God’s Mystery Revealed

Who doesn’t love a good mystery?

Did you know that God has woven together a mystery story, and that he began writing it at the time of creation, with a plot that still astounds its readers today?

Paul uses the word “mystery” 7 times in his letter to the Ephesians (1:9, 3:3, 3:4, 3:6, 3:9, 5:32 and 6:19) and 7 more times in his other letters!

I was drawn to this analogy for the gospel because I have long been a reader of mystery novels, and am intrigued by their plots, as someone (usually a main character) sets out to “solve the mystery” and find out the truth of what happened.

However, the term “mystery” as used in these verses does not refer to a riddle or a secret, as I originally thought when I started studying this passage. Rather, it refers to a “spiritual insight or revelation from God unknown to previous generations”, as I learned from a footnote in my Quest Study Bible.

In a typical “who dunnit (who done it?)”, the challenge is to unravel the mystery of what has happened. However, rather than keeping his people “in the dark” about what he, as the protagonist, did behind the scenes, God chose to reveal the miracle of this mystery over time, to anyone who would listen to the story!

At the end of a mystery novel, everything that has been done comes out into the open, and there are no secrets or riddles left to be solved. In the same way, it is now clear what God has written and done!

God’s revelation of the “mystery” to his people over the generations has been progressive. Paul had the privilege of revealing the mystery to his generation, just as we have that privilege in our own generation.

Father God, thank you for all that you have written and done to make the truth clear to me. Help me to trust you with whatever I do not understand today, knowing that you will continue to reveal yourself and your plan to me, as I patiently wait and trust you. Amen.

Throughout This Day: A great mystery like this can still inspire and influence the hearts of people around us, so keep telling the story, but don’t forget to include your own wonder at what actually happened in the plot!

Go further: One of the greatest joys we can know as Christians is helping people discover Jesus and come to love him. By becoming an online mentor, you can experience this joy as you interact with people from around the world who are thirsty for change, and often thirsty for God.