Did Jesus speak in tongues?

TL;DR:

The Bible never records Jesus speaking in tongues because He already spoke the languages of His listeners. Jesus’ power to reach hearts came not through a spiritual gift but through His divine authority, perfect love, and ultimate sacrifice.

what does the bible say?

The Bible does not explicitly say that Jesus spoke in tongues. Some believe that Jesus’ sighs in Mark 7:34 and Mark 8:12 were the same as speaking in tongues. However, if Jesus had truly been speaking in tongues, the proper Greek terminology would reflect that. Moreover, speaking in tongues means to communicate with people in unfamiliar languages to edify them. This was unnecessary for Jesus since He spoke Aramaic and Hebrew (Mark 5:41; Acts 26:14) and probably Greek as others did in the region He was preaching in. Furthermore, in 1 Corinthians 14:6 Paul indicated that merely speaking in tongues is useless unless it is accompanied by “revelation,” “knowledge,” “prophecy” or “teaching.” Clearly, the gift of tongues was not what ultimately influenced the impact of Paul's ministry. Rather, it was the way God used him through godly character, leadership, and discipleship. A similar sentiment can be said of Jesus. His greatest impact came not from a spiritual gift but from His character and ultimately His sacrifice.

from the old testament

Jesus speaking in tongues is not mentioned in the Old Testament.

from the new testament

According to Mark 5:41 and Acts 26:14, Jesus spoke in Aramaic and Hebrew. Due to the regions He visited and the use of Greek in some of those places, Jesus also likely spoke Greek. Since speaking in tongues is meant to edify those from a different language group, it seems unnecessary for Jesus to have ever spoken in tongues.
Some Christians point to Mark 7:34 and Mark 8:12 and conclude that Jesus’ sighs must have been tongues. But the Greek words for sighing differ from the Greek words for tongues. If Jesus were speaking in tongues, Mark would have used the Greek word for that.
Paul tells us that the gift of speaking in tongues is when a Christian speaks in a language he does not know in order to edify someone who does speak that language (1 Corinthians 14:6).

implications for today

Some say that Jesus spoke in tongues because they believe that is what His sighing was in Mark 7:34 and Mark 8:12. However, this incorrect interpretation is an example of why we diligently consider context and definitions in the Greek and Hebrew language so we don’t misunderstand and misapply Scripture. In Greek, sighing and speaking in tongues differ. Regarding those aforementioned verses, sighing is the equivalent of groaning or lamenting rather than edifying people in a different language. Additionally, since Jesus was preaching in regions that were familiar with Aramaic, Hebrew, and Greek, why would He need to have spoken in tongues since He would logically preach in the same language of His listeners? Lastly, the Holy Spirit gave Jesus’ followers the gift of speaking in tongues after Jesus had ascended into heaven. This implies that the gift of speaking in tongues was not used until the pivotal event of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-4.

understand

Scripture contains no evidence that Jesus spoke in tongues.
Jesus spoke in the language of His listeners, so speaking in other tongues (i.e., languages) would have been unnecessary.
The Holy Spirit gifted Jesus’ followers with the speaking in tongues at Pentecost, which enabled the gospel message to spread.

reflect

How does Jesus’ example of communicating clearly and lovingly challenge the way you share God’s truth with others?
In what ways can you rely more on Christlike character rather than spiritual gifts to make an impact for God’s kingdom?
How can you ensure that your use of any spiritual gift is motivated by love and guided by the Holy Spirit?

engage

How can we help other believers understand and use their spiritual gifts?
What does Jesus’ lack of speaking in tongues reveal about the purpose and timing of spiritual gifts in the New Testament?
How can studying the original biblical languages help us avoid misinterpreting Scripture and strengthen our faith?