The Mystery of Christ [Devotional]

Devotions ChopChop ^ | December 19, 2008 | Dave Miller (tenger)

[tenger]

And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Colossians 4:3

Most Believers throughout history have pondered what the ‘mystery of Christ’ actually means. Obviously there are as many interpretations of what it means as there are Followers. Here are a few possible meanings of the phrase:

• Why would the perfect Son of God come to live on earth with sinful, detestable man only to be ridiculed, beaten, then killed?
• How could an omnipotent God send his Son to live in such squalor conditions?
• Why did Jesus choose twelve ordinary men to change the world? Even more so, why did He choose Judas as one of the original twelve?
• Why did He feel the need to forgive the people who were killing him? Why didn’t He call for those twelve legions of angels to protect Him?
• Why did He have to be born to a Virgin, born in a cow’s trough, raised as a carpenter in a remote little town in the Middle East, and die in relative obscurity?
• Why does He still entrust the redeeming and world-changing message of the Gospel to frail, reluctant, and sinful Followers?

I’ve only touched the surface. I’m certain there are dozens of additional meanings of that phrase. Asking the question actually highlights the wonder of the phrase. We’ll never know the full meaning but there is considerable value in asking the questions and then pondering the answers.