The words and acts of Jesus

Questions People Asked Jesus

People came to Jesus with real questions: how to inherit eternal life, how often to forgive, who counts as a neighbour, how a person can be born again, and which commandment is greatest. The Gospels record both the questions and his answers. Every one below is quoted from the King James Version and cited to its passage, nothing invented.

These are questions actually put to Jesus in the four Gospels, paired with what he actually said in reply. Where the answer is a whole story or a long exchange, the citation points you to the full passage so you can read it in context.

A rich man: what must I do to inherit eternal life?

“Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”
Mark 10:17

A wealthy man ran and knelt to ask this. Jesus answered in Mark 10:21: sell what you have, give to the poor, and come, follow me. He looked on the man and loved him.

Peter: how many times must I forgive?

“Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?”
Matthew 18:21

Jesus answered in Matthew 18:22, Until seventy times seven, and told the parable of the unforgiving servant to explain it.

A lawyer: and who is my neighbour?

“And who is my neighbour?”
Luke 10:29

Jesus answered with the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37) and closed with, Go, and do thou likewise.

Nicodemus: how can a man be born when he is old?

“How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?”
John 3:4

Jesus answered in John 3:5, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

A scribe: which is the great commandment?

“Master, which is the great commandment in the law?”
Matthew 22:36

Jesus answered in Matthew 22:37-39: love the Lord your God with all your heart, and love your neighbour as yourself.

Pilate: what is truth?

“What is truth?”
John 18:38

Jesus had just said he came to bear witness to the truth (John 18:37). Pilate asked the question and, the text notes, did not wait for the answer standing before him.

What this shows about Jesus

Jesus never brushed a sincere question aside. He met the earnest with love, the clever with stories that searched the heart, and even the cynical with patience. He was not afraid of hard questions, and he still is not. You can bring him yours.

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These are his own words and deeds

Everything on this page is drawn straight from the Gospels, nothing added, nothing softened. The living Christ is not an argument to be won but a Person to be met, and he still draws near to everyone who comes to him with an open heart. Read his own words, watch what he does, and see. The Gospel of John is a gentle place to begin.

Meet JesusRead the Gospel of JohnThe gospel

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Frequently asked questions

What was the most important question people asked Jesus?
Among the weightiest was the rich man's, 'What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?' (Mark 10:17), and the scribe's, 'Which is the great commandment?' (Matthew 22:36). Jesus answered both by pointing to wholehearted love and to following him.
Did Jesus always answer the questions he was asked?
He answered sincere questions directly or with a story, but he sometimes turned a trap back on the asker, or, as with Pilate's 'What is truth?' (John 18:38), let the questioner walk away from an answer standing in front of them.
Explore furtherQuestions Jesus askedThe commands of JesusMeet JesusWhat Jesus said
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