Sermon from Ephesians 3:1-20

People naturally love mysteries. We love the suspense of a story where all the pieces don’t come together until the very end. As we celebrate Epiphany, we celebrate the revelation of the way the pieces of God’s story suddenly come together in Christ. His mystery is revealed.

Way back in Genesis 12, God made His promise to Abraham to bless all the families on earth. Then there is a long period of suspense to see how exactly God will work this out. God’s people spent hundreds of years searching and wondering about the mystery of how God would fulfill this promise. Ephesians 3:5 says that the mystery wasn’t revealed to previous generations, but it was then finally revealed in Christ.

What is this profound mystery?

This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Ephesians 3:6

God’s power is strong enough, His grace is amazing enough, to extend not only to one small group of chosen people, but to the entire planet. His love is deep enough that people aren’t excluded from His grace just because of the group of people they were born into, but the mystery of the gospel reveals that all people can receive God’s salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

Wherever the gospel is preached, anywhere in this world or even in the heavenly places (v. 10), the mighty power of God is able to save all those who believe. The kingdom of God is spreading through the entire globe – a cosmic shift is taking place through God and His Church!

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, ²to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3:20-21