Jesus Is the Question: The 307 Questions Jesus Asked and the 3 He Answered

by Martin B Copenhaver

Overview

Contrary to some common assumptions, Jesus is not the ultimate Answer Man, but more like the Great Questioner. In the Gospels Jesus asks many more questions than he answers. To be precise, Jesus asks 307 questions. He is asked 183 of which he only answers 3. Asking questions was central to Jesus’ life and teachings. In fact, for every question he answers directly he asks—literally—a hundred. Jesus is the Question considers the questions Jesus asks—what they tell us about Jesus and, more important, what our responses might say about what it means to follow Him. Through Jesus’ questions, he modeled the struggle, the wondering, the thinking it through that helps us draw closer to God and better understand, not just the answer, but ourselves, our process and ultimately why questions are among Jesus’ most profound gifts for a life of faith. A game-changer of a book.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781426755149
Publisher:	Abingdon Press
Publication date:	09/02/2014
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Martin B. Copenhaver, an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ, has served churches in Westport, Connecticut; Burlington, Vermont; and Phoenix, Arizona. He is currently Senior Pastor of 1,000-member Wellesley Congregational Church, where he has served since 1994. He is the author (or co-author) of five books and has been published widely in national periodicals. He is an editor-at-large for The Christian Century and frequent speaker throughout the country. He currently resides in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Table of Contents

Foreword Lauren F. Winner xi

Introduction: So Many Questions xvii

Chapter 1 Questions About Longing 1

"What are you looking for?"

"Who are you looking for?"

Chapter 2 A Question About Compassion 13

"Do you see this woman?"

Chapter 3 A Question About Identity 25

"What is your name?"

Chapter 4 Questions About Faith and Doubt 35

"Where is your faith?"

"Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?"

"You of little faith, why did you doubt?"

Chapter 5 Questions About Worry 45

"Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?"

"Why do you worry about clothing?"

"If God so clothes the grass of the field, will be not much more clothe you-you of little faith?"

Chapter 6 Questions About the Reach of Love 55

"Which one of these three was a neighbor to the man who encountered thieves?"

"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?"

"'If you do good only to those who do good to you what credit is that to you?"

Chapter 7 Questions About Healing 65

"Do you want to get well?"

"What do you want me to do for you?

"How long has this been going on?"

Chapter 8 A Question About Abundance 75

"How much bread do you have?"

Chapter 9 The Questions Jesus Answers 87

Chapter 10 Questions About Who Jesus Is 99

"Who do people say that I am?"

"Who do you say that I am?"

Chapter 11 A Question from the Cross 109

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

Chapter 12 Questions from the Risen Christ 119

"What are you talking about as you walk along?"

"Children, have you caught anything to eat?"

"Do you have anything to eat?"

"Simon son of John, do you love me more than these? Do you love me? Do you love me?"

"Who are you looking for?"

Chapter 13 All Those Questions 129

Notes 143

Readers Guide 145

For Further Readme 161