“…that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel” (Ephesians 6:19).
Eternally purposed was the divine plan of saving humanity through the atoning sacrifice of the Lamb of God and the church the Good Shepherd could purchase and build with the ransom He paid (Ephesians 3:8-11). Completely independent of angelic or human counsel (Romans 11:33-35), the mystery of the gospel—the salvation of all humanity in one body in Christ (Ephesians 2:14-22)—was heaven’s Great Secret. Human eyes could not see it; human minds could not conceive it (1 Corinthians 2:9).
At the beginning of earth’s history, it was hidden away in the mind of God (Ephesians 3:9). With the introduction of sin in the world, God slowly began unveiling this mystery. At various times and in various ways, He foreshadowed the coming Messiah—the seed of woman, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, and David; the Passover lamb, the kinsman-redeemer, the law giver-prophet like Moses. Through His prophets He promised before of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 1:2-3)—Emmanuel, the suffering servant, the king-priest like Melchizedek, the Son of Man, the Branch, the Pierced One, the Sun of Righteousness.
“Then when the fulness of the time had come”—when God had providentially prepared the world for this precise moment—“God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5). He entered this world “on the clock”. As the Lamb of God, He had a specific place (Jerusalem’s Golgotha) He had to be on a specific day (during the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Day of Passover—Mark 14:12) at a specific time (John 13:1).
Having conquered Satan’s allies of temptation and sin in His obedient life, Jesus conquered Satan’s accomplices of death and Hades by His resurrection (Revelation 1:18). Declared to be the Son of God with power (Romans 1:4), the Son of Man ascended into heaven and was coronated King of kings by the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:13-14). The good news of His gospel is that whoever is obedient to the faith (which He revealed and confirmed through His inspired apostles and apostles) will share in His spiritual victory and enjoy all spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3).
Such a glorious message necessitates bold messengers to herald it!
