“THE MYSTERY OF JESUS CHRIST” is to me the GREATEST MYSTERY in the history of mankind, because of the following reflections:
1. HIS BIRTH: Long before his birth, there were several predictions written in the Books of the Old Testament about his coming. In Isaiah 7:14 we read: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name ‘Immanuel’”. This prediction was fulfilled as narrated by the Evangelist Matthew in Chp. 1: 22-23, which reads: ” Now all this took place that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, “BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD, AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL.” which means, ”God with us”.
The great mystery here is that “HE WAS BORN OF A VIRGIN” that is, beyond the normal
process of procreation by a woman and a man.
2. HIS DIVINITY: In the Gospel of John (1:1-3) we read: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.”
This Gospel passage tells us that CHRIST was GOD.
3. HIS HUMANITY: “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (Jn. 1:14). This passage tells us that CHRIST, Who is GOD, became MAN.
In Philippians 2:6-8 we read: ”Although He existed in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
4. HIS MISSION: Christ Himself said: “I have come down from heaven not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” (Jn. 6:38-40).
Here we see the reason for Christ, a God, becoming Man, - to do the Will of His Father – which
is to enable any man who believes in Him to have eternal life – a life of everlasting happiness in union with God.
5. HIS CRUCIFIXION AND DEATH: In all the four Gospels we read how cruelly Christ was crucified and put to death, simply because the religious leaders in His time could not accept His claim to be the “Son of God, the Messiah”.
6. HIS RESURRECTION: In all the four Gospels we read the great phenomenon of CHRIST RESURRECTION on the third day after His death. In the Gospel of Luke (24:37-46) for instance, we read: ”Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself, touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see, that I have. … Have you anything here to eat? And they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish; and He took it and ate it before them. Now He said to them: These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets must be fulfilled. Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them: Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead the third day.”
7. THE GREAT COMMISSION: When the Risen Glorified Christ parted from His disciples He said to them: ”All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Matt. 28: 18-20).
In the history of mankind, JESUS CHRIST is the only one who has two natures, divine and human, whose mission on earth is to give eternal life to all those who believe in Him, who allowed men to crucify and put Him to death, but who rose glorified on the third day after His death. This RISEN CHRIST is actually present in our midst and in the hearts of all those who believe in Him. He is, thus, to me, the GREATEST MYSTERY in our world.
by: Salvador 'Buddy' Cagurangan
April 17, 2011
