Questions, questions

Where am I? Who am I?
How did I come to be here?
What is this thing called the world?
How did I come into the world?
Why was I not consulted?
And If I am compelled to take part in it,
Where is the director?
I want to see him.

- Soren Kierkegaard

Monday’s post presents the greatest question posed to man, and in this case there is a correct answer and only one correct answer. In the scope of life this situation is uncommon, however, and questions are usually more plentiful than answers.

We go to school through high school in order to learn answers. We go to college to learn how to find answers. Some go further in their studies in order to help others learn how to find answers, and these end up being our professors. But all the while, we are guided by our questions and influenced by the answers that we find.

Some find life boring because they do not have any questions. On the flip side, those who achieve great things in life are usually driven by a question or a succession of questions. This is especially true of great thinkers. Examples of this are Jonathan Edwards and John Piper – their effectiveness results from the significance of the questions that they are considering.

I will continue on this topic in the near future, but in the meantime consider the role of questions in your life. We all have them: life, death, the way the world is, the way the world could be…

• What questions are you seeking to answer as you go throughout your day?
• What questions do you seek to answer as you study the Bible?
• What questions do you refuse to answer?
• What do you do with the questions that you cannot answer?

Critical Question

Much of life is made up of seeking answers to our questions. Some questions we must find answers for, while other questions are not answerable, and much of life is defined by how we respond to the unanswerables. I hope to look into this some more soon, however right now I would like to pose the single most important question ever asked of man: who is Jesus?

It sometimes seems that there are as many answers to this question as there are people, but there is only one right answer, and it matters. Jesus himself confronted his disciples with this question in Matthew 16:

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, Who do people say that the Son of Man is? 14 And they said, Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. 15 He said to them, But who do you say that I am?

And what is the answer?

16 Simon Peter replied, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

How do we know that this is true?

17 And Jesus answered him, Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

Now I ask every reader of these words, both now and in the future – who do you say Jesus is? Do you agree with Simon Peter, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God? If not, why not? I encourage you to check this out, and study the Gospels (the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the New Testament) for Jesus’ self revelation to you. Read, read, and re-read the Gospels!

If we answer every question correctly but not this one, all is lost. But if we get Christ right – and accept in Him as Lord – God will take care of the rest.