From Eden to Emmaus, He enters our stories with a question.
From the moment Adam hid in the garden to the road where two disciples walked in grief, God asks questions that stop us in our tracks.
Not because He needs answers.
But because we do.
His questions are invitations.
They expose the ache.
Reveal the fear.
Awaken the hope.
Here are six kinds of questions God asks — from Genesis to the Gospels — and what they reveal.
1. Questions that Invite Self-Examination
He helps us find ourselves again.
“Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9)
Spoken to Adam after he hid in shame.
“Why are you angry?” (Genesis 4:6)
Asked of Cain before he acted on his jealousy.
“What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:9)
Whispered in the cave to a prophet burned out and afraid.
“Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye?” (Matthew 7:3)
Spoken during the Sermon on the Mount, calling out hypocrisy.
God’s questions invite us back to ourselves.
Back to honesty. Back to presence.
2. Questions that Confront Sin or Injustice
He names what we try to conceal.
“What have you done?” (Genesis 4:10)
Spoken not with surprise, but with sorrow.
“Where is your brother Abel?” (Genesis 4:9)
Asked of Cain after the first murder.
“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46)
Spoken to the crowd after teaching about building on solid ground.
“Where is your husband?” (John 4:16)
Spoken to the Samaritan woman at the well.
These questions expose, not to shame — but to set us free from the lie we live.
3. Questions that Reveal His Power or Identity
He pulls back the veil so we can see Him clearly.
“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14)
Spoken to Sarah after she laughed at the promise of a child.
“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?” (Job 38:4)
Spoken from the whirlwind to a man drowning in suffering.
“Who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:15)
Asked of the disciples at Caesarea Philippi, just before the journey to the cross.
“Do you believe I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28)
Asked of two blind men who came to Him for healing.
These questions don’t demand certainty. They awaken awe.
4. Questions that Extend Compassion and Healing
He meets us in our pain and honors our story.
“Do you want to be well?” (John 5:6)
Asked of a man who had been sick for 38 years, waiting by a pool.
“Where are your accusers?” (John 8:10)
Spoken to a woman caught in adultery after everyone dropped their stones.
“Why are you crying?” (John 20:15)
Whispered to Mary in the garden outside the empty tomb.
“What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51)
Asked of blind Bartimaeus as he called out from the roadside.
These questions give dignity. They ask us to name our hope.
5. Questions that Call Us Into Mission
He stirs us from passivity to purpose.
“Whom shall I send?” (Isaiah 6:8)
Spoken in the throne room of heaven to a prophet made clean.
“Why are you crying out to me?” (Exodus 14:15)
Asked of Moses as the Red Sea stood before them and Pharaoh behind.
“Do you love me?” … “Then feed my sheep.” (John 21:15–17)
Spoken to Peter after breakfast by the sea, post-denial, post-resurrection.
Before He sends us, He asks us to respond in love.
6. Questions that Teach or Disrupt Assumptions
He loosens our grip on the expected and invites a deeper way.
“If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?” (Matthew 5:46)
Spoken during the Sermon on the Mount to expand their definition of love.
“Which of these was a neighbor?” (Luke 10:36)
Asked after telling the parable of the Good Samaritan.
“Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:26)
Spoken to anxious hearts, pointing to birds and fields clothed by God.
“Have you not read…?” (Matthew 12:3, etc.)
A recurring question to the religious elite, calling them to see Scripture afresh.
These questions do not box us in. They break us open.
7. And then, on the road to Emmaus…
Two disciples walked in grief, believing the story had ended in a tomb.
And a stranger joined them.
“What are you discussing as you walk along?” (Luke 24:17)
They stopped, faces downcast. He listened.
Then He told them the story they thought was lost — was only just beginning.
From Eden to Emmaus, God keeps asking.
Not to trap you. But to find you.
Not to shame you. But to bring you home.
What is He asking you today?
Pause. Listen.
Let the question do its holy work.
Originally published on Medium. Reposted with the author’s permission. All rights reserved.