The Mystery is Solved
Ephesians 3:1-12
Most people like to try and solve mysteries. There is a sense of accomplishment when you have been able to solve a mystery. One of the largest sections of most libraries is devoted to mystery novels. The popularity of mystery movies or TV shows indicates that people like to become involved even as spectators in solving a great mystery. We even instill that in our little children when we are playing with them and we try to hide one of their toys. Instantly you have all the elements of a mystery. Something is unknown and you follow some problem solving steps to reveal the truth. When the truth is found, those who have been searching are relieved and at the same time they feel a little bit of pride in being able to solve the mystery of the disappearing toy.
Today we are celebrating Epiphany. It is often called the Gentile Christmas and in fact there are some Christians around the world who consider this their Christmas. As you heard in the Gospel reading, it commemorates the coming of the Wise Men, or Magi, to worship the Christ Child. They brought Him gifts fit for a king, which is what He truly is. Their journey was somewhat of mystery for them. They didn’t know where to find this new-born king although they were following a mysterious star. The logical place would be in the palace of the king. It wasn’t until Herod the king consulted with those who were familiar with the Scriptures that the Wise Men were directed to Bethlehem
From the words to Adam and Eve in paradise after the fall into sin, God began to reveal clues about His plan for the rescue of His special creation, mankind. He said something about the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman but it probably didn’t make much sense to them at the time. Down through the ages the clues were given through the prophets that help God’s people to see a little bit more about the One who would be called the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Christ. From Isaiah’s prophecies we hear things like, “with His stripes we are healed,” or “like a lamb being led to the slaughter, he opened not his mouth” or even the words that Herod heard from his advisors, “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are little among the tribes of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient times.” When you put all those clues together you will find that this child born of Mary would fit all the descriptions.
Like so many other mysteries, this one was misunderstood by many people of that day. The Children of Israel had considered themselves God’s chosen people. When the Messiah would come, He would make of them a great nation. There were times in their history when they were a great nation but because of their sin, their rebellion against God and their stubbornness, they were punished. Their hope was always for that Messiah to come and make them a great nation again. When Jesus was born, it was in a time when the chosen people were under the rule of the Roman government, a situation that they saw as unacceptable. For them the Messiah meant one who would rescue them and drive out the Romans and establish for them a great nation again. They were ignoring the clues. The identity of the Messiah was still a mystery for them. That the Messiah would be for anyone else in the world was not even a consideration. He would be their Messiah for political reasons and no one else would be included.
Do you see what happened? They ignored the clues and as a result they were thrown off the right track. They would never be able to solved the mystery of God’s plan for salvation because they were looking for the wrong things. That should sound familiar. That still happens today as people forget what God has told them in His Word and start to make up their own way to God. His plan of salvation is deemed too unreasonable and instead they turn to finding personal fulfillment. If I can reach my spiritual goals, then I will be truly fulfilled in this life and somehow that will carry over to the life to come, whatever that might be. Many world religions have been following that kind of path for centuries but in recent years those same kind of ideas have become very popular in our society. The true plan of salvation from eternal punishment in hell remains a mystery to many people.
As we hear in our text from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, the mystery has been solved. In these twelve verses in this version, the word mystery is used four times. Paul recognizes that there are many people who still don’t understand the mystery of God’s love in Christ Jesus and that the grace of God is for all people, Jews and Gentiles alike.
In a good mystery novel there is often a surprise ending. Only at the end is the mystery solved and the truth is revealed. That will be the way it is for many people who have refused to follow the clues and put them all together. If they did, they would see from the testimony of the prophets and apostles that Jesus was the Messiah who came to offer Himself as the substitute for all people under the Law and then offer Himself again as the sacrifice for the their sins. He was, as John the Baptist proclaimed, “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” He was the One by whose stripes we are healed.
The blessing of that great work is for all people. That was somewhat of a mystery even to Jesus’ followers. They had a hard time understanding that the blessings of forgiveness and eternal salvation were for all people, including the Gentiles, the non-Jews. That was the essence of Paul’s message. Some Gentiles were no doubt led to believe that the Messiah was not for them. Paul writes to the Gentiles in Ephesus
On this Epiphany Sunday, when we remember the visit of the Wise Men, the coming of the Messiah, the Christ, for all people is especially emphasized. We don’t know exactly where these Wise Men came from but they had some knowledge of the Jews and their writings. They knew that an unusual star meant the birth of a king. Their gifts were the kinds of things that you would give to a king. We don’t know anything more about them and what they did after they went back without telling Herod about their experience with the Child who was truly the King. But we can be impressed that these Gentile Wise Men from afar were led by the Spirit to worship Jesus and in so doing they fulfilled the prophecies that spoke of the coming of people from other lands who would not be turned away. The Messiah was for them as well. It is that mystery that was revealed by Paul to his Gentile readers to help them to see that God’s plan of salvation was for them as well. There are still people in our world today who are deceived by the devil into thinking that there is some other way to get to heaven. Whether it is by good works, by following the proper discipline or by reaching a state of ultimate personal fulfillment, it all leads to eternal punishment.
Jesus came to bring life and the mystery that has been revealed to us through Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit is that salvation comes by God’s grace, because of what Jesus did for us through His perfect life and His suffering, death and resurrection and it becomes ours by faith which is worked in us by the Holy Spirit who works in us through the Word and the Sacrament, the Means of Grace. There are still those in our world for whom this is still a mystery. For us who believe, the mystery has been solved. It is now our privilege to help those around us see how the mystery is solved in Christ. Epiphany means to shine forth. As the people of God, you have the privilege to let Jesus shine forth in your life in order to unlock the mysteries of God in the lives of people all around you. The mystery is solved. Amen.
Rev. Gerald Matzke
Epiphany 2013
Epiphany 2013
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