Jesus Wasn't Afraid of Questions — Why Are We?

A personal reflection on religion, resistance, and the courage to ask.

Sometimes… I think the Lord uses the very things that irritate us to light a fire under us — to get us moving, thinking, and doing. I’ve been feeling lately that I need to share more of my thoughts, especially those related to my writing and books.

Here’s one:

When Jesus stepped into history, a deeply entrenched religious system was already in place — the Jewish religious establishment, comprising the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the Sanhedrin. But here’s the thing... that structure wasn’t even entirely based on the Levitical priesthood or what Moses laid out in the Torah. Over hundreds of years, they had layered on their own religious hierarchy — and it led them to miss Jesus. Not only did they not recognize Him or the prophecies He fulfilled, but they actively resisted Him. The most resistance Jesus faced — aside from Satan himself — came from the very people who should’ve known better: the religious leaders.

And here we are today. It's been over 2,000 years since the resurrection, and we have our own massive religious establishment — especially in the West. We have denominations, factions, divisions, hundreds of Bible translations, and deeply embedded traditions. And yet… so many are still stuck. Stuck in their religious systems, to the point where any questioning of their doctrine, culture, or assumptions causes offense. Pushback. Condemnation.

But Jesus wasn’t afraid of questions. He welcomed them. He answered them. He even irritated people — especially the religious ones. And it was the religious leaders who frustrated Him most, not the sinners or the seekers. He called them blind guides, because they were leading people while spiritually blind and deaf themselves. And He grieved that the people were like sheep without a shepherd — not because they didn’t want to be led, but because their shepherds were stuck and stubborn.

So I want to challenge something here:

If your faith or belief system is so fragile that it can’t withstand honest questions… then maybe it’s time to examine what you’ve built that belief on. If a simple question makes you uncomfortable — not because it’s wrong, but because it challenges you — ask yourself why. I’ve been in churches where just asking the wrong question could get you in trouble. But here’s the thing: Jesus isn’t uncomfortable with my questions.

If I can go to Him with them, why should His followers be afraid of them?

And if Jesus and His people read and quoted from sources that today’s Christians avoid or condemn… why are we afraid?

Maybe it’s time to unstick ourselves.