I am looking for signs of spring and I am looking for answers to a few prayers and I’m looking for a gift for a friend, but none of these answers are my answer when I learn who asked this.

Jesus. John 1: 38

He asked it first to John and Andrew at the Jordan River where John the Baptist was preaching. He asked it in the beginning of His ministry and all through His ministry. It’s the question He asked most of all in different ways to different people. What do you want? What are you looking for? What do you want me to do for you?

Have you ever answered a question Jesus asked? Since I have, and since I wrote a Bible study about it, here are a few questions people ask me:

How do I begin? Begin by answering it in your head. Let it sit, ponder, go back to it, chew on it. Answer a little at first and more will come.

Do I have to write it down? Do I have to tell anyone my answer even if I do the study? No and no. With me, God speaks as I write, so just picking up a pen helps me get a little further in my thinking. The realness of the study is that you are not supposed to share you answer; there’s plenty to talk about without giving your answer. Your answer is solely between you and Christ.

Why am I nervous about this? Because we are attempting to answer God. Stay humble as Job did in his dialog with God. Think of Peter, who did answer Jesus, and Jesus’ warmth in response. Keep in mind that Jesus is asking everything, all of His hundreds of questions in Scripture, out of love.

What good does this do? it draws you closer to the One asking the question. You begin to know little things about Jesus when you look at the backdrop to the question. And you begin to discover a few things about yourself. Some may think it’s presumptuous or even preposterous to answer questions Jesus asked over two thousand years ago. I believe it’s a rare privilege.

So, here’s my question: it’s not, how would you answer, it’s would you answer? I want you to know what I’m talking about in first person. Would you give it a shot?