Ephesians 3.8-21 (7)
Pray Psalm 132.13-18.
For the LORD has chosen Zion;
He has desired it for His dwelling place:
“This is My resting place forever;
Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
I will abundantly bless her provision;
I will satisfy her poor with bread.
I will also clothe her priests with salvation,
And her saints shall shout aloud for joy.
There I will make the horn of David grow;
I will prepare a lamp for My Anointed.
His enemies I will clothe with shame,
But upon Himself His crown shall flourish.”
Sing Psalm 132.13-18.
(Finlandia: Be Still, My Soul)
God dwells among us, and He will forever,
to meet our needs and clothe us with His grace.
He has to us sent Jesus Christ, our Savior—
Beloved, eternal light and resting place.
His foes are banished from His Presence ever,
but we shall reign with Him before His face.
Read Ephesians 3.1-7; meditate on verse 2, 3.
In your mind’s eye, try to picture an image showing how mystery and revelation relate to one another.
Preparation
1. How does revelation come to us?
2. What is the ultimate focus of all revelation?
Meditation
The story is told about the little boy who, upon visiting his grandfather’s farm for the first time, threw himself enthusiastically into a pile of manure and began digging away. Hauling him out, his grandfather asked him why he had done that. To which the boy replied, “Granddad, with all that manure here, there’s got to be a pony in it somewhere.”
Similarly, we might say—and rightly so—wherever there is revelation, there is mystery. And where the mystery of Jesus is concerned, there is an abundance of revelation, both in Scripture and creation. The more we dig into the revelation, the more the mystery becomes clear. And the more clearly we see the mystery, we realize that all divine mysteries are resolved in Jesus. So the more we see Jesus, revealed in His Word and works, the more we are drawn by the effective working of His grace to partake of His promise and, like Paul, to bear witness to Him in our world.
And the more we live this way, showing Jesus and His grace in all our words and works, the more we will be a mystery to those who do not know Him. And the more we will be a stimulus to dig into God’s Word to all who, like us, are partakers of His promises in Jesus Christ.
There will always be more mystery to our faith. We do not avoid the idea of mystery. Rather, we throw ourselves into it enthusiastically, seeking the revelation of Jesus and more of the knowledge of God’s mystery in Him.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
Jesus’ whole earthly ministry was highlighted by His selflessness, His willingness to make “Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming [to earth] in the likeness of men” (Phil. 2.7). This One Who is God “humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2.8).
Paul, who sincerely imitated Jesus (1 Cor. 11.1), tried to make clear that he was doing something similar: “I, Paul, [am] the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles” (Eph. 3.1). For you. For me.
This is the same mystery and revelation that we are to live within. For others.
“You are the salt of the earth…
You are the light of the world.
A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand,
and it gives light to all who are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works
and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5.13-16).
“But the path of the just is like the shining sun,
that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day” (Prov. 4.18).
And this kind of saltiness, light diffusing, mysterious, and revelatory living will bring results—sometimes good and sometimes not. But it is the living that we as servants, bondservants, and prisoners of Jesus Christ are called to. All for the love, glory, honor, and praise of our Lord Jesus Christ. And for others.
As we look around us, and see those in our Personal Mission Field, we are struck, like Nehemiah, with all the destruction. But we, like Nehemiah, must have a heart to seek the Lord for His help to rebuild what is so broken down.
“The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”
“So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. And I said: ‘I pray, LORD God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You Who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night’” (Neh. 1.3-6), for the ones You have put in my path, who need to know the mystery and revelation of Your grace.
“May He send you help…and strengthen you…” (Ps. 20.2).
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help…” (Ps. 46.1).
“Our help is in the Name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth” (Ps. 124.8).
Selflessly, as Christ and Paul,
“Let us come boldly to the throne of grace,
that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help
in time of need” (Heb. 4.16).
Then let’s tell the wondrous story—with a spoiler alert—we know the mysterious reveal.
Reflection
1. Why would your life in Christ be a “mystery” to those who don’t know Him?
2. How does the revelation of Jesus Christ become diffused throughout your Personal Mission Field?
3. Who will see the mystery of Christ in your life today? How should you prepare for that?
What he had previously called simply the mystery he now refers to as the “mystery of Christ.” He means by this that it had to remain hidden until it was revealed at His coming, just as the prophecies of His kingdom can be called “prophecies of Christ.” John Calvin (1509-1564), Commentary on Ephesians 3.1-7
Pray Psalm 132.8-10.
Pray that God will give you a hunger and thirst for more of the mystery of Jesus, and that Jesus will reveal Himself more clearly to you as you rest and delight in Him..
Sing Psalm 132.8-10.
(Finlandia: Be Still, My Soul)
Arise, O LORD, come to Your resting place;
Your holy Presence meet with us in might.
Clothe us with righteousness in Jesus’ grace,
and we will shout to Your divine delight!
For David’s sake, turn not away Your face,
but look upon us in Your holy light.
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest this week: In our ReVision series on “The Kingdom Economy” we continue looking at ways the Law of God applies to our lives. This week our Read Moore podcast we consider the question of what it means to know Jesus Christ. Our Crosfigell teaching letter continues our study of the life of Brigit, a contemporary of Brendan. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
