“no questions” appears again under somewhat happier circumstances (vv. 23, 30), it suggests that another motivation may also be at work. The change in form serves to make the theological point that the initiative in revelation lies not with believers but with Jesus. The literary technique of using questions to solicit divine revelation was a familiar one in Jewish and Christian apocalyptic literature and in Gnostic writings. John’s Gospel itself makes use of questions (or statements) based on misunderstanding