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The Jesus Code: 52 Scripture Questions Every Believer Should Answer
Jesus gets attention not with exclamation marks, but with question marks. Jesus was always asking questions. Whether with a small group or large crowd, Jesus opened hearts and minds by asking questions that grasped attention and made one think. In The Jesus Code , author O. S. Hawkins poses fifty-two thought-provoking questions found throughout the Bible that believers should be able to answer as they grow in their faith and share their faith with others. Each question features a devotional thought to help readers find answers and promote further reflection. Sample questions As with The Joshua Code , all royalties will go to whose mission supports retired pastors and their wives (or widows) living near poverty level. Features &
288 pages, Hardcover
First published July 29, 2014
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October 17, 2014
Ever been blind sided by a question you didn’t expect to have to answer?
Maybe you’ve been with friends, or in a group where someone relates an event and asks, “What would you do in that situation?”
I’m inclined to say that we’ve all been there, but maybe you haven’t. Would you like to be? Oh, wait, that’s a question you weren’t prepared to answer.
I have to admit I judged “The Jesus Code” by it’s cover. It seems that most books using the word “code” in the title and talking about Christianity in the content really resolve to some over-reaching, over-simplifying, and overwhelmingly confusing mish-mash of speculation that every Christian must take heed of now or face *sigh* something. The Jesus Code isn’t like that.
In The Jesus Code, O.S. Hawkins poses 52 questions to the reader that were asked in the Bible. He poses it as “What if you were asked this question? How would you respond?” He then fills in the details of why the question was being asked, what was the response, and what was the result of the response, if the response is known.
Too often, good willed people, make an allegory of the scriptures and put you in the story. Famously, the history of David and Goliath is changed from revealing how God protects His people to asking an overly simplistic question like, “What are the giants in your life?” Again, this is not the case with The Jesus Code.
The events remain intact, but the questions still come to us, “Who do you say that Jesus is? What are you doing here? Could you not watch with me one hour?”
Not all the questions are for us to answer, though. Some are for God to answer. It’s no stretch to assume that we ask the same questions of God today that believers in the past asked centuries and millenia ago. “Who is my neighbor? What must I do to be saved? If the Lord is with us why then has all this happened to us?” Using scripture, Hawkins relates the answers that God gives to these questions.
While all 52 questions are worth asking, there are three things that I would watch out for in this book.
He uses a lot of slogans and quips which just make me cringe. “Salvation is not spelled D-O, but D-O-N-E”, “Get up! Get out! Get back!”, “Salvation is as easy as ABC”. That’s a personal thing. If quips, slogans and acronyms don’t bother you than carry on.
In question 27, “Will a man rob God?” he discusses tithing. He believes that Christians should tithe to receive blessings from God. If you want to tithe, tithe, but given that God blesses even those who don’t tithe (Matthew 8:5-13) and allows disaster to come on those who do (Job) this view of tithing can lead to burden and disillusionment. God’s blessings are simply not tied to the tithe. Hawkins also insists that Jesus tithed because the Pharisees didn’t hold that against Him. However, the reason the Pharisees had such a hard time convicting Jesus was because Jesus kept the Law, so if Jesus tithed, it was to keep the Law.
Finally, in question 39, “Did not our hearts burn within us?” he discusses the events of Luke 24 when Jesus appears to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Hawkins uses this event to say that we often remain dejected and depressed after our prayers because we’re doing all the talking. We need to stop talking and listen. Hawkins is right; we should at times be quiet before the Lord, but the irony is that the reason these disciples were talking was because they were answering a question Jesus asked them.
Overall, there’s a lot of food for thought in this book and it’s well worth the read even just to keep you from getting blind sided by these questions.
Check out all my book reviews at cliffymania.com/blog/book-reviews
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Maybe you’ve been with friends, or in a group where someone relates an event and asks, “What would you do in that situation?”
I’m inclined to say that we’ve all been there, but maybe you haven’t. Would you like to be? Oh, wait, that’s a question you weren’t prepared to answer.
I have to admit I judged “The Jesus Code” by it’s cover. It seems that most books using the word “code” in the title and talking about Christianity in the content really resolve to some over-reaching, over-simplifying, and overwhelmingly confusing mish-mash of speculation that every Christian must take heed of now or face *sigh* something. The Jesus Code isn’t like that.
In The Jesus Code, O.S. Hawkins poses 52 questions to the reader that were asked in the Bible. He poses it as “What if you were asked this question? How would you respond?” He then fills in the details of why the question was being asked, what was the response, and what was the result of the response, if the response is known.
Too often, good willed people, make an allegory of the scriptures and put you in the story. Famously, the history of David and Goliath is changed from revealing how God protects His people to asking an overly simplistic question like, “What are the giants in your life?” Again, this is not the case with The Jesus Code.
The events remain intact, but the questions still come to us, “Who do you say that Jesus is? What are you doing here? Could you not watch with me one hour?”
Not all the questions are for us to answer, though. Some are for God to answer. It’s no stretch to assume that we ask the same questions of God today that believers in the past asked centuries and millenia ago. “Who is my neighbor? What must I do to be saved? If the Lord is with us why then has all this happened to us?” Using scripture, Hawkins relates the answers that God gives to these questions.
While all 52 questions are worth asking, there are three things that I would watch out for in this book.
He uses a lot of slogans and quips which just make me cringe. “Salvation is not spelled D-O, but D-O-N-E”, “Get up! Get out! Get back!”, “Salvation is as easy as ABC”. That’s a personal thing. If quips, slogans and acronyms don’t bother you than carry on.
In question 27, “Will a man rob God?” he discusses tithing. He believes that Christians should tithe to receive blessings from God. If you want to tithe, tithe, but given that God blesses even those who don’t tithe (Matthew 8:5-13) and allows disaster to come on those who do (Job) this view of tithing can lead to burden and disillusionment. God’s blessings are simply not tied to the tithe. Hawkins also insists that Jesus tithed because the Pharisees didn’t hold that against Him. However, the reason the Pharisees had such a hard time convicting Jesus was because Jesus kept the Law, so if Jesus tithed, it was to keep the Law.
Finally, in question 39, “Did not our hearts burn within us?” he discusses the events of Luke 24 when Jesus appears to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Hawkins uses this event to say that we often remain dejected and depressed after our prayers because we’re doing all the talking. We need to stop talking and listen. Hawkins is right; we should at times be quiet before the Lord, but the irony is that the reason these disciples were talking was because they were answering a question Jesus asked them.
Overall, there’s a lot of food for thought in this book and it’s well worth the read even just to keep you from getting blind sided by these questions.
Check out all my book reviews at cliffymania.com/blog/book-reviews
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
July 13, 2015
This is an amazing collection of mini-bible studies by one who is blessed by the Holy Spirit. Then gamut of issues and questions that are tackled by the gifted writer is broad and applicable to many life situations. I was touched in so many ways and encourage the believer at any stage in their faith walk to read this wonderful book. Well done, O. S. Hawkins! You have added a personal and intimate view of our Lord's teachings.
January 26, 2020
A little fluffy in places when I would have preferred more hard hitting topics. There's some meat more towards the end, but the author seems to cherry pick and twist a bit.
I didn't care for the "dramatization"? of pg 200 that Jesus' body was thrown into the cold, damp darkness of a tomb.
and then on pg 209 he contradicts this and explains what really happened ...prepared Him for burial, and placed His lifeless body into the tomb.
For the most part, there are good nuggets to study. I especially liked the ones at the end of the book.
It would be good for a young/new Christian.
I didn't care for the "dramatization"? of pg 200 that Jesus' body was thrown into the cold, damp darkness of a tomb.
and then on pg 209 he contradicts this and explains what really happened ...prepared Him for burial, and placed His lifeless body into the tomb.
For the most part, there are good nuggets to study. I especially liked the ones at the end of the book.
It would be good for a young/new Christian.
January 13, 2019
This is the second book I have read from OS Hawkins. It will not be the last. He has the ability to speak so you understand and I was blessed daily as I read through this book during devotions.
August 9, 2022
This was an enjoyable devotional book with a theme of questions from the Bible, looking at one per week for the entire year. I started reading it mid-2016 and decided to wait and read it weekly in 2017, so I just finished it this week.
July 26, 2017
First of all, the biggest reason I gave this two stars is because I believe it was falsely advertised. The blurb says, "Jesus was always asking questions..." and it implies that the questions were those asked by "the Lord." When you get the book, more than half of it has nothing to do with questions asked by Jesus, at all. If the blurb had said, "There are questions posed in the Bible. I look at those questions and try to answer them," then that would have been FAR less misleading. There is no way this should be called, "The Jesus Code." If he insists on keeping the "Code" as part of the title, he could have done something like "Jeopardy Code."
So the book is marketed under a mostly false premise. That is the worst thing.
The other thing that really irks me is that this writer has a penchant for trying to be "too clever" with his use of alliteration and word play. He spends so much time trying to figure out how he can include five points that start with the letter "P,"for example, that he loses touch with the real message he is trying to convey. It is a shame because there is some substance there that he could have used to make a valid point.
This is the second book I have read of his that uses "give out," "give up" and "give in." Aside from the fact that this suggests that the writer is running out of material and simply recycling ideas from prior work, it highlights some of the above issues of word play. There really is not a difference between the three "gives," but the writer tries to invent a distinction, so he can engage in his "clever" word games. This detracts from what would otherwise be a potentially important point.
The book is littered with this kind of verbal chicanery, and that largely ruined it, for me.
I really wanted to like this book. The premise sounded very intriguing to me and the writer generously donates all proceeds from the sale of the book to a worthy charity for retired pastors. The 52 chapters lend itself very well to my small group Bible study. For the foreseeable future, however, I think we are all "coded out."
The presence of perturbing and pernicious paronomasia has practically poisoned my passion to persist in pursuing this writer's printed products, in spite of the potentially promising premise!
So the book is marketed under a mostly false premise. That is the worst thing.
The other thing that really irks me is that this writer has a penchant for trying to be "too clever" with his use of alliteration and word play. He spends so much time trying to figure out how he can include five points that start with the letter "P,"for example, that he loses touch with the real message he is trying to convey. It is a shame because there is some substance there that he could have used to make a valid point.
This is the second book I have read of his that uses "give out," "give up" and "give in." Aside from the fact that this suggests that the writer is running out of material and simply recycling ideas from prior work, it highlights some of the above issues of word play. There really is not a difference between the three "gives," but the writer tries to invent a distinction, so he can engage in his "clever" word games. This detracts from what would otherwise be a potentially important point.
The book is littered with this kind of verbal chicanery, and that largely ruined it, for me.
I really wanted to like this book. The premise sounded very intriguing to me and the writer generously donates all proceeds from the sale of the book to a worthy charity for retired pastors. The 52 chapters lend itself very well to my small group Bible study. For the foreseeable future, however, I think we are all "coded out."
The presence of perturbing and pernicious paronomasia has practically poisoned my passion to persist in pursuing this writer's printed products, in spite of the potentially promising premise!
July 7, 2022
I loved this book for many different reasons. It has 52 lessons that can be used as a daily devotional, and each lesson explores a question that is asked in the Bible. The questions begin in Genesis and end in James allowing the author to address many issues relevant to Christian growth. For example, 1 Kings asks the question, “How long will you falter between two opinions?” The author explores how Christians can make wise decisions.
Another thing I liked about the book is that the royalties are donated to an organization that helps retired missionaries and ministers who many times live at poverty level and are forgotten heroes of the church.
Another thing I liked about the book is that the royalties are donated to an organization that helps retired missionaries and ministers who many times live at poverty level and are forgotten heroes of the church.
November 17, 2022
Great collection of insightful faith provoking questions
We used this book to lead a weekly men’s Bible study. We didn’t agree with everything but we had great reflections, conversation and confession.
We used this book to lead a weekly men’s Bible study. We didn’t agree with everything but we had great reflections, conversation and confession.
June 20, 2017
I sincerely enjoyed this book of mini Bible studies of 52 questions found in the Bible. Great from start to finish. I'll be awaiting more from O .S. Hawkins.
August 3, 2014
52 Scripture questions every believer should answer. The Jesus Code provides a whole year of personal devotion, small group study, couple(s) ministry and questions we should answer. Out of hundreds of questions in the Bible O.S. Hawkins chooses 52 for this book (one for every week of the year). They all were thought provoking with questions from both the Old Testament and New Testament.
He begins with the serpent putting doubt in Eve’s mind by asking “Has God indeed said?” from week one. We see in week nine Solomon about to be crowned as King asking God to give him wisdom. Week 15 we get the question “Will we live again?” and the answer an emphatic “Yes!”. All through the pages are questions, answers and scriptures. We learn about the virtuous wife, resentment, tithing, worry, fear, neighbors and how Jesus fed thousands with a few loaves of bread and a couple fish. Peter boasted that he would never betray Jesus however, he did so three times. Then the risen Jesus posed a question to him and to us, “Do you love Me more than these?”. O.S. Hawkins finalizes the book with the way of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.
You will be probed and prodded when reading this book. I would recommend this to anyone that may be questioning their faith, their existence or their way. This is a tool to use in any devotional or Bible study.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
He begins with the serpent putting doubt in Eve’s mind by asking “Has God indeed said?” from week one. We see in week nine Solomon about to be crowned as King asking God to give him wisdom. Week 15 we get the question “Will we live again?” and the answer an emphatic “Yes!”. All through the pages are questions, answers and scriptures. We learn about the virtuous wife, resentment, tithing, worry, fear, neighbors and how Jesus fed thousands with a few loaves of bread and a couple fish. Peter boasted that he would never betray Jesus however, he did so three times. Then the risen Jesus posed a question to him and to us, “Do you love Me more than these?”. O.S. Hawkins finalizes the book with the way of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.
You will be probed and prodded when reading this book. I would recommend this to anyone that may be questioning their faith, their existence or their way. This is a tool to use in any devotional or Bible study.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
July 23, 2016
Brilliant book. Author and Pastor Hawkins finds 150 questions that God is asking his believers in the Gospels alone. He found over 3,000 questions in both the Old and New Testaments. For Christians to grow they need to ask questions. This book will help you with your Christian growth.
The book is laid out so that you can utilize it to study the bible over the course of a year...52 weeks...52 questions and chapters. For example the first question and answer:
“Has God indeed said . . . ?” The answer is a resounding, “Yes, He certainly has.” And what He says in His Word is true. We can trust Him. Remember this week that doubt is deadly when the Deceiver comes to you in various ways to get you to doubt what God has said in His Word.
Hawkins ends his introduction to The Jesus Code with: "So let me pose a personal question: Are you ready to begin looking at the fifty-two questions in The Jesus Code, questions with answers that impact not only today but eternity? After all, some answers for life just can’t be found on Google! Let’s turn the page and begin with the first question recorded in Scripture."
Hawkins concludes with: You can now join millions of Christ’s followers in answering Pilate’s question, “What shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” by confidently affirming, “I will believe Jesus is the one and only Savior, and I will put my trust in Him . . . for now and for eternity." In reading this book you will ponder and find the answers to the most important questions Christians should be able to answer. This will be a great help for witnessing to others.
Highly recommend The Jesus Code. It is available at the end of July.
The book is laid out so that you can utilize it to study the bible over the course of a year...52 weeks...52 questions and chapters. For example the first question and answer:
“Has God indeed said . . . ?” The answer is a resounding, “Yes, He certainly has.” And what He says in His Word is true. We can trust Him. Remember this week that doubt is deadly when the Deceiver comes to you in various ways to get you to doubt what God has said in His Word.
Hawkins ends his introduction to The Jesus Code with: "So let me pose a personal question: Are you ready to begin looking at the fifty-two questions in The Jesus Code, questions with answers that impact not only today but eternity? After all, some answers for life just can’t be found on Google! Let’s turn the page and begin with the first question recorded in Scripture."
Hawkins concludes with: You can now join millions of Christ’s followers in answering Pilate’s question, “What shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” by confidently affirming, “I will believe Jesus is the one and only Savior, and I will put my trust in Him . . . for now and for eternity." In reading this book you will ponder and find the answers to the most important questions Christians should be able to answer. This will be a great help for witnessing to others.
Highly recommend The Jesus Code. It is available at the end of July.
July 18, 2014
The Jesus Code: 52 Scripture Questions Every Believer Should Answer: O.S. Hawkins
The Jesus Code is based on the author’s discovery that Jesus had a tendency to ask questions throughout the New Testament. Having counted 150 separate questions, O.S. Hawkins decided that they were, in fact, a code. Choosing 52, one per week for a year, he’s compiled a guidebook of sorts. Students of the Word will explore questions from Old to New Testament on a variety of topics such as anger & whether or not people will be held accountable if they’ve never heard the gospel.
I believe this will be an excellent resource for newer Christians. Often times, there are questions we either feel uncomfortable asking or have no one to ask them to as we grow in our faith. O.S. Hawkins presents clear, concise answers with well-defined, relevant wording.
While there were a few, minute points on which I disagreed with his point of view, they weren’t important enough to veto the whole work over. All in all, I believe this work has merit & will serve as a great source for Biblical students.
I’d be remiss not to mention that all proceeds from The Jesus Code go to Mission: Dignity. More info is available via www.guidestone,org/missiondignity.
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.
The Jesus Code is based on the author’s discovery that Jesus had a tendency to ask questions throughout the New Testament. Having counted 150 separate questions, O.S. Hawkins decided that they were, in fact, a code. Choosing 52, one per week for a year, he’s compiled a guidebook of sorts. Students of the Word will explore questions from Old to New Testament on a variety of topics such as anger & whether or not people will be held accountable if they’ve never heard the gospel.
I believe this will be an excellent resource for newer Christians. Often times, there are questions we either feel uncomfortable asking or have no one to ask them to as we grow in our faith. O.S. Hawkins presents clear, concise answers with well-defined, relevant wording.
While there were a few, minute points on which I disagreed with his point of view, they weren’t important enough to veto the whole work over. All in all, I believe this work has merit & will serve as a great source for Biblical students.
I’d be remiss not to mention that all proceeds from The Jesus Code go to Mission: Dignity. More info is available via www.guidestone,org/missiondignity.
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.
August 31, 2014
52 questions from the bible - questions that define our faith and beliefs, questions that Jesus asked. This book is something I would highly recommend for someone interested in apologetics. In 52 lessons this author presents a question then the answer using the bible. These answers are extremely thorough though not too difficult for a person to read and understand.
I believe that the purpose of this book is to prepare a person to be able to defend their faith. It is also good in the aspect that these are questions that Jesus himself asked and therefor are central to a believers life.
I would approach this book as a year long study. Taking each of the 52 questions for a week at a time. This would give the reader time to re-read the section written by O.S. Hawkins. The reader would also have time to prayerfully consider the impact of the question and answer as applied to their own life. The final reason would be that in the week long format a person has time to study, think on and put into memory the question, answer and application of the Word.
A well-written book excellent for study, growth and learning.
Thanks to Thomas Nelson for this review copy.
I believe that the purpose of this book is to prepare a person to be able to defend their faith. It is also good in the aspect that these are questions that Jesus himself asked and therefor are central to a believers life.
I would approach this book as a year long study. Taking each of the 52 questions for a week at a time. This would give the reader time to re-read the section written by O.S. Hawkins. The reader would also have time to prayerfully consider the impact of the question and answer as applied to their own life. The final reason would be that in the week long format a person has time to study, think on and put into memory the question, answer and application of the Word.
A well-written book excellent for study, growth and learning.
Thanks to Thomas Nelson for this review copy.
May 2, 2016
Excellent book...it will challenge you with 52 Scripture questions a Christian or believer should be ready to answer at the drop of a hat...questions that will enlighten, will tear at your heartstrings, will reveal where and how you stand on your faith...and at the end of each chapter gives you questions to ponder and reflect...questions such as: Did God indeed said? Who am I? Is there still anyone that I may show kindness? What are you doing here? Of the Lord is with us...why is all this happening to us? and so on...the questions lead to the most important and final question...the one asked by Pontious Pilate when he washed his hands at the thought of having to make a decision. He asked...what shall I do with this Jesus who is called the Christ? This is a question each and everyone of us must ask sooner of later...what will I do? You either reject or accept...it is a decision that you must make...
October 2, 2014
***Hawkins writes with clarity about questions most asked by non-Christians***
***Belongs on the shelf next to Bible***
When O.S. Hawkins, retired pastor, now president of Guidestone Financial Resources, noticed Jesus used a question and answer format in the Gospels in the same way He used parables to teach biblical concepts. That's when the idea for The Jesus Code, similar to his popular The Joshua Code was born.
He considered the technique a "distinctive code" and identified 52 of the "150 questions Jesus asked” as questions believers "need to know the answers to." Knowing the answers not only would "show God's will for your life," answers equip believers to share their faith with confidence…Full Review: http://www.examiner.com/list/the-jesu...
***Belongs on the shelf next to Bible***
When O.S. Hawkins, retired pastor, now president of Guidestone Financial Resources, noticed Jesus used a question and answer format in the Gospels in the same way He used parables to teach biblical concepts. That's when the idea for The Jesus Code, similar to his popular The Joshua Code was born.
He considered the technique a "distinctive code" and identified 52 of the "150 questions Jesus asked” as questions believers "need to know the answers to." Knowing the answers not only would "show God's will for your life," answers equip believers to share their faith with confidence…Full Review: http://www.examiner.com/list/the-jesu...
August 3, 2014
Hawkins was intrigued with Jesus asking so many questions, using it as a means of teaching. Hawkins has chosen 52 questions from the Bible and writes essays on the answers. He chose the ones he did so he could cover a broad range of topics. This book would make a nice weekly devotional. The Epilogue contains the encouragement to accept Jesus as Savior and a prayer.
See my complete review at http://bit.ly/1lpwhJe.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.
See my complete review at http://bit.ly/1lpwhJe.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.
October 19, 2015
An excellent devotional that covers questions asked in the bible.
December 28, 2015
A good devotional to take you through a year and ponder various questions that appear in the Bible.
February 10, 2024
5 stars
Very insightful.
Very insightful.
October 11, 2015
Good for a devotional. Many interesting takes on Bible passages.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews