Ephesians 3:1-12.                             The revelation of Jesus Christ!!                                 11/1/15

¹For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—
² Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, ³ that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. ⁴ In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, ⁵ which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. ⁶ This 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.
⁷ I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. ⁸ Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, ⁹ and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. ¹⁰ His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, ¹¹ according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹² In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

 Today we are celebrating the Epiphany of our Lord – or the revealing of our Lord for what he really is to all people. Last Sunday we were reminded that Jesus is the Light of the world and that he alone can give us light and life. In the Gospel reading today the wise men from the East had revealed to them that this baby in Bethlehem was to be the great king. Here in this reading Paul is telling us that this Jesus is the one through whom all people may approach God with freedom and confidence.

 This work of God in and through Jesus Christ is here called a great mystery. What Jesus has come to do is so great and powerful that it is incomprehensible to not only human beings but also to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms. However in and through Jesus Christ this wondrous thing is happening – Jesus and what he has come to do is revealed to all.

 The point is that here we have the greatest thing to happen in all of history being now revealing in Jesus Christ. Here is that which is most important for not only us as human beings, but for every creature on earth and in heaven to know. So much so that it is mind-boggling.

 So here we have a message that is very challenging to us and our world today. Our society does not want to know God and Jesus Christ, so it does not want to know what is of utmost importance to them and to all of life. Instead, now we have hailed to us ‘the power of the pencil’ – freedom of speech: Thinking that maybe this will overcome our world’s problems – which of course it won’t.

 Is it any wonder then that we are struggling to find meaning and purpose to life? We are running this way and that trying to find something that will give us that which we need to hold life together for us and to light up a way that is good for us. Until we take seriously this message we will always come up short, every time.

 Interestingly, in light of recent events in our world, here we are told: This 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. So the message here is that in connection with this Jesus all people can be united and one with each other. Jesus alone is what can give the peace that we long for.

 Every attempt that humanity makes to bring about unity and peace has not and will not work. God’s Word is very clear that sinful, selfish humanity will always come unstuck, no matter how great a system of philosophy, politics or thinking we put into place. There will always be people who have and will abuse the system. This is not just the case with the Islamic extremists, but is there in communism and capitalism. Democracy, freedom of speech or whatever will be corrupted by this selfishness and sinfulness.

 As much as the Islamic extremists are causing havoc in our world at the moment, so also are the drug pushers, paedophiles, rip-off merchants and the list could go on and on and on. Sinful humanity will over and over again do what it selfishly wants to do, irrespective of its effects on others. And this same sinfulness is there in each and every one of us.

 Yes even we in the Christian church bring troubles and hardships on ourselves and others. We too, readily shift the focus to ourselves and our wants and desires and so bring about strife and divisions. We too, do our own thing; worship when and where we want; want our own preference of music and the like; and more.

 So no matter where we look, humanity when it looks to itself always comes unstuck: it will always be floundering in the dark. So we need to have our answer; our light, and our unity outside of ourselves and our world. It needs to come from God almighty himself.

Now it is here again then that the revelation of Jesus Christ is where it is at; and nowhere else. Here we need to remember that it is not any or all religions or philosophies that are more or less equal. As much as many today, even in Christian circles, are saying that the Muslims and some other religions are all heading in the same direction to the same God. Here again we are reminded that this is not so; Jesus Christ alone is our light, life and salvation.

 Now many people become uncomfortable when this message is spoken. We are said to be arrogant, fundamentalist, divisive and all the rest. However we must be clear that this is not me speaking, but God’s Word itself. He tells us this.

 But others would say that Islam and other religions says the same thing, so how can we be so sure when we make these sort of claims that we are. Here again Jesus Christ is and has the answer to these views. Jesus is God come into our world. His Word told us hundreds and hundreds of years before his coming into our world that he would come and die and rise again; and it all happened in Jesus Christ. Even secular history itself acknowledges this. So we can be absolutely sure that the bible is true to its word, as it is not some fairy story written up by a human being somewhere along the way.

 So if Jesus is who he and the Bible says he is, then what that Word says about why and the whole purpose of him coming is also true and can be trusted. With that then we have the greatest bit of news that our world has even heard: News that can enlighten and transform the lives of every single person on earth.

 The light, life, salvation, unity and all the rest that is spoken is now possible in connection with this Jesus and his coming, life, death and resurrection.  Despite our sinfulness, the gospel, is the revelation that in Jesus’s death on the cross he has made forgiveness of sins, life and salvation available to all of humanity no matter who they are. His resurrection three days later proves this and thereby ensures us that there is also a rising to life for all those who are baptised and believe. All who are connected to him, no matter who they are, are now united with each other and have a peace and hope that the world cannot give or understand.

 Jew, gentile, Muslim or whatever can now find their life and salvation in him alone. Only in him can humanity find the peace and unity that it longs for and hasn’t been able to find. But now here in Jesus Christ this is all there: this is the light that has broken into our darkened world.

 This is the mystery revealed. This is the gospel that mankind longs to hear and know: that we all are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. In him and his death and resurrection we have forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. In him we have unity with God and each other.

 This is God’s eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. This is what all of earth and even the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms have been longing after.

 So here now, in our world today with its terrorism, lack of peace and loneliness, we have a message of peace and hope. Here we have something real to look to and hang onto and which can make a real difference to life. Here is our light in our darkened world.

 So today again the boundless riches of Christ has been revealed to us. This is the Epiphany that is so important for our world today. To him then be all glory and honour, now and always. Amen

 Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish