A Christmas Hymn - [1 Timothy 3:16]

Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry coming to you from Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. No Compromise Radio is a program dedicated to the ongoing proclamation of Jesus Christ, based on the theme in Galatians 2, verse 5, where the Apostle Paul said, �But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.

In short, if you like smooth, watered-down words to make you simply feel good, this show isn�t for you. By purpose, we are first biblical, but we can also be controversial. Stay tuned for the next 25 minutes as we�re called by the Divine Trumpet to summon the troops for the honor and glory of her King.

Here�s our host, Pastor Mike Abendroth.

Christmas Carols, Public Schools, and the Need to Rehearse Truth

Several years ago, some parents in Missoula, Montana, objected to their children singing Christmas carols in public school because they said it was a form of bullying. The parents, the article said, who declined to be identified, are threatening to sue Missoula County Public School District unless songs like �Joy to the World� and �Good Christian Men Rejoice� are replaced with secular tunes about Frosty the Snowman and Santa Claus.

One parent said anonymously, �When the children are singing about the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, public school is just not the place. They don�t like their children singing about the Lord because when trials come and issues come up in life, sometimes we forget about who we And maybe do a little prayer to the Lord.

And then I found this the most interesting thing. Superintendent Alex Apostle told the Missoulian that he takes separation of church and state seriously. I wonder if you feel bullied this morning as we sang some songs about the Lord Jesus Christ.

We love to sing old Christmas songs that remind us about truths, truths that we need to rehearse because when trials come and issues come up in life, sometimes we forget about who the Lord is as we're walking by faith today we're gonna look at a song and it's a great song.

It's a Christmas song. It's a song that every person here should learn to sing, should memorize. I'd like you to take your Bibles and turn to 1 Timothy chapter 3. I probably preached this 8 years ago or something and it was just so impactful in my life and I was thinking about it all week.

I thought I want to make sure we go over this truth again this song that we're gonna learn to sing from 1 Timothy chapter 3 and the good thing about it is you don't need to really learn how to sing it with your voice but just with your heart.

You don't need to know about tempo, or accompaniment or acoustics of the hall. You don't have to just sing it in the shower where you think you sound good. You don't need to worry about chromatic tunes or resonance or tone, that's all immaterial.

But this is a song about Christmas and much more that every Christian loves to sing or should love to sing. And if you don't believe in the Lord Jesus Christ this is a good song for you to understand because this is what the Christian faith is.

This is who Jesus is and you will have to recognize Him sooner or later. I read this week that the red-eyed virio bird can sing 20 ,000 songs in a day. I'm only asking you for one today. It's this one 1 Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 and it reads this way.

Great indeed we confess is the mystery of godliness and you can even see probably by the indents in your Bible the extra white margins there that something's going on. It's a poem or a song or a creed or a confession.

It's different. Great indeed we confess is the mystery of godliness. He, Jesus was manifested in the flesh vindicated by the Spirit seen by angels proclaimed among the nations believed on in the world taken up in glory could be my all-time favorite song ever.

Some people love the Psalms to sing that is great. I love 1 Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 and I hope by the end of the message today you'll say I understand the Lord Jesus better. I understand this passage better and I want Him to receive all my praise and honor and thanksgiving.

The Pastoral Epistles and the Centrality of Jesus Christ

Now whenever you come to a book it's good to know the context and it's easily found in just the previous two verses. So if you look at 1 Timothy chapter 3 verses 14 and 15 in what we call a pastoral epistle Paul writing to his legate his understudy Timothy he says this he gives the purpose in the letter.

I hope to come to you Timothy soon 1 Timothy 3 verse 14. But I'm writing these things to you so that if I delay you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God specifically which is the church of the living God a pillar and buttress of the truth.

If I don't make it Timothy I'm writing these truths so that you understand so that you know so that you can believe these things. So you can say to yourself these are weighty matters. These are important.

If I can't be there I want to make sure you still understand because the gospel is at stake. And then he gives this great hymn. And what I like about this hymn. What I like about the pastoral epistles.

What I like about 2 Timothy and Titus and 1 Timothy. He says Paul does to Timothy and Titus that the gospel of Jesus the good news of Jesus it's worth protecting and it's worth proclaiming. It's something that we have to stand up for because there'll be people assailing it and contradicting it and attacking it.

So we have to protect it but we also have to proclaim it. We have to tell people go tell it on the mountain if you will. And what I like about this book is even though it's a pastoral epistle everything centers around the Lord Jesus.

If you talk to pastors maybe they need to know things about business and economics and parking lot repair and other things like that. They need to know administration. They need to know how to work all these issues behind the scenes at the front center.

You talk to any pastor worth their salt they'll say to you you know what all these other things if they function great if we did things well if we lose track of the gospel the centrality of Jesus Christ the risen Savior none of the ministry matters.

If Jesus leaves this church and we function as usual something's wrong. So he highlights in this book the Lord Jesus in the pastoral epistle. It's not just be a good elder. It's this is who Jesus is. And he starts off the very beginning of the book just before we get into this passage in verse 16.

Just turn back to chapter 1 and I just want to show you a few places in 1st Timothy sprinkled with the gospel of the historical Jesus Christ. He's not a thought he's just not an idea. If you're a person who wants to study the Bible Machen said you better be a historian because there's a real Jesus on the real earth who really walked who really was crucified who really obeyed God's law.

And you need to understand unlike modern readers who say I just am after the essence or the nugget or the thought or the love behind the person. No no Jesus really lived he really died. And you need to make sure you're a historian.

After all good news is news about history and so do you notice in chapter 1 verse 1 everywhere you look in this book it's about Jesus Paul an apostle of Christ that's the Messiah Jesus the Savior by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope to Timothy my true child in the faith grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

This is a book about Jesus his salvation and the centrality of Jesus in a church. Chapter 1 verse 12 there's more of this emphasis. Paul saw Jesus on the Damascus road and he never forgot it. And everywhere in his books it's permeated by and punctuated by with the thought that Jesus Christ is the risen Savior the only sin bearer.

Verse. Timothy 1 verse 12. I thank him who has given me strength Christ Jesus our Lord because he judged me faithful appointing me to his service though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor and insolent opponent.

But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief and the grace of our Lord overflowed from me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world think incarnation to save sinners of whom I am the foremost.

But I received mercy for this reason that in me as the foremost Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. And then he just has to praise him to the king of the ages immortal and visible the only God.

Be glory and honor forever and ever. Amen. Everything about this book is punctuated by the Lord Jesus. Chapter 2. It's the same thing you can't run very far when you read Pauline truth without contacting experiencing reading about hearing from the Lord Jesus.

Chapter 1 excuse me. Chapter 2 verse 3 the pastoral epistles are books about the Lord Jesus and therefore his church how to operate his church. 1st Timothy 2 .3. This is good and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

For there is one God and there is one mediator between God and man or God and men rather the man Christ Jesus who gave himself as a ransom for all which is the testimony given at the proper time. Everything about this book is Jesus his life his resurrection his ascension.

We'll look up one other passage before we settle in our passage today and that is 1st Timothy 6 verses 13 through 16 pastoral epistles talk about the Lord Jesus because it's his church and he's the one to be extolled in the church.

What's the purpose for the church except to extoll and praise the Lord Jesus for what he's done. Everything about 1st Timothy 2nd Timothy and Titus is about Jesus and his church. 1st Timothy 6 verse 13 I charge you in the presence of God who gives life to all things.

And of Christ Jesus who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession the Lord Jesus he made his good confession. And we're gonna learn about our confession in just moments. But then verse 14 says to keep the commandment unstained and free from approach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus he's coming back which he will display at the proper time.

He who is the blessed and only sovereign king of kings and Lord of lords who alone has immortality who dwells in inapproachable light or unapproachable light whom no one has ever seen or can see to him be an honor and eternal dominion.

Amen. Everything about Paul. He thinks about the Lord Jesus. And then he just kind of goes off on this extolling of the Lord Jesus and praise him. So today we're gonna go right to the center of the book back to chapter 3 verse 16 and settle in on this mighty creed this mighty confession this song that we want to sing that unites all Christians no matter what their race is what their background is.

When I say race I even have to auto-correct theologically. Do you ever do that? You know you're trying to type something and it auto-corrects to something wrong. Well I need to auto-correct this to right.

Because there's only one race right? Okay theological auto-correcting. I thought that was pretty funny but you didn't. Obviously. Okay. What do you preach on Christmas. On the day we celebrate incarnation at least on the Sunday.

Well you preach about the Lord Jesus and something about the incarnation. And that's what we're gonna do today thinking about his incarnation. And then what else he did. But before we get to the six lines in this song this creed this hymn there's a good little prelude.

The Mystery of Godliness and the Call to Confess Christ

We'll call it a little introduction. Prelude is Latin for pre and play. You play before you play beforehand. And here's the prelude to our song. Great indeed. 1st Timothy 3 .16 we confess is the mystery of godliness.

We confess it's simple. It means we agree. It means there's no controversy. Why? Because we're all agreeing. Actually some translations say without controversy we're all saying the same thing. What unites Christians their social background.

Remember what was going on back in those days and our days. You've got Jew, Gentile women, men. You've got slave free. How can they all worship? How can they all agree? Well on these truths about God they all can.

And so he says we confess this. And by the way it's an ongoing confession. It's not we just used to confess it. Our parents confessed it. No, generation after generation says these same truths about the Lord Jesus.

And what the writer is wanting you to do. What I want you to do is to confess these same things. So as we walk through these six lines of this song I want to know. Do you believe these things? I want you to ask yourself the question do I in fact believe?

I didn't ask you if you were baptized or you were catechized or you're a good person. I'm asking you do you believe these things? Because in Jesus Christ Church this is what you must confess. I was reading this week Spurgeon and he said now all this I put before you in simple language.

Spurgeon was an English Baptist preacher over a hundred years ago in London. Now all this I put before you in simple language believing what I say and trusting that if I describe your case you will know that it was meant for you.

I'm preaching to you he says those in London. I have heard of a preacher who was so fearful lest he should be thought personal that he said to his congregation. I mean he didn't really want to offend anybody.

This is what Christians believe. It doesn't matter what you believe. Instead of saying you must believe this you feel Nathan's finger coming at you by the power of the Holy Spirit. You have to believe these things.

Or you can't be saved. You can't go to heaven. And this is what the one pastor said who was afraid to confront the congregation. Spurgeon says of that pastor lest any of you should think what I have said was meant for you.

I would observe that the sermon I'm preaching was prepared for a congregation in Massachusetts. Spurgeon. I can plead nothing of the sort I refer to you my here in the most pointed manner. I will attend to Massachusetts if the Lord ever sends me there.

But just now I mean you. Well without being too mystical or charismatic the Lord has sent me to Massachusetts. And I mean you. This prelude is so wonderful. Great indeed we confess is the mystery of godliness.

This truth of the gospel is undeniable. And what does the text say? It's great. It's mega. That's where we get the word great. It's large. It's wonderful. It's good. And by the way for those of you that love figures of speech.

Is Dave Smith here today? Dave is not here. Alright elders would you make sure you call him after. Well this is a figure of speech anyway when you take a word out of order and transport it to a certain place to make it kind of unusual.

But for effect that's what's here. Great is this confession. He doesn't say the confession is great although it is. But he's saying something. So get your attention. This technically is called the hyper baton.

It just means a word order. That's different. Great is the mystery of godliness. Great are my kids. Great are the patriots. Great am I. Great is my religion. Great is my spirituality. Great is my faithfulness.

No here it's great. Is this confession. What's this confession contain? Notice. It's the mystery of godliness. Mystery is something that's very simple in the bible. It's not mysterious. It's not kind of oh it's kind of spooky.

Mystery simply means this. There's a truth that was unveiled in the old covenant in the old testament. But now we know it's truth. There was a sheet over this truth and it's no longer a mystery anymore because the sheet's been taken off.

So it's a truth that was not disclosed but now disclosed previously hidden. That's what mystery is. So you think about the old testament and all the types and shadows and things that were kind of were like a mystery.

Who is this jesus. When will he come. What will he do. Well we saw types and shadows in the old testament. It was like a mystery to us. But now that our eyes are open with the new testament revelation it's no longer a mystery.

And this mystery by the way is of the godly person jesus. And it will lead to godliness. And it's great every one of you should say of these next six truths. They're great because he the lord jesus is great.

You must confess these truths. Now let's look at these six in just a moment. But i want you to see the first word of the first phrase and that is he and that is he. This is in greek. It's a relative pronoun.

It's referring to jesus. It's who was manifest in the flesh. It's all about who jesus is. This is not new for us. With paul's writings he says him we proclaim colossians chapter 1 verse 28. First corinthians chapter 2 verse 2.

I determine to know nothing among you except jesus christ. Paul is always harping on speaking about the lord jesus. One writer said the motto of true servants of christ must be we preach christ in him crucified.

A sermon without christ in it is like a loaf of bread without any flour in it. No christ in your sermon sir. Then go home and never preach again until you have something worth preaching. The same writer said leave christ out.

Oh brethren better leave the pulpit out altogether. If a man can preach one sermon without mentioning christ name in it it ought to be his last certainly the last that any christian ought to go to to hear him preach a sermon without christ as it's beginning, middle and end is a mistake in conception and a crime in execution.

However grand the language it will be it's merely much ado about nothing. If christ is not there and i mean by christ not merely his example and ethical precepts but his atoning blood and his wondrous satisfaction made for human sin.

If one who said i was always on one string in my sermons and he would come and hear me. No more. But if i just preached a sermon without christ he would come. Ah, he will never come. While this tongue moves for a sermon without christ in it is a christless sermon.

And that's what's going on with paul. He just can't stop even in a pastoral epistle. It's all about jesus. I actually read this week i couldn't believe it. I won't even tell you who said it because i would hate to give him shame.

Here's what one pastor said. A woman who visited our church several years ago said on our way. It was nice to hear a sermon about god i thought at first she meant she was fed up with man centered preaching but she explained.

Everywhere i go i hear preachers talking about jesus. But not too many talk about god. Dear friends jesus is the eternal god. He is the eternal god. We even sang today. He's not created he's begotten.

And so when you want to hear a sermon about god i present to you the one in whom all the fullness of deity dwells the lord jesus christ. And that's what paul did beginning, front, and end in the book of timothy.

And now right here in chapter 3 verse 16 six stanzas with six key verbs manifest vindicated seen proclaimed believed and taken up six key verbs. And by the way they all have the same sound at the end in the greek.

It's a t-h hard a they and so i won't pronounce every greek word but as you might have alliteration on the front end every, you know you might have a song that starts with the same letter or sound. Here we have a song that ends with the same sound.

It's got this flow. It's got this rhythm. It's easy to memorize. It's easy to grasp. It's easy to teach your children. It's all about jesus. Line number one for this first song for the song rather is that jesus was manifested in the flesh.

How many points we're gonna have today? It's simple manifested vindicated seen proclaimed believed and taken up six lines of this hymn that every christian loves to sing. He was manifested in the flesh.

What's that mean manifested? It means to be made known to be revealed. This is talking about the incarnation. Where do you start with this song? Well we could have started in eternity past but that's hinted here, is it not?

He was manifested in the flesh means he existed before the flesh. And now he shows up in the flesh. Remember, jesus regularly and often he doesn't say i was born he says i was sent. We're talking about the pre-existent jesus now manifest in the flesh regularly.

You'll see this word manifest referring to the incarnation of jesus. For instance, 2nd timothy 1 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of jesus christ our savior abolishing death bringing life and immortality to light through the gospel.

This is talking about the incarnation. What's the first line of the song christians sing? We sing it during christmas time. That is, jesus came and he added human flesh does not matthew 1 .23 say behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and they shall call his name emmanuel which means god with us the eternal son.

Truly god, perfectly god adds a real human nature to himself so that he might be our representative and substitute. The same language is used in 1st peter chapter 1. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times.

He's wanting you to want to sing this song about the incarnation. And by the way, when you say to yourself he, jesus, is great because of the incarnation. He's great, he's great, he's great, he's great.

Paul is writing to timothy. And where is timothy by the way? When he receives this letter. Ephesus. Any song do you think the people at ephesus are singing? What's k .c. casem playing at ephesus? The young people have no idea who k .c. casem is.

I don't think you want to know. Kind of top 40 songs, top hit songs. What's the number one hit on the chart. That's been at the top of the charts for a long long time at ephesus when they heard this they were enraged.

Acts 19. Remember paul was putting an end to their their silver business selling false little gods of diana of ephesus. And when they heard this they were enraged. And they cried out. Great is artemis of the ephesians.

Great is diana of ephesus. Great is diana. But when they recognized that he was a jew for about two hours they all cried out with one voice confessing great is artemis of the ephesians. Great is artemis of the ephesians.

Great is artemis of the ephesians. And paul says listen timothy, pastoroli centrally must the gospel be. And here's the confession while they chant great. So do you. But it's a different kind of greatness because it's a different person.

And this person is not a made up idol. The pre-existent son of god adds humanity and enters into earth. Whitfield said jesus was god and man in one person. That god and man might be happy together again.

First john 3 uses the language of made manifest. It says you know that jesus appeared in order to take away sins. And in him there is no sin. First john 3 whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil.

For the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the son of god appeared or was manifest or was revealed or became incarnate was to destroy the works of the devil. This is why christians sing during christmas.

Because we were slaves to sin. We had satan as our father. And jesus comes to rescue. And how can he rescue humans? He has to become one. Romans 8. For god has done what the law weakened by the flesh could not do by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh.

And for sin he condemns sin in the flesh in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us. How? By jesus' perfect obedience. It's amazing. And did you know dear christian if you deny that jesus added humanity if you deny that he's not perfectly man and truly man.

If you say well he's just some kind of ghost or spirit or thought or perception. Here's what john the disciple of love says for people that deny stanza line 1 manifested in the flesh. Here's what john says.

Do not believe every spirit beloved. But test the spirits to see whether they are from god. For many false prophets have gone out of the world. But by this you know the spirit of god. Every spirit that confesses that jesus christ has come in the flesh is from god.

And every spirit that does not confess jesus is not from god. This is the spirit of the antichrist which you heard was coming and now is already in the world. This is the central fact of christianity.

The incarnation. So much so that if you say i don't believe in the incarnation that's antichrist kind of talk. It's amazing. The hub of christianity and the hub of this book. First timothy is talking about the lord jesus.

Remember micah chapter 5. But you oh bethlehem you are too little to be among the clans of judah from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in israel whose comings forth our goings forth is from old.

I think that refers to jesus' many visits to earth before he finally and ultimately takes on human flesh. When he shows up to minoah samson's father. When he shows up in the fiery furnace in the book of daniel here the great the final time he's manifest in the flesh forever.

God with us. No wonder paul says in galatians 4 god sent forth his son born of a woman born under law to redeem those who are under the law he had to take on flesh. Why? Because we're flesh angels can't save us.

They're not human. A human has to save humans. Because a human has to obey the law. And a human has to die for lawbreakers. What does incarnation even mean? If i say to you have you ever had carne asada?

What would you say? Well, those that have just been you know, traveling from south or from california. You might know more about carne asada. Maybe some here do i bet you do. If you ever go to that burrito place that name we don't mention.

It means flesh. It means meat incarnate in flesh. Flesh he had real flesh. Why? Because god says you've got to perfectly obey the law as a human. And we can't. So he does in our place. And god says if you disobey the law you've got to pay in your flesh.

And so then jesus does the eternal son becomes a jew. He had to to be our mediator representative and substitute. So i sure hope you sing that with your heart. And you say i really sing that with my soul.

By the way alistair beck said the sure sign that a man is converted is that he sings with his whole heart songs that he doesn't even know. It's sure going to be loud with our last song. Because you know guys aren't really singers.

When you get saved you just want to say great indeed is the mystery of godliness. And we want to confess that jesus was manifest in the flesh. There's a second line to this song that you need to sing he was manifest in the flesh vindicated by the spirit.

Vindicated by the Spirit Through the Resurrection

Or maybe your translation says justified. It's the same word vindicated. I wonder if jesus' life was perfect. I wonder if god accepted the sacrifice of the lord jesus. I wonder if jesus really did have human flesh.

Really did obey the ten commandments and every commandment that we were supposed to obey. And i wonder if he really did die for sinners. And if god would accept the sacrifice. Remember the old testament.

Some sacrifices god didn't want because they didn't offer them properly. Maybe think nadab and abihu and leviticus 10. Or maybe their heart was far from them. And they didn't offer them in faith. Think cain the sacrifice that the high priest jesus himself gave that is himself.

Will the father accept the sacrifice. Was it pleasing in his eyes. Was it a soothing aroma. The answer is we all know. Because jesus has been vindicated by the resurrection. He's vindicated by the spirit.

Now the father regularly in the bible says he raises jesus from the dead. Jesus says i lay down my life and i take it up of my own accord john 10. But here the focus is on of course the triune god. All three members would be involved.

But here vindicated by the spirit the holy spirit. He proves the life of jesus. He proves the teaching of jesus. He gives affirmation. By what? Leaving him in the grave? Letting him rot? No. Vindicated by the spirit via the resurrection.

Listen to what romans 1 says. And jesus was declared to be the son of god in power according to the spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead. Jesus christ our lord. Romans 8. If the spirit of him who raised jesus from the dead dwells in you he who raised christ jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who dwells in you.

Paul is saying to timothy i have a song for you to sing. He was manifested in the flesh incarnation. Of course everything in between he lived, he taught. He was tempted and tried even though he didn't fail.

He did miracles. Fed the 5000 walked on water cast demons out raised people from the dead. Like lazarus. He in fact was the bread of life. He was the true life. He was the true vine. He was the way, the truth and the life.

He was the resurrection and the dead. Everything jesus ever said i'm god. He's vindicated by being raised from the dead. Because if jesus sinned once said one wrong thing he would still be in the grave.

But we know this is not true because he has been raised from the dead. Vindicated he's not just the substitute. I mean the representative. He's the substitute. So i could ask you the question do you believe that jesus added human flesh lived a perfect life died on a cross and was then raised from the dead.

That is an amazing concept. I regularly when i go to a funeral home and i'll see a dead body there i'll say to the kids kids you just have to kind of just look for about 10 seconds. And here's what i want you to remember every single time when you look at a dead body.

Number one that's not the real person anymore because the soul is gone. Number two you'll be in that box one day. Number three what kind of person can walk over that box. Every one of the millions of cells in that body is dead and cold.

And that man doesn't have to touch that body. That man can just say get up. What kind of man is that who could do that. And that's exactly what jesus did to many people including lazarus. Lazarus arise and all of a sudden just like the world began god creates out of nothing.

He recreates and makes alive and resurrects. And this in fact is the power of the resurrection. And jesus in fact has been resurrected as well. There's another line to this song. Manifest in the flesh vindicated by the spirit seen by angels.

Seen by Angels and Proclaimed Among the Nations

Well we've got to have a testimony to this. We've got to have two or three witnesses. Do we not. Who would you like to have for your witnesses. These are the witnesses of the lord jesus. Angels. Impressive very impressive seen by angels.

Manifest in the flesh vindicated by the spirit seen by angels. Listen to matthew 28. Now after the sabbath toward the dawn of the first day of the week mary magdalene and the other mary went to the tomb and behold there was a great earthquake for an angel of the lord had descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.

His appearance was like lightning and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. And the angel said to the women do not be afraid. For i know that you seek jesus who is crucified.

He is not here. He is risen as he said come see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead. And behold he is going before you to galilee. There you will see him.

See. I have told you not only in matthew's account but also acts. And when he had said these things that is jesus as they were looking on he was lifted up and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went behold two men stood by them in white robes.