The Mystery of Epiphany

Introduction

You may be wondering why we’re here this morning in the middle of the book of Ephesians. No, we didn’t start a series through Ephesians that you’ve forgotten about, and we won’t continue it next week—then, we’ll be journeying through the book of Acts. No, Ephesians 3:1-13 is our text today because today is Epiphany Sunday—a day in the church calendar that marks the conclusion of Christmas and a day traditionally used to celebrate and observe the visit of the Wise Men to the baby Jesus. The reason Epiphany has been observed was not merely because of the nice story, but because that story, the magi worshipping Jesus, is the appearance of Jesus to the Gentiles, these wise men from far away places. We see in the earliest moments of Jesus’ life—before he sought at Samaritan women and talked with Roman centurions—that He was making Himself known to the nations of the world.

And this text, Ephesians 3, is centered on what Paul calls a great mystery, that is that the Gospel, the good news of Jesus, is not just for Jews, but for Gentiles, for people of all nations and all tribes and all tongues. Look at Ephesians 3:4–6 “4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” Paul is struck by this unexpected mystery of the Gospel, that Christ appeared and has revealed Himself and offered his salvation to all people! And that these people, with all their differences—like us in this room today—we are brought into the same body, the same family of God. Paul seems confounded by this mystery, and that indeed will be our focus today. Our main idea is this: The mystery of the Gospel is revealed in Jesus Christ, showing the unexpected and surprising wisdom of God.

The Gospel revealed to unexpected people

I want to set the stage a little bit in our passage here today. Almost this entire passage, these 13 verses, is a digression. In chapter 2 he had been outlining the new unity that believers have together in the church; that we are brought together as fellow citizens in the household of God. He aims to go on, Ephesians 3:1 “1 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—” but then cuts himself off, it’s as if he’s not done yet, he needs to say more about this Gospel, about this amazing mystery!

And it builds to v. 6 Ephesians 3:6 “6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”

The mystery of the Gospel is that it was not limited to a certain group of people, not just for the Jewish people, but rather that it was for the Gentiles too. As I’ve said, the gospel is for all people! This is what is so mysterious and surprising to the apostle.

What does Paul mean when he uses the word “mystery” to describe the Gospel? When we hear the word mystery, we often think of a puzzle to solve. A mystery novel or story, a whodunit, right? It’s all about solving the case, showing how smart you are for correctly sussing out the clues and naming the correct person!

Some of us may be guilty of treating the Bible and theology as a puzzle or mystery to solve. But the Bible is not puzzle box to solve, this is the living word of the Almighty God that is made clear to us only by His Spirit working in us.

Mystery here is not something obscured that needs to be deciphered, but rather something that was previously unknown that has now been revealed, here by God, not because of good human-thinking or rationality but by God’s good will to make it known. Paul is marveling at this good news that he only knows because God revealed it. Paul says the gospel is a mystery not because it’s hard to understand, not because he is like Sherlock Holmes cracking a case. He calls it a mystery because the gospel is entirely unexpected!

Once it was revealed to him, it was comprehensible. Right? We can understand the Gospel, God has revealed it to us through Jesus and through His word. But until then, it would never occur to human wisdom that God would act in this way. With such grace, with such mercy, with salvation that is for people of all backgrounds who did nothing to earn it.

This is unfathomable and yet God shows us that this is who He is for us. And made all the more mysterious by the fact that it was for all people, not just the in-crowd, or the people who had the right name, this salvation, this unexpected grace extends far beyond what we can imagine.

And not only that, but when the Gentiles are brought into salvation, that have the same, equal status with everyone else. Those people? Yes! Those people. There is no hierarchy in the gospel.

We would never have come up with this! That’s why Paul calls it a mystery. Our default is to make sure we can show that we’re better than others. That we’re more important, more well respected, more righteous. We’re really good at creating systems that perpetuate this—I got more likes, more followers, more views, a higher status, a better title. That’s the world we create. Left to our own wisdom we will do everything we can to leave others out and build ourselves behind a wall of salvation fortified by our own good works and righteousness.

But in Christ, Ephesians 2:14 “14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility”

Paul is overcome by this great mystery; let us be people that never cease to be amazed and overwhelmed by our good and gracious God and His mercy for us. And, by the way, we shouldn’t be surprised by this Gospel—the Old Testament is very clear, from the beginning, about the grace of our God and his grace extending to people of all nations. And yet such is the human heart that we are surprised, that God’s grace would be given to those people, to our enemies, to those who are different from us.

Let us also be people who others through the lens of the Gospel, others as objects of Christ’s redemption or potential recipients of his grace.

The Gospel displayed through an unexpected Church

For now, in Christ because of the Gospel, there is this new community of people—and this is the second point in outline—the church! There is now this group of broken people from all backgrounds and walks of life who are now reconciled to God with one another in this family. We are cleansed by the Holy Spirit, washed by the blood Christ, declared righteous because of Him, and yet we’re still works in progress, we’re still growing to be more like Him. Growing in our love for God and others.

It’s messy, but God, in another unexpected turn, has great plans for His people, for the church. It is, in fact, a continuing grace of God that we are not brought into salvation to merely wait around for death so we can go to heaven. We’re not saved so we can sit here feel good. No, we are saved and then called to carry out God’s great purpose for us.

In v. 7 Paul talks about the grace it is to be a minister of the Gospel to the Gentiles

And how does he describe himself and then his calling in v. 8-9? Ephesians 3:8–9 “8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things,” Even though I am the least of the saints, elsewhere he calls himself the chief of sinners, God in his grace gave him this unique and privileged assignment to preach to those who are far off and did not know Christ and make known the unexpected mystery of the Gospel.

Now, Paul is talking about his unique calling, but for all of us—God in his grace, calls us into his work and to be stewards of the Gospel, bearing witness to this good news. It’s a grace and it’s unexpected because God doesn’t need us, but He has chosen to use His people for His purpose and his glory. We shouldn’t ask, then, what great abilities or wisdom do we bring to the table—that would be misunderstanding our call. Paul does not boast in his abilities. No, we will fulfill our call because of God’s work in us and through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in us.

Look at v. 10 to see the unexpected work of the church: Ephesians 3:10 “so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” Through the church God is making His wisdom known. That phrase here “the manifold wisdom of God,” is how Paul is referring to God’s extraordinary, unexpected plan of salvation, the mystery of the Gospel.

The amazing call of the church then is that we collectively—as one body, as a united community—would make known this wisdom to the world. And not only the world but to even the highest rulers and authorities on earth and in the heavenly realms. The church is making the Gospel known to the highest kings, leaders, CEOs, political officials on this earth and to the those forces in the spiritual realm. The demons—they believe in Jesus and shudder—are now bearing witness to God’s redemptive and restorative work through the church, bearing witness to their defeat because of Christ. The angels they see the work of God in the church and worship Him all the more, glorifying God for this incredible work that even those in His presence could not imagine.

Through the church—God is making His gospel known to the ends of the earth and to the highest places of authority. This is a mystery. This is unexpected! Because the church isn’t perfect. It’s this messy collection of people growing together. We are broken vessels carrying infinite light and wisdom of God. God accomplishes his cosmic purposes not through the righteous or self-sufficient, but through those who have been reconciled by the gift of grace. And we ask, how? How do does the church make the wisdom of God known?

It is our very existence. Our being in community together, regardless of background, ethnicity, socio-economic status. It is our obeying together our Lord and savior. Our loving our neighbors together. Our worship of God together. It is proclaiming the Gospel message to one another and to our neighbors. And the church has been doing this since it started!

Secular historian Tom Holland, in his book Dominion, all about tracing Christianity’s vast impact across the world and history, he tells the story of Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate in the fourth century. Julian had rejected and hated the faith in the empire after Christianity had become legal. In a letter he wrote to one of his pagan high priests, the emperor observed that the Christians were growing in their influence—the gospel was becoming known! And he attributes this growing influence to their charity and care for the poor. He says, “those disgraceful and impious Galileans [his derisive term for Christians], they support not only their own poor, but ours as well.” It was Christian charity, for all people and in the name of the Gospel that got on the radar of the most powerful person in the Roman world.

The emperor urged his own high priests to increase care for the poor—he couldn’t believe and was ashamed that the Christians were taking care of even those not in the church!

The point is not to start some program, the point is this: when the church is doing what it’s called to do, when we are coming together and loving others, caring for the needs of those around, breaking down the dividing walls and pursuing our God together: All of creation will take notice.

The Gospel’s unexpected work in suffering

It doesn’t mean this will be easy, in fact, this is why Paul is writing in the first place. This whole digression starts by acknowledge his status as a prisoner—though he frames it as unto Christ. But in verse thirteen we see that he’s offered all of this encouragement and exhortation for this: Ephesians 3:13 “13 So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.”

Though I am suffering now, do not lose heart! Do not worry about me, the grounding for his encouragement here is everything he’s just said. For Paul is recognizing at least two things here about suffering—

The first is this, Paul’s suffering and imprisonment has led to the Gospel being made known. Though it appears that his mission to advance the gospel to the Gentiles has been thwarted, it was through his chains that Paul was an effective witness. Do you ever feel that temptation? To think that because of the hard thing you’re walking through, because of some suffering or trial that God cannot use you? That you need to sit things out for a while and figure your mess out before you can carry out the mission and purpose of God?

Paul says here, I am suffering, but it’s ok it’s for you! His faithfulness through this trial and suffering is both a witness to the nonbelieving world who hear of this man imprisoned because of Christ, but also a witness and encouragement to the church. Our suffering, our trials then are a witness to others for the glory of God. God uses them!

The other thing that Paul recognizes about suffering is that any suffering on earth, though real, though challenging, is not ultimate. There is no suffering that can be ultimate because of Christ’s ultimate suffering for us. Born that man no more may die! Christmas and Epiphany are about the appearing of Jesus Christ, but all leads up to His suffering, his death, and his glorious, victorious resurrection.

Because Christ suffered we know that there will be an end to our suffering. Because he endured the cross, we can endure anything the world brings our way, knowing that it will not be our end.

I’m reminded of the 2019 film, A Hidden Life, the true story of Franz Jagerstatter, an Austrian farmer and conscientious objector during World War II. All Austrian men were compelled to swear allegiance to Hitler and fight in the army for the Nazis. He refused. His faith compelled him to refuse. He and his family were ostracized by their community, he is eventually arrested and imprisoned and sentenced to death. On the day of his execution he was given a final opportunity to recant, to simply sign a document and save his life. In the film, his lawyer pleads with him—you don’t even have to mean it, sign this and you’ll go free. Franz’ response: But I am free. His last words were: “I am completely bound in union with the Lord.”

You see? The freedom we have in Christ is greater than all suffering we face on earth. An no suffering on earth can crush us or destroy us because of Christ. Paul might say the same thing, though I am a prisoner I am free and in my freedom I belong to Christ! Look what it says in v. 12: “in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in Him.” We have Jesus! Whatever comes our way, we have access to our loving savior and his comforting care.

Through His death and resurrection, through His suffering, Jesus paid the ransom for His people—the church. This messy, redeemed community from every nations and background, unexpectedly and mysteriously brought together to imperfectly shine the light of His gospel wherever we go.

This is the mystery of Epiphany—not that God has finally become understandable, but that He has made Himself known, and in way we could never have imagined.

So let us be people of Epiphany—people who proclaim the mystery of the Gospel and who live with confidence and hope—whatever may come—because we belong to Christ!

Amen.