BibleVerse research

Questions people ask Jesus

His disciples, his opponents, the crowds and a Roman governor all put questions to Jesus. This page gathers those questions in the Gospels and Acts of the Berean Standard Bible, who asks them, and which questions are told more than once.

A worn stone stairway leading up to a shaded colonnade in late afternoon light

The short answer

136questions people put to Jesus in the Bible, counting every telling

102distinct questions, when the same question in more than one Gospel is counted once

35distinct questions asked by his disciples, more than by anyone else

People put 136 questions to Jesus in the Gospels and Acts, in 122 verses. Matthew, Mark and Luke often tell the same scene, and counted once each there are 102 distinct questions. Jesus asks more than twice as many as he is asked: 310, gathered on Questions Jesus asks.

In the Gospel narrative, the earliest is asked by Mary, when she and Joseph find Jesus in the temple at twelve: “Child, why have You done this to us?” (Luke 2:48). The last in Bible order is Saul's on the road to Damascus, “Who are You, Lord?” (Acts 9:5), which Paul tells again twice.

Some of the best known

Child, why have You done this to us? Luke 2:48 Mary, his mother
Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Matthew 18:21 Peter
Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Matthew 18:1 the disciples
Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Mark 10:17 also Matthew 19:16, Luke 18:18 a rich young man
Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law? Matthew 22:36 also Mark 12:28 an expert in the law
And who is my neighbor? Luke 10:29 an expert in the law
Teacher, don’t You care that we are perishing? Mark 4:38 the disciples
Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Luke 10:40 Martha
How can a man be born when he is old? John 3:4 Nicodemus
Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? John 9:2 the disciples
Lord, to whom would we go? John 6:68 Peter
Lord, we do not know where You are going, so how can we know the way? John 14:5 Thomas
What is truth? John 18:38 Pilate
Are You the King of the Jews? Matthew 27:11 also Mark 15:2, Luke 23:3, John 18:33 Pilate
Who are You, Lord? Acts 9:5 also Acts 22:8, Acts 26:15 Saul (Paul), to the risen Jesus

Who asks

His disciples ask the most, 35 distinct questions, from “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother?” to “Lord, we do not know where You are going, so how can we know the way?” The people he met one by one ask 26, the religious leaders 24, and the crowds 17.

Who asks Jesus, counting each distinct question once

1His disciples
2Religious leaders
3The crowds
4People he met

Of individuals, Peter asks the most, 9. Pilate is next with 8, all at the trial. Several questions from religious leaders are presented as tests: by what authority Jesus acts, whether to pay taxes to Caesar, whether a man may divorce his wife, whose wife a widow of seven brothers will be in the resurrection, and which commandment is the greatest. Other questions in this group arise in different settings.

Who asks Jesus the most, counting each distinct question once

1The disciples
2Peter
3Those John calls “the Jews”
4Pilate
5Some Pharisees
6The crowd at Capernaum
7A rich young man
8An expert in the law
9Nicodemus
10The high priest
11The Samaritan woman

Told more than once

25 of the questions are told more than once. Pilate's “Are You the King of the Jews?” is the only one in all four Gospels, and 6 more are in all of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Saul's “Who are You, Lord?” is told three times in Acts, once as it happened and twice in Paul's own retelling.

Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast so often, but Your disciples do not fast? Matthew 9:14 · Mark 2:18
Are You the One who was to come, or should we look for someone else? Matthew 11:3 · Luke 7:20
Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? Matthew 15:2 · Mark 7:5
Where in this desolate place could we find enough bread to feed such a large crowd? Matthew 15:33 · Mark 8:4
Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? Matthew 17:10 · Mark 9:11
Why couldn’t we drive it out? Matthew 17:19 · Mark 9:28
Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason? Matthew 19:3 · Mark 10:2
Teacher, what good thing must I do to obtain eternal life? Matthew 19:16 · Mark 10:17 · Luke 18:18
Who then can be saved? Matthew 19:25 · Luke 18:26
By what authority are You doing these things? Matthew 21:23 · Mark 11:28 · Luke 20:2
And who gave You this authority? Matthew 21:23 · Mark 11:28
Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Matthew 22:17 · Mark 12:14 · Luke 20:22
In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be of the seven? Matthew 22:28 · Mark 12:23 · Luke 20:33
Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law? Matthew 22:36 · Mark 12:28
Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age? Matthew 24:3 · Mark 13:4 · Luke 21:7
Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover? Matthew 26:17 · Mark 14:12 · Luke 22:9
Surely not I, Lord? Matthew 26:22 · Mark 14:19
Have You no answer? Matthew 26:62 · Mark 14:60
What are these men testifying against You? Matthew 26:62 · Mark 14:60
Who hit You? Matthew 26:68 · Luke 22:64
Are You the King of the Jews? Matthew 27:11 · Mark 15:2 · Luke 23:3 · John 18:33
Do You not hear how many charges they are bringing against You? Matthew 27:13 · Mark 15:4
And what will be the sign that they are about to be fulfilled? Mark 13:4 · Luke 21:7
Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One? Mark 14:61 · Luke 22:70
Who are You, Lord? Acts 9:5 · Acts 22:8 · Acts 26:15

How he replies

Jesus often meets a question with a question. For 21 of the 102 distinct questions put to him, about one in five, his first recorded words in reply are a question of his own. Asked about fasting, he asks how the guests of the bridegroom can mourn while he is with them; asked by what authority he acts, he asks where John's baptism came from. This happens for 10 of the 24 questions from religious leaders and 8 of the 35 from his disciples. It does not occur among the questions classified under crowds.

9 questions have no recorded reply. At his trial “Jesus remained silent” before the high priest and “gave no answer” to Pilate, and Pilate's “What is truth?” goes unanswered as he walks out. The subtitle of Martin Copenhaver's Jesus Is the Question counts only 3 questions that Jesus answers³; this page does not judge whether a reply answers, only whether his first words are a question.

How Jesus replies, counting each distinct question once

1His first words are a question
2He replies in other words
3No reply is recorded

Asked
Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast so often, but Your disciples do not fast? Matthew 9:14 John the Baptist's disciples
He asks
How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while He is with them? Matthew 9:15
Asked
Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath? Matthew 12:10 some Pharisees
He asks
If one of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? Matthew 12:11
Asked
Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? Matthew 15:2 Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem
He asks
And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? Matthew 15:3
Asked
Where in this desolate place could we find enough bread to feed such a large crowd? Matthew 15:33 the disciples
He asks
How many loaves do you have? Matthew 15:34
“Have you not read...?”, split by the narration
Asked
Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason? Matthew 19:3 some Pharisees
He asks
Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? Matthew 19:4–5
Asked
Teacher, what good thing must I do to obtain eternal life? Matthew 19:16 a rich young man
He asks
Why do you ask Me about what is good? Matthew 19:17
“I will also ask you one question”: John's baptism, from heaven or from men?
Asked
By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority? Matthew 21:23 Chief priests, scribes and elders
He asks
What was the source of John’s baptism? Matthew 21:25
Asked
Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Matthew 22:17 Pharisees and Herodians
He asks
You hypocrites, why are you testing Me? Matthew 22:18
Asked
Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath? Mark 2:24 some Pharisees
He asks
Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? Mark 2:25
he first rebukes the wind; his first words to them are “Why are you so afraid?”
Asked
Teacher, don’t You care that we are perishing? Mark 4:38 the disciples
He asks
Why are you so afraid? Mark 4:40
Asked
Should we pay them or not? Mark 12:14 Pharisees and Herodians
He asks
Why are you testing Me? Mark 12:15
Asked
Child, why have You done this to us? Luke 2:48 Mary, his mother
He asks
Why were you looking for Me? Luke 2:49
Asked
Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Luke 10:25 an expert in the law
He asks
What is written in the Law? Luke 10:26
Asked
Lord, are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well? Luke 12:41 Peter
He asks
Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their portion at the proper time? Luke 12:42
Asked
Are You the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in recent days? Luke 24:18 Cleopas
He asks
What things? Luke 24:19
“You are Israel’s teacher, and you do not understand these things?”, split by the narration
Asked
How can this be? John 3:9 Nicodemus
He asks
You are Israel’s teacher, and you do not understand these things? John 3:10
Asked
Lord, to whom would we go? John 6:68 Peter
He asks
Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? John 6:70
Asked
Rabbi, the Jews just tried to stone You, and You are going back there? John 11:8 the disciples
He asks
Are there not twelve hours of daylight? John 11:9
Asked
Lord, why can’t I follow You now? John 13:37 Peter
He asks
Will you lay down your life for Me? John 13:38
Asked
Lord, what about him? John 21:21 Peter
He asks
If I want him to remain until I return, what is that to you? John 21:22

In each book

John records the most, 47. His Gospel is built from long conversations, with Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman, the crowds in Jerusalem and Pilate, and the questions come with them. Matthew has 36, Mark 25 and Luke 23. Acts has 5, all put to the risen Jesus.

Questions put to Jesus in each book, counting every telling

1Matthew
2Mark
3Luke
4John
5Acts

How the questions begin

30.4% of the distinct questions can be answered yes or no, many of them about who he is: “Are You the One who was to come?”, “Are You the Christ?”. After those, “what” and “who” lead: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”, “Who then can be saved?”

How the questions begin, counting each distinct question once

1A yes-or-no question
2What
3Who, whom or whose
4Why
5How
6Where
7Other openings (if, for, as for, and the like)
8When
9Which
10How long

Every question

All 136, in the order of the books, with who asked each and the same question in other books noted. Choose a book or a group, or search the words.

All 136 questions

Every question people put to Jesus in the Bible, in the words of the Berean Standard Bible, in Bible order, with the same question in other books noted
Where	Question	Asked by	Group
Matthew 3:14	I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?	John the Baptist	People he met
Matthew 9:14	Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast so often, but Your disciples do not fast? (also Mark 2:18)	John the Baptist's disciples	People he met
Matthew 11:3	Are You the One who was to come, or should we look for someone else? (also Luke 7:20)	John the Baptist, through his disciples	People he met
Matthew 12:10	Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?	Some Pharisees	Religious leaders
Matthew 13:10	Why do You speak to the people in parables?	The disciples	His disciples
Matthew 15:2	Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? (also Mark 7:5)	Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem	Religious leaders
Matthew 15:12	Are You aware that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?	The disciples	His disciples
Matthew 15:33	Where in this desolate place could we find enough bread to feed such a large crowd? (also Mark 8:4)	The disciples	His disciples
Matthew 17:10	Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? (also Mark 9:11)	Peter, James and John	His disciples
Matthew 17:19	Why couldn’t we drive it out? (also Mark 9:28)	The disciples	His disciples
Matthew 18:1	Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?	The disciples	His disciples
Matthew 18:21	Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me?	Peter	His disciples
Matthew 18:21	Up to seven times?	Peter	His disciples
Matthew 19:3	Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason? (also Mark 10:2)	Some Pharisees	Religious leaders
Matthew 19:7	Why then did Moses order a man to give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?	Some Pharisees	Religious leaders
Matthew 19:16	Teacher, what good thing must I do to obtain eternal life? (also Mark 10:17, Luke 18:18)	A rich young man	People he met
Matthew 19:18	Which ones?	A rich young man	People he met
Matthew 19:20	What do I still lack?	A rich young man	People he met
Matthew 19:25	Who then can be saved? (also Luke 18:26)	The disciples	His disciples
Matthew 19:27	What then will there be for us?	Peter	His disciples
Matthew 21:16	Do You hear what these children are saying?	The chief priests and scribes	Religious leaders
Matthew 21:20	How did the fig tree wither so quickly?	The disciples	His disciples
Matthew 21:23	By what authority are You doing these things? (also Mark 11:28, Luke 20:2)	Chief priests, scribes and elders	Religious leaders
Matthew 21:23	And who gave You this authority? (also Mark 11:28)	Chief priests, scribes and elders	Religious leaders
Matthew 22:17	Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? (also Mark 12:14, Luke 20:22)	Pharisees and Herodians	Religious leaders
Matthew 22:28	In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be of the seven? (also Mark 12:23, Luke 20:33)	The Sadducees	Religious leaders
Matthew 22:36	Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law? (also Mark 12:28)	An expert in the law	Religious leaders
Matthew 24:3	Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age? (also Mark 13:4, Luke 21:7)	The disciples	His disciples
Matthew 26:17	Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover? (also Mark 14:12, Luke 22:9)	The disciples	His disciples
Matthew 26:22	Surely not I, Lord? (also Mark 14:19)	The disciples	His disciples
Matthew 26:25	Surely not I, Rabbi?	Judas Iscariot	His disciples
Matthew 26:62	Have You no answer? (also Mark 14:60)	The high priest	Religious leaders
Matthew 26:62	What are these men testifying against You? (also Mark 14:60)	The high priest	Religious leaders
Matthew 26:68	Who hit You? (also Luke 22:64)	Members of the council, in mockery	Religious leaders
Matthew 27:11	Are You the King of the Jews? (also Mark 15:2, Luke 23:3, John 18:33)	Pilate	People he met
Matthew 27:13	Do You not hear how many charges they are bringing against You? (also Mark 15:4)	Pilate	People he met
Mark 2:18	Why don’t Your disciples fast like John’s disciples and those of the Pharisees? (also Matthew 9:14)	Some people	The crowds
Mark 2:24	Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?	Some Pharisees	Religious leaders
Mark 4:38	Teacher, don’t You care that we are perishing?	The disciples	His disciples
Mark 6:37	Should we go out and spend two hundred denarii to give all of them bread to eat?	The disciples	His disciples
Mark 7:5	Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders? (also Matthew 15:2)	Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem	Religious leaders
Mark 8:4	Where in this desolate place could anyone find enough bread to feed all these people? (also Matthew 15:33)	The disciples	His disciples
Mark 9:11	Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? (also Matthew 17:10)	Peter, James and John	His disciples
Mark 9:28	Why couldn’t we drive it out? (also Matthew 17:19)	The disciples	His disciples
Mark 10:2	Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife? (also Matthew 19:3)	Some Pharisees	Religious leaders
Mark 10:17	Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? (also Matthew 19:16, Luke 18:18)	A rich young man	People he met
Mark 11:28	By what authority are You doing these things? (also Matthew 21:23, Luke 20:2)	Chief priests, scribes and elders	Religious leaders
Mark 11:28	And who gave You the authority to do them? (also Matthew 21:23)	Chief priests, scribes and elders	Religious leaders
Mark 12:14	Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? (also Matthew 22:17, Luke 20:22)	Pharisees and Herodians	Religious leaders
Mark 12:14	Should we pay them or not?	Pharisees and Herodians	Religious leaders
Mark 12:23	In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be? (also Matthew 22:28, Luke 20:33)	The Sadducees	Religious leaders
Mark 12:28	Which commandment is the most important of all? (also Matthew 22:36)	A scribe	Religious leaders
Mark 13:4	Tell us, when will these things happen? (also Matthew 24:3, Luke 21:7)	Peter, James, John and Andrew	His disciples
Mark 13:4	And what will be the sign that they are about to be fulfilled? (also Luke 21:7)	Peter, James, John and Andrew	His disciples
Mark 14:12	Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover? (also Matthew 26:17, Luke 22:9)	The disciples	His disciples
Mark 14:19	Surely not I? (also Matthew 26:22)	The disciples	His disciples
Mark 14:60	Have You no answer? (also Matthew 26:62)	The high priest	Religious leaders
Mark 14:60	What are these men testifying against You? (also Matthew 26:62)	The high priest	Religious leaders
Mark 14:61	Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One? (also Luke 22:70)	The high priest	Religious leaders
Mark 15:2	Are You the King of the Jews? (also Matthew 27:11, Luke 23:3, John 18:33)	Pilate	People he met
Mark 15:4	Have You no answer? (also Matthew 27:13)	Pilate	People he met
Luke 2:48	Child, why have You done this to us?	Mary, his mother	People he met
Luke 7:20	Are You the One who was to come, or should we look for someone else? (also Matthew 11:3)	John the Baptist, through his disciples	People he met
Luke 9:54	Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?	James and John	His disciples
Luke 10:25	Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?	An expert in the law	Religious leaders
Luke 10:29	And who is my neighbor?	An expert in the law	Religious leaders
Luke 10:40	Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?	Martha	People he met
Luke 12:41	Lord, are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?	Peter	His disciples
Luke 13:23	Lord, will only a few people be saved?	Someone on the road to Jerusalem	The crowds
Luke 17:37	Where, Lord?	The disciples	His disciples
Luke 18:18	Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? (also Matthew 19:16, Mark 10:17)	A rich young man	People he met
Luke 18:26	Who then can be saved? (also Matthew 19:25)	Those who heard him	The crowds
Luke 20:2	By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority? (also Matthew 21:23, Mark 11:28)	Chief priests, scribes and elders	Religious leaders
Luke 20:22	Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not? (also Matthew 22:17, Mark 12:14)	Spies from the chief priests and scribes	Religious leaders
Luke 20:33	So then, in the resurrection, whose wife will she be? (also Matthew 22:28, Mark 12:23)	The Sadducees	Religious leaders
Luke 21:7	Teacher, when will these things happen? (also Matthew 24:3, Mark 13:4)	The disciples	His disciples
Luke 21:7	And what will be the sign that they are about to take place? (also Mark 13:4)	The disciples	His disciples
Luke 22:9	Where do You want us to prepare it? (also Matthew 26:17, Mark 14:12)	Peter and John	His disciples
Luke 22:49	Lord, should we strike with our swords?	Those around him	His disciples
Luke 22:64	Who hit You? (also Matthew 26:68)	The men guarding him, in mockery	People he met
Luke 22:70	Are You then the Son of God? (also Mark 14:61)	The council	Religious leaders
Luke 23:3	Are You the King of the Jews? (also Matthew 27:11, Mark 15:2, John 18:33)	Pilate	People he met
Luke 23:39	Are You not the Christ?	One of the criminals crucified with him, in mockery	People he met
Luke 24:18	Are You the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in recent days?	Cleopas, not yet knowing who he was	His disciples
John 1:38	Rabbi, where are You staying?	Two of John the Baptist's disciples	People he met
John 1:48	How do You know me?	Nathanael	People he met
John 2:18	What sign can You show us to prove Your authority to do these things?	Those John calls “the Jews”	The crowds
John 2:20	This temple took forty-six years to build, and You are going to raise it up in three days?	Those John calls “the Jews”	The crowds
John 3:4	How can a man be born when he is old?	Nicodemus	Religious leaders
John 3:4	Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time to be born?	Nicodemus	Religious leaders
John 3:9	How can this be?	Nicodemus	Religious leaders
John 4:9	How can You ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?	The Samaritan woman	People he met
John 4:11	Where then will You get this living water?	The Samaritan woman	People he met
John 4:12	Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock?	The Samaritan woman	People he met
John 6:9	But what difference will these make among so many?	Andrew	His disciples
John 6:25	Rabbi, when did You get here?	The crowd at Capernaum	The crowds
John 6:28	What must we do to perform the works of God?	The crowd at Capernaum	The crowds
John 6:30	What sign then will You perform, so that we may see it and believe You?	The crowd at Capernaum	The crowds
John 6:30	What will You do?	The crowd at Capernaum	The crowds
John 6:68	Lord, to whom would we go?	Peter	His disciples
John 7:20	Who is trying to kill You?	The crowd at the Feast of Tabernacles	The crowds
John 8:5	So what do You say?	The scribes and Pharisees	Religious leaders
John 8:19	Where is Your Father?	The Pharisees	Religious leaders
John 8:25	Who are You?	Those John calls “the Jews”	The crowds
John 8:33	How can You say we will be set free?	Those John calls “the Jews”	The crowds
John 8:48	Are we not right to say that You are a Samaritan and You have a demon?	Those John calls “the Jews”	The crowds
John 8:53	Are You greater than our father Abraham?	Those John calls “the Jews”	The crowds
John 8:53	Who do You claim to be?	Those John calls “the Jews”	The crowds
John 8:57	You are not yet fifty years old, and You have seen Abraham?	Those John calls “the Jews”	The crowds
John 9:2	Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?	The disciples	His disciples
John 9:36	Who is He, Sir?	The man born blind	People he met
John 9:40	Are we blind too?	Some Pharisees	Religious leaders
John 10:24	How long will You keep us in suspense?	Those John calls “the Jews”	The crowds
John 11:8	Rabbi, the Jews just tried to stone You, and You are going back there?	The disciples	His disciples
John 12:34	So how can You say that the Son of Man must be lifted up?	The crowd in Jerusalem	The crowds
John 12:34	Who is this Son of Man?	The crowd in Jerusalem	The crowds
John 13:6	Lord, are You going to wash my feet?	Peter	His disciples
John 13:25	Lord, who is it?	The disciple Jesus loved	His disciples
John 13:36	Lord, where are You going?	Peter	His disciples
John 13:37	Lord, why can’t I follow You now?	Peter	His disciples
John 14:5	Lord, we do not know where You are going, so how can we know the way?	Thomas	His disciples
John 14:22	Lord, why are You going to reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?	Judas (not Iscariot)	His disciples
John 18:22	Is this how You answer the high priest?	An officer of the high priest	People he met
John 18:33	Are You the King of the Jews? (also Matthew 27:11, Mark 15:2, Luke 23:3)	Pilate	People he met
John 18:35	Am I a Jew?	Pilate	People he met
John 18:35	What have You done?	Pilate	People he met
John 18:38	What is truth?	Pilate	People he met
John 19:9	Where are You from?	Pilate	People he met
John 19:10	Do You refuse to speak to me?	Pilate	People he met
John 19:10	Do You not know that I have authority to release You and authority to crucify You?	Pilate	People he met
John 21:21	Lord, what about him?	Peter	His disciples
Acts 1:6	Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?	The apostles, to the risen Jesus	His disciples
Acts 9:5	Who are You, Lord? (also Acts 22:8, Acts 26:15)	Saul (Paul), to the risen Jesus	People he met
Acts 22:8	Who are You, Lord? (also Acts 9:5, Acts 26:15)	Saul (Paul), Paul retelling it	People he met
Acts 22:10	What should I do, Lord?	Saul (Paul), Paul retelling it	People he met
Acts 26:15	Who are You, Lord? (also Acts 9:5, Acts 22:8)	Saul (Paul), Paul retelling it	People he met

What is not counted

Questions about him. “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” is asked among the disciples, and “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?” among the people of Nazareth. Only questions put to Jesus are counted.
Spirits. The evil spirits' “What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?” is put to him, but this page counts the questions of people, as its companion page does with Satan's questions to God.
His teaching. “Lord, when did we see You hungry?” is spoken by people in his account of the judgment, in Matthew 25.
Questions no one asked. John says the disciples did not ask “Why are You talking with her?” (John 4:27), and that none of them dared ask “Who are You?” (John 21:12).
Said to one another. Where Mark has the disciples ask “Who then can be saved?” of one another, that telling is not counted; Matthew's and Luke's, put to Jesus, are.

The 23 questions considered and not counted

Questions that were considered and are not counted, with the reason for each
Where	Question	Why not
Matthew 7:22	Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?	words Jesus gives to people in his teaching
Matthew 8:29	What do You want with us, Son of God?	a spirit's question, not a person's
Matthew 8:29	Have You come here to torture us before the appointed time?	a spirit's question, not a person's
Matthew 21:16	Have you never read: ‘From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise’?	not put to God or Jesus, by the narration
Matthew 25:37	Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink?	words Jesus gives to people in his teaching
Matthew 25:38	When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?	words Jesus gives to people in his teaching
Matthew 25:39	When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?	words Jesus gives to people in his teaching
Matthew 25:44	Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?	words Jesus gives to people in his teaching
Mark 1:24	What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?	a spirit's question, not a person's
Mark 1:24	Have You come to destroy us?	a spirit's question, not a person's
Mark 5:7	What do You want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?	a spirit's question, not a person's
Mark 9:23	If You can?	Jesus repeating the father's words
Mark 10:26	Who then can be saved?	said to one another, in Mark
Luke 4:34	What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?	a spirit's question, not a person's
Luke 4:34	Have You come to destroy us?	a spirit's question, not a person's
Luke 6:46	Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ but do not do what I say?	Jesus's own question
Luke 7:19	Are You the One who was to come, or should we look for someone else?	John giving his disciples the question they carry (7:20)
Luke 8:28	What do You want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?	a spirit's question, not a person's
John 4:27	What do You want from her?	the disciples' question, which no one asked
John 4:27	Why are You talking with her?	the disciples' question, which no one asked
John 16:5	Where are You going?	Jesus's words: none of them asks it
John 21:12	Who are You?	the question none of them dared ask
John 21:20	Lord, who is going to betray You?	the narrator recalling John 13:25

Does the translation change the count?

The questions on this page are counted in the Berean Standard Bible. Early Greek manuscripts have no question marks, so where a sentence asks and where it states is partly a translator’s reading. The same verses were read in five more translations in the public domain: the King James Version, the World English Bible, Young’s Literal Translation, the Bible in Basic English and, in Spanish, the Reina-Valera 1909.

Of the 122 verses where someone asks Jesus a question in the Berean Standard Bible, the other five translations put a question mark in between 94.3% and 99.2% of those they number the same way: the fewest in Young’s Literal Translation, the most in the World English Bible.

The 122 verses where someone asks Jesus a question in the Berean Standard Bible, read in six translations: how many are compared, how many carry a question mark, and the question marks in them
Translation	Verses compared	With a question mark	Share	Question marks
Berean Standard Bible	122	122	100.0%	138
King James Version	122	120	98.4%	140
World English Bible	122	121	99.2%	140
Young’s Literal Translation	122	115	94.3%	132
Bible in Basic English	122	118	96.7%	134
Reina-Valera 1909	122	118	96.7%	137

Matthew 21:20. The disciples at the withered fig tree: a question in five translations, an exclamation in the King James Version.

BSB: When the disciples saw this, they marveled and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”
KJV: And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
WEB: When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree immediately wither away?”
YLT: And the disciples having seen, did wonder, saying, 'How did the fig-tree forthwith wither?'
BBE: And when the disciples saw it they were surprised, saying, How did the fig-tree become dry in so short a time?
RV 1909: Y viendo esto los discípulos, maravillados decían: ¿Cómo se secó luego la higuera?

John 2:20. “And You are going to raise it up in three days?” The Bible in Basic English makes it an exclamation.

BSB: “This temple took forty-six years to build,” the Jews replied, “and You are going to raise it up in three days?”
KJV: Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
WEB: The Jews therefore said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple! Will you raise it up in three days?”
YLT: The Jews, therefore, said, 'Forty and six years was this sanctuary building, and wilt thou in three days raise it up?'
BBE: The Jews said, The building of this Temple took forty-six years; and you will put it up in three days!
RV 1909: Dijeron luego los Judíos: En cuarenta y seis años fué este templo edificado, ¿y tú en tres días lo levantarás?

The share of verses with a question mark can only fall: these are the verses where the Berean Standard Bible has a question, so a verse where another translation asks and this one does not is not among them. The question marks in them can rise, where a translation divides one question into two.

How this was made

Reading every question. Faith Comes By Hearing's verse-by-verse speaker data, published with SIL's Glyssen project under the MIT licence¹, says who is speaking. The Berean Standard Bible² capitalizes pronouns that refer to Jesus, but many questions to him do not use one (“Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”), and outside the Gospels the capital cannot tell Jesus from God. So every question spoken by a person in the New Testament, or carrying the capital, 477 in all, was read, and the narration decided who it was put to: “they asked Him”, or “they said to one another”. Every hand decision carries its reason.

Who asks. Each question is given to the person or group the narration names, and to one of four groups. John's Gospel sometimes uses “the Jews” for particular authorities or opponents within its narrative. The phrase should not be generalized to Jewish people as a whole. This page places those passages under public audience unless the text specifically names Pharisees or priests, as Questions Jesus asks does.

Parallels. Where more than one Gospel tells the same question in the same scene, or Acts retells it, the tellings were grouped by hand, 25 groups in all, and each group is one distinct question. This page was made with AI assistance and human review.

The data. Every counted question, with who asked it, and every question considered and not counted with the reason, is in questions-asked.json, shared with Questions people ask God.

Corrections are welcome through the contact page, especially about who a question is put to or which tellings belong together.

Sources

Glyssen character data (CharacterVerse.txt), SIL and Faith Comes By Hearing, MIT licence, copyright 2014 to 2020 SIL LSDev and Faith Comes By Hearing.
The Berean Standard Bible, released into the public domain, read on this site at /bible/bsb/.
Martin B. Copenhaver, Jesus Is the Question: The 307 Questions Jesus Asked and the 3 He Answered (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2014).

Questions people ask

How many questions do people ask Jesus in the Bible?

136 in the Gospels and Acts, counting every telling, or 102 once the same question in more than one Gospel is counted once. His disciples ask 35 of the distinct questions, the people he met one by one 26, religious leaders 24 and the crowds 17.

What is the first question anyone asks Jesus?

The earliest in the Gospel narrative is asked by Mary, when she and Joseph find Jesus in the temple at twelve: "Child, why have You done this to us?" (Luke 2:48). In Bible order, the first is John the Baptist's at the Jordan: "I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?" (Matthew 3:14).

Who asks Jesus the most questions?

His disciples as a group. Of individuals, Peter asks the most, 9 distinct questions, and Pilate is next, with 8, all at the trial.

Did Jesus answer questions with questions?

Often. For 21 of the 102 distinct questions put to him, his first recorded words in reply are a question of his own. This occurs most often with questions from religious leaders; when asked by what authority he acts, he asks where John's baptism came from (Matthew 21:25). 9 questions have no recorded reply, among them Pilate's "What is truth?".

Which questions from religious leaders are presented as tests?

The Gospels present several as tests: by what authority Jesus acted (Matthew 21:23), whether it is lawful to pay taxes to Caesar (Matthew 22:17), whether a man may divorce his wife for any reason (Matthew 19:3), whose wife a widow of seven brothers will be in the resurrection (Matthew 22:28), and which commandment is the greatest (Matthew 22:36).

What did Pilate ask Jesus?

"Are You the King of the Jews?", in all four Gospels. John records more: "Am I a Jew?", "What have You done?", "What is truth?", "Where are You from?", and "Do You refuse to speak to me?" (John 18:33 to 19:10).