God’s Mystery Revealed

My favorite fiction and television genre is mystery, the more complicated and involved the better. I particularly like those that I cannot easily solve before the end of the story.

In the OT, MYSTERY is mentioned only in Daniel. A king had a dream and without telling him what the dream was about, he called Daniel to interpret it. Daniel called God who revealed to him the dream and its interpretation. This is a hint as to how God makes His mysteries known.

The OT also tells me why God lets His people in on His secrets. Deuteronomy 29:29 says, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

In the NT, most of the talk about mystery is how God is at work and how people are clueless to what He is doing unless He reveals it to them; a divine secret that is openly revealed — but not to everyone. This revelation differentiates Christians from unbelievers as Jesus says in Matthew 13:11, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.”

This mystery is designated in several ways.

Mark 4:11. “And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables.”

Ephesians 3:4. “When you read this, you can perceive my (Paul’s) insight into the mystery of Christ . . .”

Ephesians 6:19–20. “(Pray) also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.”

1 Corinthians 2:7. “But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.”

1 Corinthians 4:1. “This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.”

Colossians 2:1–3. “For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

1 Timothy 3:16. “Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: (Jesus Christ) was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.”

These verses summarize that God’s mystery is the spiritual knowledge and understanding of the life, death, resurrection and Person of Jesus Christ. Learning and understanding this mystery does not come via human intellectual or philosophical achievement. The only way to grasp it is through revelation from God. Paul affirms this in the phrase “the mystery made known to me by revelation” in Ephesians 3:3.

Colossians 1:26–27. “The mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

This is not secret facts or information as claimed by some religious cults. Rather it is Jesus Christ. How can I express this? I remember the day that He came into my life. I knew Him instantly, as one knows a dear friend.

1 Corinthians 2:1–2. “And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”

GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. Yesterday God referred me to miracles. I understand that the things He does are either easily seen and known in Creation and what is made (see Romans 1:19ff) or they are unseen and mysterious. Who has not said that God works in mysterious ways? Yet today He shows me that the mystery referred to in the NT is not events or concepts; it is a Person, God the Son, the One who came to die for my sin and set me free from guilt, sin’s power, and from the fear of death. Knowing the mystery of God is about knowing Jesus. This does not come through study or human perception. It is a revelation that God gladly reveals to all who seek Him with their whole heart. The odd thing is that even the seeking part is also a gift — otherwise we would all be totally clueless.