I heard a talk recently in which a friend posed this fascinating question: ‘How many times did Jesus ask a question He already knew the answer to?’

I think the answer to this is utterly revelatory.
You see, if Jesus ALWAYS knew the answer, then He wasn’t fully human. But if He NEVER knew, then He wasn’t fully God. But we know and believe that He was both. Confusingly.
Before your brain goes into melt-down, stay with me on this…

I passionately believe in Jesus’ humanity. He lived out all the pain, lonliness, frustration, misunderstanding, fear, rejection and isolation that is part of my human experience. And He also had some of the good stuff too. Parties, friends, fun, discovery, learning and meaning. He was fully man. The four gospels are clear on this. He didn’t just taste humanity for a few seconds, He trod the dust of it for thirty odd years. And odd they must truly have been, at times.

So, when Jesus asks ‘Why have you forsaken me?’ of His Father from the cross, is He merely being ‘clever’ and quoting scripture or is this is His genuine ‘human’ experience in that moment? My heart shouts for option B. Every time.

I don’t think Jesus always knew the answer. I think sometimes, like us, He needed to seek His Father. Why else would He go off and pray by himself? It wasn’t just to model this for those watching, I’m certain.

And another thing. Who trains to be the Messiah by knocking nails into wood?
Perhaps only someone who would eventually have nails knocked into Him.