The Mystery of Christ

Friday (5/25/07) was pretty fun. Before I get into that- just a quick note that we did not have too much going on for Sunday, 5/27, so there will not be another blog for that.

For youth group Friday night we started out with the pyramid. After getting some reluctant volunteers and then some switching later on, we finally formed a 6-person pyramid. After that we did a poetry activity, passing it on writing one line at a time without seeing the previous lines. It makes for interesting results that usually do not make too much sense. Some were still fun to read.

I opened the discussion by asking if the youth ever had a time where their peers or parents would not tell them somthing they wanted to know. Of course, this has happened in everyone's life before. Imagine a whole generation, or even generations, not knowing something. God has the perfect timing on when we should know things. And perhaps the biggest example of all is the mystery of Christ Paul says was revealed to him in Ephesians 3:2-6

"2Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, 3that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5which 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. 6This 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."

God revealed that the Gentiles would receive salvation in the Old Testament. But the revelation through Paul is that the Gentiles would become equal heirs with the Jews! Amazing. In fact, that reminds me one of Jesus's teaching in Matthew, the Parable of the Workers Paid Equally. Read through it and I'm sure you'll see the connection.

I also brought up an idea from this passage in Ephesians that a friend told me a couple of weeks ago. It takes this idea of the mystery of Christ even further. Not only did all persons up to the time of Jesus' life not know, but the devil was also unaware of this plan. The devil was setting up the events for Jesus to be crucified thinking that would be his victory over God. Jesus being resurrected, providing salvation, and uniting Jews and Gentiles was why God allowed Jesus to be crucified, unbeknownst to Satan.

Now that I think about it, I am not sure how well that holds, since the Old Testament did prophesy that Gentiles would receive salvation. Maybe since Jesus was such an unlikely Messiah- as in, not the kind the Jews intended....I don't know. I just want everyone to think about it. And please comment any thoughts or if anything is revealed through studying this passage and prayer.

blessings