Make Known The Mystery

Ephesians 3:2-12 (NIV) Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

Dear friends in Christ Jesus,

Do you enjoy a good mystery? Whether it is a play or a book, many people enjoy wondering, “Who did it?” Recently I stood near the spot where John F. Kennedy was shot, and joined with those in wondering if Lee Harvey Oswald was the sole assassin, if so why he did it. Apparently that question is still a topic of great discussion among many people. Whether it is a real life or fictional mystery, people interested in mysteries often ask, “Who did it? Why? And How?”

In order to discover who did it and how, it often takes many hours of painstaking investigation. Unlike television shows that wrap up most mysteries in an hour or so, it often takes much longer to resolve unsolved crimes. Perhaps you are one that likes to solve mysteries.

There is one mystery that remained completely unsolvable by human beings. That was the mystery of how God was going to save all people, why he would do so and through whom. Although the promise was made to Adam and Eve that one of her own children would provide salvation to all people, people wondered for thousands of years how this would happen, through whom it would happen, and why it would happen. Once the mystery is revealed, what importance is there in knowing the answer to this mystery? Do we have any responsibility toward the revealing of this mystery? As we consider the mystery of which Paul speaks today, he has an urgent message for all of us:

Make known the Mystery

1. We all share in the promise of Christ Jesus

2. God wants his mystery made known through you

Despite repeated promises, from Adam and Eve down through all the prophets, it had become a mystery as to how the Gentiles would make it into heaven. God makes it clear in his Word that he wants all people to be saved, and that includes all people from Adam down to the last person ever born on this earth. God chose one nation, the nation of Israel, to bring this Desire of Nations to the world. Over the course of time, the nation of Israel misunderstood and misrepresented their purpose to the world. They were to be conveyors of this promise to others, but in the process they came to the mistaken conclusion that they would be the only nation to be saved. What they were to share with others became a hidden mystery to the Gentiles, so that even many Gentile nations thought that only the Jewish people would be saved. The nation of Israel had a responsibility to make the mystery known, and in many ways they failed in that responsibility. They kept for themselves what everyone needed to know. When they didn’t see the need to share this mystery with others, they also lost the meaning of this mystery.

That’s why God raised up people like Paul, to once again make this mystery known to all people, Jews and gentiles alike. The administration of God’s grace was given to the Apostle Paul. What an awesome task. The responsibility for making sure that others knew about the undeserved love of God was given to the Apostle Paul. Would you like that responsibility? If it was up to you to let the world know about God’s grace, how would you go about doing so? The administration of God’s grace was given to Paul. Included among those who needed to hear of God’s grace were the Ephesians to whom Paul was writing.