Outnumbered, Awkward questions about Jesus

Here's a clip from a British series I saw on YouTube. It's secular--which is to say it comes from a worldview that says what it measured is real, and the supernatural is doubtful and not worth basing your life on.

That used to be my worldview.

In the clip some funny kids ask some hard questions about Jesus.

The questions are filmed as if they don't have good answers.

They do, and I wanted to take a shot at them.



Boy: Why didn't baby Jesus zap King Herod when Herod wanted to kill him?

This question needs to be made harder: why at any point hasn't God zapped all his enemies? Why not at the rebellion of Satan? or Adam?

The answer is not fully given by God. But the primary concern of God is not to minimize all-time evil in the world, but maximize the enjoyment of his glory. And there is greater enjoyment of the character of God through redeeming the world by the death and resurrection of his son than 'zapping' people before the redemption is finished.

God will 'zap' all evil soon.

Girl: And besides Jesus knew that when King Herod died, God would roast him until his eye balls exploded.

While it's likely that Herod's eternal torment has already begun in Hell, I don't think it was a motivating factor for Jesus not to zap him as a 2-year old.

Boy: And why has God given 15 thousand billion years in which to live until the sun dies?

Good question, because the sun wasn't meant to die on us one day. It is an effect of God cursing the creation, that it now groans, waiting for God to finish the redemption of humanity AND restore creation to where it works (Romans 8).

We don't deserve the sun to not supernova on us today and destroy all life. That is the severity of our sin.

Also, the Bible seems to indicate that we have a lot less time than 15 thousand billion years before it is God brings The End.

Boy: Why didn't Jesus shape-shift into a Roman when the Romans were searching for him and then kill them in their sleep?

Before time began, God wrote people's names in the 'the book of life of the Lamb who was slain' (Revelation 13). The suffering and crucifixion of Jesus was planned by the Father and the Son from before time began.

So shape-shifting to avoid the cross was not Jesus' mission. If he had wanted the reward of the cross without the Father's plan, he simply could have agreed to Satan's proposal to bow down to Satan and receive authority over all the nations.

After Peter cutoff the ear of someone in Jesus' arresting party, Jesus said:

"Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”

What would Jesus do if someone took a rocket up to Heaven and came up to him and punched him in the face? Would he forgive him or would he fight back and knock that man out of heaven?

A crazy hypothetical, but we have some hints as to the answer.

1) Satan rebelled against God, with (millions?) of angels and they got no promise of anything but hell and torment. (1 point for 'knock that man out of heaven')

2) I don't think it's a stretch to see myself as that man--give me a rocketship up to Heaven, I'd like to punch Jesus in the face.

1. Is that not what Paul thought of himself as? "For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it."
2. But later Pauls says of Jesus, "who loved me and gave himself for me".
3. And "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”

(10 pts for the grace of God in Jesus Christ)

So I expect the rocketship man to receive the just punishment for his offense; but never count out the explosive grace of God, recklessly declaring sinners to be 'right' in Christ.

Girl: Couldn't he find a another way like writing to someone and telling them be a bit better or something bad is going to happen?

Amazing question! That is the answer of 80% of Christendom, or Church-ism: be better or something bad is going to happen. (or sometimes the message is just, 'be better! ok?')

If 'be better or something bad is going to happen' could work, there would be no need for a bloody cross to redeem sinners.

God would be amazingly good to just give us his law and the warnings of breaking it (be better or something bad is going to happen).

But I was dead in my sins. "Be better" just brought more death because I was powerless to obey, a slave to my passions.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved me even when I was dead in my trespasses, made me alive together with Christ—by grace I have been saved!

"Be better" was hopeless for me. I need a savior who can a) pay my sin debt and release me from it's power in my life, b) send me supernatural help to live.

Boy: While Jesus was being crucified why didn't he have God send a meteor to kill the Romans?

This has been answered. But he vicar's answer is pretty good too.

Vicar: God wanted to show us sacrifice and forgiveness by sacrificing what was precious to him, his only son, Jesus.

Girl: Then why did he kill him?

Oh, what a wondrous mystery! Why did the Father crush the Son? How is that even possible? Why am I standing here, incredible guilty but forgiven; and Jesus has holes in his hands? What wondrous love is this, oh my soul, oh my soul!

Boy: What if someone stole Jesus' mobile (cellphone), would he forgive him?

I don't know. I only know that all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Boy: What if he were attacked by a polar bear?

Wouldn't Jesus just say 'still' and the polar bear would become as gentle as a puppy?

I don't know the answer. But I do know that we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, and you can ask him on that day.

He's alive!