Genesis 49:1, 10-11 (NASB) 1 Then Jacob summoned his sons and said, “Assemble yourselves that I may tell you what will befall you in the days to come. 10 “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. 11 “He ties his foal to the vine, And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine; He washes his garments in wine, And his robes in the blood of grapes.
I Timothy 3:14-16 (NASB) 14 I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; 15 but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth. 16 By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory.
One of the most unusual predictions of the Messiah in the Old Testament comes from Jacob on his deathbed. He looks down the corridor of history and sees what is in store for his descendents. Among those things that he sees is the coming of Shiloh, a mystery title given to the Messiah.
Jesus fulfilled the mysterious title, yet remains a mystery Himself. How do we explain that God could come in the flesh of a human being? How is it possible? Why was it necessary? How do we explain that this same One was crucified, and that God not only allowed it, but thought it necessary? How do we explain the Resurrection after two days of death? What happened to the physical body? How do we explain the Ascension? Was it the physical body that returned to God? Where did Jesus return to? How do we explain that millions of people from every age and culture have passionately believed that this Jesus was the Son of God – and that somehow His death and His resurrection makes a difference to them?
We try to explain, we try to understand and we should try. But, to approach our faith looking only for explanations, definitions, and understanding is to approach our faith as if shattering the stained glass windows of St. Paul’s Cathedral to let the light shine in so we can see better. In the final analysis, the birth of Christ is a mystery that we can approach only with a sense of awe and wonder, pondering these things in our hearts. We cannot explain, but we can celebrate the mystery.
To recover a sense of mystery is not the passive resignation of just taking it on faith. It does not shrink the capacity to understand. Rather, it is to be grabbed by a truth larger than our understanding, to be drawn into a world where shepherds hear angel music and tyrants tremble on their thrones, and to know not just with the mind but with heart and soul that something extraordinary is happening.
From a sermon preached by Henry Dobbs Pope December 23, 1984
© Rhonda Hinkle Mitchell
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