The Questions Jesus Asked by Butch Entrekin 

Pastor Entrekin gives some of the best examples of four types of questions asked by Christ. Among the questions chosen are some of the most interesting as well as some of the most important. The book is split into four loose parts, with each part covering one of the four types of questions: (1) the rhetorical question, (2) the personal examination question, (3) the truth-engaging question, and (4) the ambiguous question. Entrekin describes the rhetorical question as “a question where the answer or conclusion is obvious to the listener” (p. vii).[2] He describes the personal examination question as one which “requires the listener to consider his own beliefs and draw conclusions based on those beliefs” (p. viii).[3] Truth-engaging questions “encourage the listener to seek God’s truth” (p. viii),[4] with the idea that the question will guide the listener into a deeper consideration of the teaching to follow. The last section deals with the ambiguous question, which he describes as “one where there are two or more seemingly correct answers, or perhaps there is no definitive answer at all” (p. ix).[5] For each of the four sections, Entrekin gives a more detailed description of the type of question discussed, as well as how Jesus used them, in order to introduce the chapter, which is a helpful tool for the reader.

Pastor Entrekin states as his goal “that The Questions Jesus Asked will cultivate within every reader a deeper relationship with our Savior and a renewed interest in the study of His Word” (p. ix). The Questions Jesus Asked is not only a worthwhile and encouraging study for the student of the Word, it also serves as a wonderful book to use devotionally, either personally or in a group,[6] since it is grace-based, Bible-focused, and each section draws practical applications from the passages discussed.

[1] Pastor Butch Entrekin is the Pastor of Adult Education at Community Bible Church in Stockbridge , Georgia , and a professor at Free Grace Seminary in Hampton , Georgia .

[2] One of this writer’s favorite chapters, chapter two, is in this section. There Pastor Entrekin discusses Luke 6:6-11, where Jesus asks the question, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” This is a question which at first glance almost seems not to fit the context, until Entrekin does a great job of unraveling it.

[3] An example of this would be Entrekin’s chapter nine, where he discusses Christ’s questions found in Matthew 16:26: “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”

[4] An example of this is in chapter 17, where Entrekin discusses Jesus’ question after He washes the disciples’ feet in John 13:12: “Do you understand what I have done for you?”

[5] The ambiguity might only be on the part of the original audience, as in chapter 21, where Entrekin discusses Jesus’ exchange with the chief priests and elders in Matthew 21:23-32. There Jesus asks, “John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven or from men?”

[6] Chapter six on the Sermon on the Mount might be the only exception, which Entrekin himself wisely breaks into five sections. Each section in that chapter would serve well on its own as a devotion.