O my soul,

When is a mystery not a mystery? Why, when it has been revealed of course!

Let’s consider just what has been revealed and why.

The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

― Deuteronomy 29:29

Specifically on this Good Friday I want to consider the revelation of the mystery of the Lord’s will, according to his purpose, from my desert island chapter of the Bible. And of course it is all and entirely about Jesus.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

― Ephesians 1:7-10

Let’s unpack this slowly and carefully, for the words are so familiar we are at risk of progressing past them without really noticing what they’re even saying, when in fact we should again be completely overwhelmed by the goodness and kindness and sovereignty and justice of the Father, and by the riches of his grace.

In Jesus we have redemption. Thayer defines redemption as a releasing effected by payment of a ransom. So we must remind ourselves from what we have been released.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience⸺among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.⁠

― Ephesians 2:1-3

I was dead in my trespasses and sins, and this was the norm as I merely followed the course of this world along with several billion others. How ironic that those who live in the passions of their flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind thinking they are free to do so are in fact slaves to sin, in bondage, children of wrath by their very nature, like the whole of mankind. We cannot understand the magnitude of this redemption⸺this release⸺without first understanding the sheer wretchedness and utter hopelessness of the previous state.

But it was more wretched and more hopeless even than that. I was obliviously following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience. Satan has such a hold on those sometimes seen merely as worldly, and so many remain in ignorance of this. It is entirely a spiritual battle, and without Christ the battle is hopeless.

But we are not without Christ! And realising this and the magnitude of the rescue, how can humble gratitude not come flooding into our hearts, and love for our wonderful Saviour? And worship and adoration of our Heavenly Father whose purpose this is?

And what was the ransom that was paid to release us from that previous state? It was the blood of the Lamb, the very Son of God.

And they brought [Jesus] to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull).

And they crucified him.

And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

― Mark 15:22,24a,33-34

Behold the only Son of God crying out in anguish, forsaken by the Father who turned his face away from his only and most beloved Son. And you and I both know the reason why, the answer to Jesus’ most desperate question. We know it only because in all wisdom and insight our Heavenly Father has made known to us the mystery of his will. This is no secret⸺it has been revealed to us according the riches of his grace. Jesus was forsaken on that cross so that we may not be. The debt that he paid was entirely ours. Our redemption is through the blood of the Lamb, poured out at Calvary for the forgiveness of sins, such a costly sacrifice.

Our Heavenly Father turned his face away from his beloved Son precisely so that he could turn it towards us, previously miserable, hopeless and helpless sinners.

And this was all according to God’s purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time. So it’s worth asking when he did this. When exactly did he set forth this plan? Behold! It was right at the beginning! Only moments after sin first came into the world.

The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

― Genesis 3:14-15

Our rescue was planned so far ahead of time.

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

― Ephesians 1:11-12

And what of the fullness of time? Yet more revelation, this time through John the Apostle.

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer.

― Revelation 20:1-3a

But finally, we must remember why it is that these things are revealed.

The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

― Deuteronomy 29:29

The Apostle Paul expands upon this.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.

― Ephesians 1:3-4

Our Heavenly Father chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him.

So this we must do, out of gratitude and adoration for our wonderful Saviour, as an act of worship, and in the power and grace of our risen Lord Jesus.

But still the real mystery remains. Why would he do this? Why would the Creator God of the Universe set his love upon what is unlovely, those dead in trespasses and sins, at such great cost? We cannot fathom this. We can only thank and praise and worship and adore the one who made it so.

O my soul, this mystery is revealed and yet remains. Worship and adore its divine author! 🙏