Article - What Is the Question

Do you recall seeing those billboards that have printed on them some message from God? The billboards would say things like, ìLet's meet at my house Sunday before the game. - God,î or ìWe need to talk. - God.î Or how about this one, ìKeep using my name in vain, and I'll make rush hour longer. - God.î Those billboards always caught my attention (I haven't seen any lately). Most of the time, the billboard would cause me to think about my behavior at that particular moment, or would cause me to reflect a little on the nature of God. I would also wonder about the impact of the signs on other motorists.

Billboard for www.jesuschrist.org.au showing young woman looking wistfully over her shoulder as she hugs her boyfriend with the ocean in the background and the caption Jesus is the answer

Here's another billboard . I wonder how this sort of billboard strikes the would-be pedestrian or motorist? Could it be that many people who see this billboard go away wondering, ìIf Jesus is the answer, then what is the question?î

What is the question? For centuries, we have struggled with questions of personal existence and personal purpose. And even though we may feel that we are much more ìaware,î ìenlightened,î and ìeducatedî than any previous generation, we still have the same personal questions. And we see billboards that tell us Jesus is the answer.

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul worked very diligently to shed light on the pseudo-religious philosophy that seemed to be permeating that society. He said in Colossians 2:8, ìSee to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.î Isn't this still our problem today?

The haunting questions of identity still exist: Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? And the Word responds with, ìFor in Him we live and move and have our beingî (Acts 17:28). Paul says it this way to the folks in Colossae: ìMy purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledgeî (Colossians 2:2-3).

So we struggle to excavate the ìhidden treasures of wisdom and knowledgeî every day. And we wonder if a discovery can ever be made? Of course it can -- but only in Christ. Jesus is the answer.

What Is the Question?

"If Jesus is the answer, then what is the question?"