The mysteries are really hard though I have managed to solve a few. At the end of every episode one watches detective Monk put it all together and see how the criminal did the crime. It is amazing when you see this and how everything earlier works together and you think "Why didn't I think of that?!"

 

As I pondered this I thought of the OT messianic prophecies. Imagine being a Jew prior to Christ and seeing all these prophecies. Some of these seemingly contradict. You see some talking about the glorious figure of the Messiah and some speak of him as the suffering servant. (Isaiah 53) Some speak of him coming in glory (Daniel 7:13-14) and some speak of him coming on a donkey. (Zech. 9:9)

 

And you picture the detective Jew looking at all of this. How does this all fit together? Who is this man who will be born of a woman but also has his origins from of old? How is it that he is called mighty God but is also despised and rejected by men? Why will he bring world peace but we need signs to recognize him? How will he be a priest from the tribe of Judah?

 

This is the wonder of the mystery but when I look back I don't honestly think anyone could have figured it out. I don't think they could figure out that God himself would become the Messiah and would come twice. Oh there were people who said the Messiah would come twice certainly but I don't know of any Jew who predicted what would happen to Jesus.

 

But yet, when it happens, we look back on it and we think, "It was so obvious! Why couldn't it be seen?" Part of it is that the Messiah they got was not the one they wanted. However, when we look at the clues, there is only one obvious conclusion we can reach. Jesus is the Messiah and this has been God's plan of redemption.

 

I think it was kept a mystery for a reason also and this was to show the wisdom of God. We can look back and think that it seems so obvious but it really wasn't. It's like the Monk show. One looks back knowing how the killer did it and it looks obvious but from those without the conclusion being revealed it isn't. However, the conclusion reached is the only one that fits the facts.

 

This is why God didn't explicitly reveal the name "Jesus" in the OT either. He left room open to disbelieve the evidence. God is a gentleman and he does not force people to believe. I personally think this is also why Jesus wasn't called Emmanuel though it was a name of his. God wanted those who were really seeking the solution to the mystery to be the only ones to find it.

 

And thank goodness that unlike Monk, we don't have to wait for the very end for the mystery to be revealed. We can know the truth because God has revealed it to us now. Jesus is the Messiah and God's plan of redemption for mankind from sin can only come about through him.

 

Now isn't that an exciting mystery?

 

In Christ,
Nick