Weekly Blog: The Right Question to Answer
Nov 11, 2019 2772
There are many questions that you’ll be confronted with in life. You won’t have time to answer most of them, and the great majority will be unimportant anyway. So you need to know the questions for which it is really important to find answers.
The very first words that Jesus speaks in the gospel of John are a question that he asks to two disciples of John the Baptist:
When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” (John 1:37-38, NIV).
The very first words that Jesus speaks after his resurrection are to Mary Magdalene, and they are also a question. In fact, these are almost his last recorded words in the gospel of John:
At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. 15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” (John 20:14-15, NIV).
The focus in the gospel of John shifts from a “what” to a “who”, from theology to a person.
You need to know the questions for which it is really important to find answers.
Life is like a huge question mark. The reality is that we live in a culture that is obsessed with the “what”. It tells us that we should spend our lives in a restless and quietly desperate pursuit of “things.” And many never find the answer to the question, because the answer doesn’t lie in the realm of “what” (things) but in “who” (Jesus). Followers of Jesus don’t help when their focus is principally on answering questions about “what” rather than introducing people to the Saviour.
In the time of Jesus, the Jews were fascinated and very knowledgeable in all matters of theology. They had their theological systems all worked out. They believed that they knew all about the coming saviour. They had a lot of knowledge about the “what” and missed the “who.”
We teach our children a lot of “what’s.” I understand that. Jesus started there too with those two disciples of John. Children are concrete thinkers. They need to start somewhere. But if that’s all we ever do, and we don’t grow, we’ve missed the main event. It’s like claiming to know all about a particular musical performer without ever having heard his or her music. That’s what it’s like when you know about the Bible but have never met Jesus for yourself. A Christian who is stuck in the “what” is not yet ready to share any Good News with anyone.
All of life is a journey from the “what” to the Who.
I’ve studied the Bible, and its history and teachings and prophecies. But that, in itself, doesn’t satisfy. I have studied the deepest theology. It endlessly fascinates but doesn’t fulfil. For me, all of life continues to be a journey from a “what” to a “who.”
The reason why Jesus continually highlights the question of “who” throughout his ministry is simple:
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life (1 John 5:12, NIV).
So, who is it you are looking for?
Morris P Goodman
Nov 17, 2019
Thank you very much for this, I read the Bible and go to church and pray but I will talk to him more in prayer and meditation and build A more solid relationship with him and try to express my Love for him more. I try to be A better person and I am trying to find Love and Hope in this world sometimes it is hard, I will not give up. The mess in training.
Joel Matse
Nov 17, 2019
The differences between the "who" and the "who" is that the who focuses to Jesus as want His grace and the relationship with Him. While what focuses in many things or everything else.
Tom Durst
Nov 17, 2019
This insight of moving from "what" to "who" is so very true. I've spent hundreds of hours of theological study over the past 68 years but without the "who" that is the center of all life and history my study of theology would be very empty indeed.
aninwa onyeka
Nov 17, 2019
i am looking for the mercies and the grace of God upon my families and i know that with son of God by my side all hope is not lost , i looked straight to almighty for my prayers to be answered, then who are mine if my prayers has been answered and no matter the storms of life i will stilled trust in the power of his resurrection , God bless you, thank you.
Peter Pose Aitum
Nov 17, 2019
What i want to know in life is to be free fron sin , i am very much grateful to know more in this program it hleps me to know who Jesus is He is the way the truth and the life ... John 14 : 6
Eliezer Gonzalez
Nov 13, 2019
The "who" focuses on the person of Jesus and on a relationship with him. The "what" focuses on everything else.
Godwin A. Siryon
Nov 13, 2019
Thanks for the insight of the word of God. More grace in Jesus name. My question is, what is the difference between "the who" and "what"?
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