If Jesus is the Answer, Then What is the Question

1If Jesus Is the Answer, Then What is the Question? John 3:16

In Philip Yancey’s book, “The Bible Jesus Read,” he recalls growing up in the state of Georgia. He remembers graffiti on sides of barns and bridges, rocks and roadsides. They were either Scripture direct from the Bible or reference to the biblical text. Just before writing this book he was driving through the state and observed that some sceptics had added their own graffiti to the mix. Where one person had written, “Jesus is the answer,” another had scrolled, “So what’s the Question? Yancey goes on to reflect that, even though that person might have written the statement in a smart-aleck mood, he might have hit on something very concrete that we, as believers should be constantly thinking about. He reflects that there are three questions each of us had to have answered before we came to, or can come to, solid trust in God through Jesus Christ.
He suggests these three questions to ponder.
Do I matter? Does God care? And Why doesn’t God act?
During the next few minutes, let’s look for some answers to these hard questions.

1. Do I matter?
Psalm 8
1 O LORD, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens!
2 Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have ordained strength,
Because of Your enemies,
That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
4 What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels,[b]
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
7 All sheep and oxen—
Even the beasts of the field,
8 The birds of the air,
And the fish of the sea
That pass through the paths of the seas.
9 O LORD, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!

2. Does God care?
Ezekiel 33:11
Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?


Why doesn’t God act?
Daniel 10:11-13
11And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.
12Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.
13But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. 1And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.

12Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.

13But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.

Think of the entire book of Job. God never tells Job about the contest of Job's faith and trust in God that was set up in chapters 1-3. God never tells Job why he has suffered. God only restored Job.

You are important to God .

He created you and sent His Son, Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for your sin.

Your answer or deliverance might be on the way but delayed as in Daniel's case.

Perhaps we might not receive an answer as to why God doesn't act. Remember, His goal for us is eternal life, not to provide us with gifts or answers in this life.

If you need more assurance of God's love and purpose for your life, contact me at 740-385-6460
or e-mail me at the address on this site.

God loves you and I do too!