THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL (4)

Main Text: “Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest… and made known to all nations for the obedience of faith.” – Romans 16:25–26

Citizens of Zion, welcome to the fourth edition of our series, “The Mystery of the Gospel.” In the last study, we discovered that through the Gospel, Jews and Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of one body, and partakers of the same promise in Christ. In this edition, we shall consider the Gospel which was hidden throughout the Old Testament but revealed in Christ.

First, many people assume the Gospel began with the birth of Jesus, but a critical study of the Bible will reveal otherwise. For instance, the main text declares that the Gospel was “kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest.” It means that God’s plan of redemption was never an afterthought. Before man fell, God had already prepared the remedy. So, from the opening pages of Bible, the Gospel was present, not openly revealed, but carefully concealed within God’s unfolding plan. In essence, the Old Testament does not merely prepare for Christ; it points relentlessly to Him.

Friends, throughout the Old Testament, God preached the Gospel through types, shadows, sacrifices, ceremonies, and prophecy. For example, when Abraham offered Isaac on Mount Moriah, the event pointed beyond itself. Isaac carrying the wood foreshadowed Christ carrying His cross, while the ram caught in the thicket proclaimed the truth of substitutionary sacrifice. Again, the Passover lamb in Egypt was more than Israel’s deliverance from slavery. It anticipated “Christ our Passover” whose blood delivers humanity from the bondage of sin. Likewise, the tabernacle, the priesthood, the daily sacrifices, the Day of Atonement, the bronze serpent, the manna from heaven, and the smitten rock were not isolated religious ceremonies. Together they formed a prophetic portrait of the coming Messiah.

Child of God, permit me to tell you that every shadow awaited its substance. Every symbol anticipated its fulfilment and every sacrifice pointed to the perfect Lamb of God. For purposes of clarity, the prophets faithfully proclaimed what the Spirit revealed to them. They foretold Christ’s birth, His suffering, His death, His resurrection and His everlasting Kingdom. Yet even they did not fully comprehend the magnitude of what they announced. They saw the mountain peaks of prophecy but not the valleys that separated them. As a matter of fact, in 1st Peter 1:10-12, Peter tells us that they searched diligently to understand the salvation they proclaimed. Interestingly, what was hidden from them has now been revealed to us through Christ. Given the above, it is important to emphasize that the Bible is not merely a collection of historical events or moral teachings. Its central theme is Jesus Christ.

Most significantly, He is the promised Seed in Genesis. The Passover Lamb in Exodus. The Great High Priest in Leviticus. The Bronze Serpent lifted in the wilderness. The Rock that gave living water. The suffering Servant of Isaiah. The Son of David. The Messiah foretold by the prophets. And these were confirmed in Luke 24:27 when Jesus Himself declared after His resurrection saying, “Moses, and all the prophets” testified concerning Him. Put differently, without Christ, the Scriptures remain incomplete. But in Christ, every promise, prophecy, type, and shadow finds its fulfilment. In contrast, I make bold to tell you that we belong to a generation that sees what patriarchs anticipated and prophets longed to understand. What they saw through shadows, we behold in the finished work of Christ.

As a result, I can confirm to you that what was once concealed has now been unveiled. However, this privilege carries a solemn responsibility. It means that you must not merely admire the mystery; you must proclaim it. Because, the Gospel that has been revealed to you must now be declared to the nations. This is because the mystery of the Gospel is the unfolding of God’s eternal plan of redemption through Jesus Christ. Simply put, the Old Testament concealed Him, while the New Testament reveals Him.

Prayer Points

1. My Father and my God, thank You for unveiling Your eternal plan of salvation through Jesus Christ.
2. Open my eyes to see Christ throughout the whole of Scripture.
3. Give me a deeper love for Your Word and a clearer understanding of the Gospel.
4. Establish me in the truth of Christ so that I will not be carried away by error.
5. Make me a faithful messenger of this glorious Gospel until the nations hear and believe.

Daily Reflection
When you read the Scriptures, do you merely gain biblical knowledge, or do you increasingly see Jesus Christ, the One to whom every page of the Bible ultimately points?