Questions

Asking Good Questions

“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” John 3:4

Nicodemus was religious: he was a Pharisee; he was a ruler: one of the seventy Sanhedrin—the Jewish ruling council. According to Jesus: he was “a teacher.” Nicodemus came to Jesus at night, probably because most of the Pharisees were displeased with the teachings of Jesus. They felt threatened.

But Nicodemus didn’t feel threatened. Curious, interested, he had to know more about this man, Jesus, and what he was saying. Nicodemus had seen the miracles and signs that came with the teachings. Jesus was no ordinary teacher! He was from God. He was shattering the Jewish assumption that their racial identity assured them a place in God’s kingdom. Jesus made it plain that a person’s first birth didn’t guarantee entrance into the kingdom; only being born again gave this assurance.

Nicodemus had many questions. Teachers like to ask questions! “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into

their mother’s womb to be born!” (John 3:4)

Jesus explained, “No one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. … The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (John 3:5-6, 8).

Another question, “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked (John 3:9).

Jesus also had questions for Nicodemus. “Are you a teacher of the Jews and don’t know these things? I have spoken to you of earthly things, and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? ” (John 3:10-12)

Then Jesus gave the words which are familiar to most of us: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. … Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son”  (John 3:16-18).

My question to you: Have you been born again?

Dig Deeper

Were Nicodemus’s questions good? Why?

What made Jesus’s questions good?

What good questions should you be asking?