'Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness.' (Psalm 145:3) (New Living Translation)
You know that moment when there’s a big reveal, a plot twist, a surprise that you never saw coming? That moment when your mind is blown?
Perhaps it was Darth Vader saying, 'I am your father', the end of a movie such as The Sixth Sense and The Usual Suspects or the conclusion of almost every Agatha Christie novel… those kinds of moments!
There is something about a great mystery that draws me in and keeps me hooked. There are clues to consider, plotlines to understand, characters to get to know, and red herrings to distract you along the way.
God, in many ways, is a mystery. To many, he is a vague idea, or a general 'higher power', somewhat removed from us folk here on earth. But like a good mystery, God and his grand plan of salvation are worthy of your time and attention.
While God might seem hard to comprehend, it does not mean he is unknowable. He has given us some clues to help us know him.
General revelation — Romans 1:20 tells us that people can have some knowledge of God by noticing the world around them. Majestic mountain ranges, the shades of green in a forest, the complexity of a tiny insect seen through a macro lens, and gazing up at a star-studded sky can show us something of who God is through creation.
Special revelation — We also have the Bible, 66 books from Genesis to Revelation, telling the story of who God is, what he has done, and what he is yet to do. There are literary genres in there for everyone, from history books and prophecies to poetry and letters. God reveals himself through his living word.
We have plenty of characters too: Adam and Eve, Abraham and Moses, Peter and Paul. Interesting characters, eccentric characters, flawed characters. They are a bit like us, really! Their stories, relationships and interactions reveal more about God’s character. In their weaknesses, we see his strength. In their insufficiencies, we see his provision.
In any good mystery, there’s always a big reveal, that moment when suddenly everything is clear, when we now know what all the clues were leading towards. The big reveal in the story of God is the person of Jesus Christ. The people were expecting the promised messiah, whom they assumed would be a warrior king, not a baby born in a manger. Lowly and humble? That wasn’t the saviour everyone was expecting. Talk about a plot twist!
Colossians 1:27 says, 'To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory'. Jesus — living, dying, rising again, giving us the Holy Spirit so that we might have new life, new hope, restoration with God. He is the fulfilment of the prophecies, the one whom everything was pointing towards — the expression of God on earth, tangible and knowable.
Jesus says, 'Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!' (John 14:9). Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15).
Mystery solved!
Renata Rankin
Director Identity, Formation and Service
