What Is the Mystery of Christ?

Why did God keep Christ the Messiah? Why did God keep it a mystery?

Before the world began, this was a secret that was designed to be kept. He kept it from Satan. That's who he kept it from.

Through what Christ has accomplished, God is going to declare his glory, this is verses nine and 10 of Ephesians 3, to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

So Satan, of course, shows up in the Bible for the first time in Genesis chapter three, having tempted man and man falls, he takes his place as the

God of this world, right? The great adversary. The fallen angels along with him, these entities, these beings reign as the gods of the nations.

This has been happening, it happens still. But then fast forward a number of years, centuries and centuries,

Satan shows up again, most pointedly, the early chapters of the Gospels. That's right. In the temptation of Jesus.

And you wonder what is going through the mind of the evil one at this moment? He's smart, he's crafty, he's deceitful, but he is not omniscient.

And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.

Now, this is fascinating. I mean, to me, this is just all kinds of cool. Satan believes

Jesus and he's gonna come back and he's gonna come for him again at an opportune time. Okay. Three years later, then

Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the 12th.

He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. And they were glad.

So here is the opportune time, right? This is the end of Luke 22. Jesus says this, but this is your hour and the power of darkness.

Of course, this leads to the cross. Yeah. And you wonder again, as Jesus hung there on the cross dying, what does

Satan think? Does he think that he's won? Yeah. Yeah, there's no doubt that he has bruised

Christ's heel, but he does not know that this is exactly how Jesus would crush his head.

So Jesus gives up his spirit. He's buried in the tomb of a rich man. He then descends into hell, not to suffer more, but to conquer.

And he binds the strong man and plunders his goods. He sets God's people free and he rises triumphantly from the grave, victorious over the evil one.

I'm thinking right now of, you know, Acts 2 .23, when he says, Peter, you know, he says, this

Jesus delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

I'm gonna say, you know, your question is, what was Lucifer thinking? He's like, he won.

But now he learns later, I was totally used as a tool by God.

I was totally, which has to make him so angry. Ephesians 3 .9, and to bring to light for everyone, what is the plan of the mystery hidden for all ages in God who created all things?

So that through the church, the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known, pay attention to this, to the rulers and authorities in heavenly places.

When the church preaches the gospel, the heavenly places learn about what

God has done through dirt people. Yeah. Through people who are lower than the angels.

Sober minded means don't let Satan, don't let this world intoxicate you with its lies.

I love this, Justin, what are we to do then? Set your hope fully on the grace that will be revealed to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.