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     Twenty-six times the New Testament refers to a mystery.  What was it? The apostle Paul wrote, “by revelation He made known to me the mystery,… the mystery of Christ” (Ephesians 3:3,4).  We considered Jesus as the revelation of God’s mystery to save mankind, not via the animal sacrifices according to the Mosaic covenant God made with ancient Israel over 1400 years earlier, but God manifested in the flesh (Jesus) came to fulfil the demand of the Law (Mosaic Covenant) and to offer Himself for the sins of mankind.  That indeed was a mystery which the Jews would have seen as an ironic twist, especially after the duration of one and a half millenia under that covenant.  Is there more to the mystery than Jesus? In the last article we concluded with the question — “What would be the significance of this mystery to the Gentiles?”

     To Jews, the world was divided into two groups of people — Jews and Gentiles.  The Jews were God’s chosen people based upon the promise made to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3) some 1900 years earlier.  Being divinely chosen, the Jews reckoned they were superior to all non-Jews.  The Gentiles were seen as unclean and unworthy, as pigs or dogs (declared unclean animals in the Mosaic Covenant).  Yet, one of the aspects of the mystery, involved the Gentiles.
     Paul also wrote about this mystery to the church at Colossae — “To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).  What would be the significance of this mystery to the Gentiles?

     Less than two months after Jesus was born, His parents took Him to Jerusalem.  There an old man named Simeon declared Jesus was, “A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel” (Luke 2:25-32).  We can only imagine what went through Joseph and Mary’s mind about Jesus and the Gentiles.  What favor do the Gentiles have with God?

     Indeed it must have been a tough slog for the Jews to accept the Gentiles.  Via visions God orchestrated the meeting between the apostle Peter and Cornelius who would become the first Gentile convert to Jesus.  Luke devotes two chapters to show us this radical change in Peter’s (hence Jews’) attitude toward the Gentiles becoming Christians (Acts 10-11:18).

     Nearly 30 years later, the apostle Paul was still explaining this mystery to unify Jews and Gentiles through Jesus — “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity” (Ephesians 2:14-16).  Mystery revealed — Jesus and Gentiles… but there is more to the mystery.

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