Humans desire divine profoundness to be reduced to short, simple, memorable words. God ironically reveals himself in the mysterious Word nearly unexplainable.

Many Christians have lost that Jesus was intentionally a mystery. Everyone wondered and theorized who he was from his inception till his death. Jesus even asked “who do you say that I am?” Matthew 16:15 and the rest of the New Testament affirms for us that while Jesus walked the earth he was a walking mystery. This was God’s plan. No one could solve it on their own. He characteristically left people hanging in regards to his identity. Search and study his responses to the high priest, religious leaders, king Herod, Pontius Pilate, and even his own followers. Just read through the gospel of Matthew to get the full effect or John 1 that proposes that Jesus very coming was a mystery that had been revealed.

After his death and resurrection question still rose over who he was and what his life meant. Paul a late convert was zealous over the mysterious identity of Christ. Paul wrote the following to the Ephesians and used the word mystery seven times in connection to what the person of Jesus revealed about the mysterious nature and character of God and his divine plan. Paul could not and did not attempt to fully explain the mystery yet he sought to shed light on the parts of it that were revealed to Him. Read Ephesians 3. Jesus even told Peter one of his right hand men that what Peter and the other disciples knew about Jesus was revealed by God. Read Matthew 16.

Why do so many of us try to take the divine and reduce it simply to a catch phrase that is neither characteristic of Jesus teaching or the apostles? Could it be we don’t get that mystery is part of the wonder of God? Could it be we do not believe the mystery of Christ is enough to capture the heart and immagination of people for the gospel of Christ?