They Mystery of God

He walked into the temple, the smell of wood smoke and incense wafting around him and flooding him with memory and wonder. There was the smell of blood and sweat and people everywhere. There were people from all over the world speaking in a multitude of languages, calls of the money changers, prayers of the priests and people, the bleating of animals about to be sacrificed. The walls were a riot of the color of white marble and blue on the priests robes and gold and red. He was a priest, a keeper of the mystery of a God who desired a relationship with his people, and yet whose holiness kept him apart.

The idea that God wanted a relationship with us, and that he would do whatever it took to make a way for that relationship, was a huge mystery to even the angels. They didn’t get it. They didn’t understand what was so special about us that God would go to such great lengths to save us. That’s what we call the gospel. The mystery of the ancient tabernacle and then the temple became the work of Jesus, and it is good news indeed!

Because of the work of God on our behalf, Jesus came and spoke the ancient words of mystery to those whose hearts would respond to him. He told them,

To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. Matthew 13:11

The people of Jesus’ day had grown deaf to the ancient words, and their hearts were hard and cold. There was no wonder or mystery for them. Jesus gave his words to his disciples, men and women whose hearts were soft and responsive. Out of them he achieved God’s desire, to have a relationship with them. Out of them he built his church.

Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. I Corinthians 4:1

The mystery of salvation, of the wonder of a relationship between God and man, between Creator and his creation, between Savior and sinner, has now been given to us. We are stewards of this mystery, the keepers of grace who hold it out for our generation.

There is danger in losing the wonder and mystery of our salvation. We take it for granted, forgetting the lengths to which God went in order to be with us in relationship. We become flip, forgetting whom it is we worship. We begin to see Jesus as a buddy instead of a Savior, and forget that we need saving. We should never utter light and frivolous words to the Creator of the Universe.

Worthy are you, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for you did create all things, and because of your will they existed, and were created. Revelation 4:11

He was, and is, and is to come, and his word is true and remains. There is great mystery, mystery of salvation and relationship, that is for us. When the mystery is gone we need to get back in touch with the Holy Spirit. We need to dip deeply into the words of God that remind us who he is, that we struggle to understand and yet accept with gratitude.

We are reminded of the mystery in worship. Bowing low before the God who loves us, who fought Satan and won, and who bought our salvation reminds us of how small we are, and of how amazing are the actions of God on our behalf. We are so insignificant to be given so much. God is so big and we are not. We are so resistant to him, never understanding how lost we are without him. We cannot begin to fathom the bigness of our God. We don’t have the words.

For the testimony of God is the spirit of prophesy. And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and he who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war. And his eyes are a flame of fire, and upon his head are many diadems; and he has a name written upon him which no one knows except himself. And he is clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and his name is called the Word of God. Revelation 19:10b-13