Asking Questions - Pastor David Tsai

Jesus and His disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way He asked them, “Who do people say I am?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”          Mark 8:27-28
 
Jesus is a great question-asker. He asks about 309 questions throughout the Gospels, while being asked 183 questions in return. The most frustrating thing is he only directly answers about three. Instead, He loves answering questions with another question. Often, I have found that the answers are found in the questions themselves.
The first half of the Gospel of Mark hints at Jesus’ identity and the authority He possesses.  By the time He asks His disciples this inquisitive question, “Who do people say that I am?” we have seen a wide range of people’s experiences with Jesus. And something begins turning at this point in the Gospel.
Who does Herod say that He is?
He believes that Jesus is John the Baptist reincarnated. An ironic thing to see this cruel ruler who beheaded John the Baptist, claim that he believes…wait, in a resurrection?
Who do the demons say that he is?
In the previous chapters, when demons were near Jesus, they would fall down before Him and confess His identity, “You are the Son of God!” Even the demons believe in His identity.
Who does a bleeding woman say that He is?
She would say that a man who praised her faith told her that her faith has made her well of her affliction. Not the doctors that treated her. Not the religious rulers that banished her from temple worship due to her uncleanliness. The One whose robe she touched with faith enough to stop the bleed.
Who does the wind say that He is?
The wind and waves are battering a boat, and scared disciples wake up Jesus. To their surprise, He commands the wind and the waves to cease and be still. Even the wind is a witness of His authority.
Creation and created non-human beings declare the identity and point to the person of Jesus, directly or accidentally. I love the wide range of the human and non-human experience. I appreciate that the journey to discover Jesus is filled with belief, unbelief, and partial belief. The road is cluttered with misunderstanding and doubts. Quiet questions and uncertainty abound.
The art of asking questions of Jesus and conversing with the questions He asks of us might be our most ordinary and holy practice on the road to resurrection.
 
Reflection
In this season of your life, who do you say Jesus is?