One ...Revelation

In 1996 Barb and I went through a “Sherlock Holmes Phase.” We both read through the complete and unabridged version Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The writing was top notch and it was really fun to try and see if we could match wits with Holmes and Mr. Watson. The mystery would play itself out in Doyle’s vibrant and descriptive words as I would to try to piece together the various clues so, before Sherlock would declare the answer, I could claim to already know what he was about to reveal. It always felt very satisfying to believe I had the brain power and the creativity of Sherlock Holmes when it came to solving mysteries.

I have always enjoyed puzzles, stories and movies that required me to solve something. I’m not sure whether it feeds my ego, my sense of competitiveness or that I just like the brain exercise – I’m guessing it is probably a combination of all three. I love understanding things and knowing how or why they work. I am pretty sure this is the reason that I enjoyed math and science so much. When my friends complained about the word problems in advanced algebra or physics I was in my glory – just don’t ask me to find the prepositional phrase in the word problem!

Barb has repeatedly expressed to me the great joy and sense of gratification that comes, as a teacher, when she sees a student’s face as the “lights go on” and they understand or solve something they previously didn’t grasp. I believe that the joy Barb is describing is very similar to the joy of solving a mystery. In her case, as a teacher she was celebrating that she brought about a “revelation” to the student that expanded their understanding of things.

It is not difficult for most of us to appreciate “revelation” or “understanding.” We have felt the exuberance that comes when we can solve something we previously felt in the dark about and we can resonate with the sense of hopelessness that comes when we remain in the dark. God wants us to be “in the Know” about what matters most. God is a God of revelation and light. He is a God of truth and He has communicated that truth in nature, history and His Word. The question for me and for you is this – do I want to live out of His revealed Truth or am I going to go in a different direction?

This week’s message based on Ephesians 3 addresses the fact that the completed revelation is found in Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the long awaited Messiah and Jesus is the answer to our sin problem that has caused the broken world in which we live. Jesus is the literal arrival of God on the scene – He is the revealed God in all of His holiness, grace and glory. When we want to understand or “know the answer to the mystery” or grasp God we need to look to Jesus. He is God’s primary communication and He is the solution!

God said, “Let me clarify myself” and Jesus was born, lived, died and rose again!

• I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.     (Ephesians 3.17b-19)
  

Pastor Nick