The Jesus You May Not Know
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Is He Past or Is He Present?
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The Satisfyingly Simple Answer to the World’s Problems
By David Jeremiah
America loves game shows, especially when the price is right. Game shows started in 1938 during the golden age of radio with the broadcast of “Spelling Bee.” In 1940, “Truth or Consequences” began on radio and soon jumped to television. As TVs became household fixtures, game shows filled the daylight hours, allowing advertisers to hawk soaps and cigarettes to homemakers.
In 1959, Americans were horrified to learn that many of these shows were rigged, and the ensuing investigations nearly ended game shows on TV. But in the 1960s and 1970s, quiz shows began filling the void; and today there’s a revival of game and quiz shows. They’re inexpensive to produce, unscripted and spontaneous, and popular because they give viewers a chance to guess along with contestants.
It makes sense when you remember we’re living in the information age, and we crave question–and–answer entertainment. While watching quiz shows, we get the feeling the answers are always there. All we have to do is access the information as quickly as possible. But, of course, when we turn off our televisions and return to the real world, we often have questions that defy solutions.
In our fragmented times, the $65,000 question is this: How much longer is left for our planet? Are we near the zero hour? How will it all end—the moral collapse of the West, the explosion of terrorism, the fragmentation of the Middle East, the tottering economy, the faltering global order?
These questions lead to deeper ones: Why is all this happening? Can we find purpose in it? Is it possible to be comforted through all this? Is there hope?
Many people have given up on answers. British singer Sarah Brightman said in the booklet accompanying one of her CDs, “In the past, I always used to be looking for answers. Today, I know there are only questions. So I just live.”1 Canadian novelist Miriam Toews said in her memoir, Swing Low, “Perhaps depression is caused by asking oneself too many unanswerable questions.”2
I want to stand up and say:
Our answers are even better than our questions. We have answers in the Bible for all the problems of life, and if we summarize the answers in one word, it would be: JESUS!
Do you remember the song Andraé Crouch wrote several years ago? The lyrics speak strongly to what’s happening in the world today: “If you have some questions in the corners of your mind… There’s one thing I know for sure… Jesus is the answer for the world today.”
It’s a simple statement to make—“Jesus is the answer”—but it’s not simplistic. It is the broadest truth, the wisest philosophy, the greatest theology, and the deepest mystery we can discover. Jesus has the answers because He is the answer—Christ, the wisdom of God and the power of God. Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Christ in you, the hope of glory (1 Corinthians 1:24; Colossians 2:3; 1:27).
Jesus Is the Answer to the World’s Problems
Jesus is the answer to the world’s problems. What would happen if our greatest world leaders turned in true repentance and faith to Jesus Christ? What if they came to the same conclusion about the Lord as King Nebuchadnezzar of old: “For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation” (Daniel 4:34)? Do you think our world would be different if our presidents, prime ministers, premiers, and parliaments confessed Christ as Lord?
What if the world’s citizens turned to Christ? I’ll give you an example of how that would turn out. On August 19, 1991, Communist hardliners in Moscow seized control of the Soviet government while Mikhail Gorbachev was in the Crimea. Boris Yeltsin was trapped in the parliament building as thousands of brave citizens gathered outside, forming a human barricade. Tanks and troops ringed the building, and the world held its breath.
According to journalist Barbara Von Der Heydt, leaders of the Bible Society in Moscow discussed how to persuade the troops not to fire on protesters. When the storming of parliament seemed imminent, Christians showed up with a truck loaded with Bibles. Believers went from soldier to soldier and from tank to tank, handing out the Scripture and quoting Exodus 20:13, the commandment about not killing others. One woman walked over to a tank and kept rapping on its side with her knuckles until the baffled driver opened the hatch. “It says in this book that you shouldn’t kill,” she said, thrusting a Bible at him. “Are you going to kill us?” The young soldier looked confused. He took the Bible, saying, “We’re not going to kill anybody.”
Almost all the soldiers accepted the proffered books. Some tucked them in their pockets while others began reading at once. Many had always wanted a Bible but had never seen one. And with each Bible came the question, “You’re not really going to kill us, are you? This book says, ‘Thou shalt not kill.’” The coup collapsed. The Communist Empire crashed to the ground and historians are still pondering why the expected attack on the parliament building never materialized.3
Jesus Is the Answer to Others’ Problems
The same Jesus who is the answer to the world’s problems is also the answer for those crossing your path every day. When our society hits hard times, it’s an opportune time to share Jesus with others. Whenever people face questions without answers, they need Him who is the answer to all their questions.
In his autobiography, Jerry Bridges wrote of being a midshipman with the United States Navy. He returned from training in the Mediterranean Sea and spent two weeks at home. One night he accompanied his brother, who was an assistant pastor, on a call. They visited a man who lacked assurance of salvation, and Jerry’s brother counseled him. Jerry drank in every word. Later that night, Jerry went to bed but couldn’t go to sleep. Sometime during the night, he prayed, saying, “Whatever it takes, I want Jesus to be my Savior.”4 It was a life–changing moment for him, one his brother didn’t expect when the two went visiting.
As we go about our lives telling others that Jesus is the answer, we never know who is listening. God surrounds us with divine appointments, and He often uses us in ways we haven’t expected. Stand up for Jesus. Speak up for Him. Let the Holy Spirit guide you to those you can counsel, comfort, and converse.
There’s a reason we’re in the world right now. We can make a difference by sharing the love of Jesus with the world. Ask Him to help you answer the cries and crises of those around you with the message of Jesus.
Jesus Is the Answer to Your Problems
Most of all, remember Jesus is the answer to your own problems. Whenever we face difficulties, it’s tempting to run to others for advice. While we need the wise counsel of those around us, only Jesus can satisfy our spirit and guide our steps. Only He can solve our unsolvable problems or comfort our inconsolable hearts. Only He can dwell within us, strengthening us with all power out of the riches of His glory in our inner beings (Ephesians 3:16).
Ultimate answers never come from politicians, journalists, pundits, professors, celebrities, economists, or even clergy. We must go to Jesus first, last, and always.
In his sermon, “For Whom is the Gospel Meant?” Charles Spurgeon preached, “‘All we like sheep have gone astray, and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all’—that is the answer to an otherwise unanswerable riddle.”5 If your world today or the world tomorrow seems like an unanswerable riddle, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith. Set your mind on things above, where Christ dwells at the right hand of God. Trust Him.
When you have questions, believe Jesus. He’s the answer you need to the fears you have and the future you seek—Christ in you, the hope of glory. Those who trust in Him never spin on a wheel of fortune. They’re safe in the grasp of His grace.
1en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Sarah_Brightman.
2Miriam Toews, Swing Low: A Life (New York: Arcade Publishing, 2001), 67.
3Barbara Von Der Heydt, Candles Behind the Wall: Heroes of the Peaceful Revolution that Shattered Communism (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1993), 210–219.
4Jerry Bridges, God Took Me by the Hand: A Story of God’s Unusual Providence (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2014), 48–49.
5Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon 1345: “For Whom is the Gospel Meant?”
This article is adapted from the October 2016 issue of Turning Points Magazine and Devotional, a ministry of Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah. Request your complimentary subscription today.
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