Jesus Has Some Questions For You

The story of Jesus transforming a boy’s lunch of five loaves and two fishes into a meal for 5,000 men plus women and children is well-known. In fact, it is the only story that is told in all four gospels.

Large crowds had been following Jesus, intrigued by the miracles He had performed. Out in the middle of nowhere, it was meal time and His disciples reported that the people were hungry. The account in the gospel of John includes a question-answer exchange Jesus initiated with Philip about how the crowds were to be fed. Jesus’ question to Philip tells us much about His heart toward us and how questions can help us grow. Yes, questions can be a powerful tool to point us to Jesus.

About Questions

Have you ever noticed that when someone asks you a question, you’re internally driven to answer it? At least that’s how I usually respond. And I think other people respond similarly. Granted, there are some questions that don’t take much thought. However Jesus tends to ask us simple, yet deeply thought-provoking questions that require our self-examination. Many of His questions may take our entire lives to answer.

Questions have long been a fundamental method of teaching. God must like questions, too, since there are 2,272 questions in the Old Testament and 1,022 questions in the New (KJV). For teachers or Rabbis, asking questions was a part of long-established traditions. So, it’s not surprising that Jesus frequently used questions as a way to lead the respondent to new insight. His questions will always give us insight about our relationship with Him.

The Question Jesus Asked of Philip

“When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, He said to Philip, ‘Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?'” John 6:5 (NIV). This seems like a straightforward easy-to answer question, doesn’t it? But Jesus had a lesson plan in mind and it was designed specifically for Philip.

Jesus Singled Out Philip

All the other disciples were present. Why do you think Jesus singled out Philip to ask this particular question? Bible commentaries observe Philip was from that area and would have first hand knowledge of where to acquire provisions. But Andrew and Peter were also from the same area. I think that Jesus singled out Philip to build his faith – to lead Philip into knowledge of who Jesus was. John 6:6 says “He (Jesus) asked this only to test him (Philip), for He (Jesus) already had in mind what He was going to do.” The way the word test is used here means to ascertain quality. Jesus wanted to not only determine how Philip viewed Him, but also challenge Philip to test his own perception of who Jesus was. It was a moment that Jesus had designed especially with Philip in mind.

He does the same for us. Questions may come from a Bible verse or may initiate from an inward witness of the Holy Spirit. A question that often engages me is “Simon (Peter), lovest thou me?” I can hear Jesus asking “Olga, lovest thou me?” I pause and think about the reasons I love Him. My love for Him is reinforced and I am challenged to love Him ever more deeply and completely.

Another question that causes me to think is the one Jesus posed to the invalid at the Pool of Bethesda, “Wilt thou be made whole?” (John 5:6). It’s a very simple question, yet requires deep self-examination. And I also must ask myself: Do I truly want to be made whole? But Jesus’ question to Philip was somewhat different than these: On the surface, it was totally framed in the natural.

Jesus’ Question Was Framed In the Natural

What do I mean by saying that Jesus’ question was framed in the natural? When Jesus asked “Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?” the words he used meant exactly that. There is no hidden or deeper meaning in the words themselves. Jesus asked where physical bread could be purchased with money for the people’s physical sustenance. It was not posed as a spiritual question.

And so Philip answered the question considering the natural factors: availability of such a large amount of bread and the means to pay for it. And his proposed solution would have yielded a meager portion for those in the crowd.

But natural questions don’t necessarily have natural answers. Philip was focused on the “how” of solving this problem that Jesus had posed in His question. Jesus saw the opportunity to solve this natural dilemma in a supernatural way. Jesus wanted Philip to know Him as the “Who” – the answer to every need of mankind.

“How” Versus “Who”

Jesus wanted to lead Philip to recognize Him as the Bread of Life; the Supplier; the giver of all good things. Jesus could have supplied the food, yet Philip hadn’t yet understood Jesus’ divinity. Jesus could have rained down manna, or money or any other number of things to solve the problem. He wanted Philip to discern that when Jesus is present there is no lack. He is our Provider.

I wonder what Philip made of Jesus’ question when he looked back on that incident. I would imagine that he marveled when he compared his “how” response to Jesus’ miraculous feeding of the multitude. How about you? Are you trying to workout the “how,” when the “Who” is tenderly calling you to rely on His infinite creative power to bring forth your miracle?

To Sum It Up

Jesus teaches us through questions, both throughout the scriptures and through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. If we’ll listen and reflect, His questions are customized to bring about deeper revelation of Who He is, which will help us grow. As Believers we have the privilege of knowing Jesus personally – we know Who He is and that covers the “how” of our circumstances.

How You Can Learn to Love Yourself

You and I are uniquely designed for such a time as this; for a specific purpose. We all have different personalities, gifts, skills, talents, preferences and experiences. God never intended for us to be a clone of someone else. We should embrace, love and accept the masterpiece He has created each of us to be.

We all remember the experiences from when we grew up from childhood into adulthood as we go through different experiences; some are positive and some are negative. Apart from how or why we go through some of these experiences; God can use them to our benefit.

These experiences help to shape and mold us into the people that we become. As we grow and develop as individuals, we gain a concept of who we are and what we were created to do and achieve. Gaining a concept of who we are and loving ourselves unconditionally empower us to live an authentic lifestyle.

Embrace Who You Are

We must appreciate ourselves. Although it may not be a reality for some, when we look in the mirror, we should see one of the best people we know. It is important that we know ourselves better than we know anyone else, all our flaws included and be able to see ourselves as an unique and beautiful individual, empowered by God to succeed in every area of our lives.

We were wonderfully made by a loving God who does all things well. He purposely made us for a time such as this. Though others may resemble you and play some of the same roles as you, there is only one you; and only you can do what you have been created to do.

Knowing and Loving Who We Are

When we know and when we love ourselves as we are gives us the ability to live freely. When we take the time to appreciate the gifts and the abilities placed within us, we can appreciate the gifts and talents of others.

Taking the time to discover and develop the things that we are good at and interested in helps to nurture and cultivate our abilities so that we are always striving to be the best we can be for ourselves as well as for others.

Sometimes we run into challenges as we try to embrace our self image on our journey to self-realization. I dealt with a lot of insecurities when I was young; I still remember how uncertain I was in some situations. It almost prevented me from discovering the life that I was born to live and to know God’s plan for my life.

I was always seeking after the approval of others; as I learned to walk in the image of Christ and see myself the way God sees me, I started to overcome many obstacles step by step.

While we need to be able to relate to others and enjoy their company, we also must learn to do so without being oppressed by their opinions. We never should be in bondage to other people, because that is what it is.

I am so glad that God showed me a way out; He will do the same for you. Although there are times when it tries to return; you and I need to remind ourselves that we are free. Through all this self-realization and acceptance, I was able to make a quality decision.

Either I was going to remain the insecure person I had been for years, or I was going to be insecure in who I was. I chose the latter, and once I started on my new journey toward self-acceptance and self-love, I began to focus on fulfilling my God-given purpose.

Eliminate Being Critical

When we are critical or when we are overly critical this means that we have a negative outlook on life. We tend to look at others and everything with fault finding, harsh accusations, humiliating attitudes and a tendency to unfairly judge ourselves as well as others.

Critical people tend to look down on everyone in a negative way in an attempt to build themselves up. The word critical actually means to find fault or to judge with severity, often times way too fast.

Being critical is opposite to God’s nature. He does not focus on the negative aspects of anyone and anything. He is love, and His very nature is to see the best in everyone and every situation. Therefore, we should not be quick to find fault, but to believe the best.

We do not have to be naive and unrealistic. However we can choose to see things from a positive perspective that agrees with God.

When we begin to read the Bible on a regular basis and understand God’s character, our thoughts will agree with Him. We will begin to understand that if we are to walk with God, we must agree with His plan. God can, and will, use everything He has placed on the inside of us for a specific purpose.

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