The Voynich Manuscript
There is this book, called the Voynich Manuscript, named after Wilfrid Vonynich a Polish book dealer who bought this book in 1912. This book is about 240 pages, made from vellum or calfskin, and it has all these illustrations throughout about plants, and people in baths and sun, moon and star pictures. You can download high-resolution scans of this from Yale University. This book has attracted much interest and has been perhaps over-analysed.
In it, there are perhaps only two plants that people can identify what they are, and so they have no idea what the other plants drawn are and what it says about them. This whole thing could be a 15th-century hoax, but they have analysed the frequency of letter patterns and it seems like it might be a real language. The people who cracked the enigma code in couldn’t work this out, and recently they ran it through some AI and still they have no idea what this book says. It's a mystery as to what it says.
Some people think the Bible might be a bit like this. That what it says is a mystery and who knows if anyone can really unlock it. When I was in my late teens, I used to think that you need some special knowledge to unlock the Bible, that you needed a degree or be an expert to understand what it says, but that is not true. Sometimes people at the front of church give this impression. But our Bibles are not like the Voynich Manuscript, it doesn’t have some sort of hidden message to it. It instead has revelation. It has God showing and revealing Himself to us.
Today in our passage Paul talks about a mystery, but this isn’t an unsolvable mystery that we have to put all our minds together to work it out, we don’t have to call in all the experts to see if we can learn something, instead, this is a solved mystery that God has told us about. In the Bible we have revelation, where God speaks. We don’t have to discern God’s wisdom for ourselves, instead, God’s wisdom is described to us.
Today we are just focusing on this mystery in our passage and so our outline is:
The revelation (of the mystery).
The mystery (itself). and
The intent (of the mystery).
Revelation. Mystery. Intent.
In our passage, Paul says, God has revealed a mystery to him by revelation. This revelation, this knowledge Paul got wasn’t achieved by looking inwards or thinking really hard about spiritual things, or looking at beautiful sunsets over the water, or reading the best philosophy or theology of the day, but instead, it was told to him. And now that Paul has been told this new revelation, Paul wants to pass this message onward to others, so they too will know what this mystery or new revelation is.
And this is how God works. Our God isn’t a sneaky God who sort of hints about what He wants but leaves us guessing. Our God reveals Himself to us, through His word. This means He is clear in all that He wants us to know. As one academic said, we have “a generous God who is willing and able to make himself and his purposes known. God has something to say and he is very good at saying it.” (Mark Thompson, A Clear and Present Word)
Just yesterday in our SOAP reading, from 1 Samuel 3, we saw God calling out to Samuel when he was a boy and we read
This would have been radical for some to take in. God is letting the Gentiles share in His promises. But this was the plan from the beginning. All nations were to be blessed through Abraham. "the full inclusion of Gentiles in the family of God was always in the heart of God, and now that plan has been revealed for all to see and for all to hear through the preaching and fellowship of the church. "(Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year B, Volume 1 Homiletical Perspective)
Because of Jesus, who came from the line of Abraham, who took on the sin of both Jews and Gentiles, he made a way so that both could be one group and no longer two. Because of Jesus all people can come to God, and be one together.
And Paul saw it as his God-given task to tell people about this new revelation. Paul says he became a servant of this message and because of what God did in his life, he went out to preach this message to the Gentiles. He wanted them, and by extension us, to know about the boundless riches of Christ (Eph 3:8).
Christ has given us His riches. Christ has given us new life, and a new position with Him in the heavenly realms. We are gaunteed this position and are given His Spirit to ensure that we will receive all that is promised to us. This is great news for us, and sometimes unimaginable. We are loved so much, and Christ achieved so much for us, that we get His victory, His riches.
We are blessed and it is wonderful, but the text goes on and shows that we are actually not the end goal. The end goal is not that the Gentiles are included, no, this new group of people, this mixed group of Jews and Gentiles has a bigger intent. This new people was to show something of God to the universe.
What do you think is on that canvas? What subject or object does God use to show His wisdom to Heaven? What might the angels be thinking God would be painting? This passage says that it is through the church, the manifold wisdom of God is made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms. The church reveals something to beings in heaven.
While we have the Bible and God’s revelation here on Earth, the heavenly beings have the church to reveal God’s wisdom to them.
Isn’t that crazy? Did you think this morning, when you were planning on coming to Church, that you are going to be demonstrating God’s wisdom to the heavenly powers today? As we gather here, and pray and sing and hear from God’s word and celebrate communion together, we are showing the rulers in heaven just how wise God is.
How can this be? It is because you and I are saved and we can gather with no hostility towards each other in worship to God.
In 1 Peter 1, it says concerning salvation, this is something angels long to look into these things.
Angels can not sing Amazing Grace, they can not say:
That is why we are told in Luke 15:7
The powers and authorities who are against Jesus, when they see our gathering they get a tangible reminder that their rule and power has been broken and that all things are to be subjected to Christ. These powers can not hinder the advance of the Gospel, they are really Jesus’ footstool. This can give us great comfort knowing that their powers are weak, and God is building His people.
So look around today, we are showing God’s wisdom to those in heaven. We show God’s desire to win a people for Himself.
"The church is the primary part of God’s plan. If God is going to do anything in the world, God will do it through the church." (Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year A, Volume 1 Homiletical Perspective)
And God is in the business of saving sinners. We have this revelation of Jesus, and so we have this message that can be proclaimed to other sinful humans, and they to can know God. We have a responsibility to tell this gospel of unity with us and God to others and also a responsibly to live out this unifying Gospel with each other.
Near the end of the American Civil War, on the Capitol building in Richmond, Virginia, they covered it with white sheets to make a massive banner over the top of it (I took this story from Mark Dever). On it they wrote their message in large letters and lit the area with gas lanterns so it could be read at night from far off. On their banner, they wrote one verse from Ps 118:23
We now have the message of the mystery that was revealed to Paul. Everyone can now receive the blessings and promises of Christ. Through faith, we are now able to approach God with freedom and confidence.
May we be a people who sees God’s revelation in His word, and who pass on his message to others. May we gladly gather together knowing that it is expressing, not our wisdom, but God’s in a redeemed group of people that He saved for Himself.
The Revelation
Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. (Ephesians 3:2–5 NIV)Throughout time religions and thinkers have come up with various ideas on how we can’t know and relate to God. Some religions that are pantheistic say that God is in everything, that is how we can connect with him, by being one with nature. Others, like deism, say we may not ever meet this God because he is too far away and has left this world after he set it in motion, or in atheism we won’t meet him because he doesn’t exist. But in Christianity we say God comes to us and reveals Himself to us. He tells us about Himself and seeks to be in a relationship with us.
In our passage, Paul says, God has revealed a mystery to him by revelation. This revelation, this knowledge Paul got wasn’t achieved by looking inwards or thinking really hard about spiritual things, or looking at beautiful sunsets over the water, or reading the best philosophy or theology of the day, but instead, it was told to him. And now that Paul has been told this new revelation, Paul wants to pass this message onward to others, so they too will know what this mystery or new revelation is.
And this is how God works. Our God isn’t a sneaky God who sort of hints about what He wants but leaves us guessing. Our God reveals Himself to us, through His word. This means He is clear in all that He wants us to know. As one academic said, we have “a generous God who is willing and able to make himself and his purposes known. God has something to say and he is very good at saying it.” (Mark Thompson, A Clear and Present Word)
Just yesterday in our SOAP reading, from 1 Samuel 3, we saw God calling out to Samuel when he was a boy and we read
Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. (1 Samuel 3:7 NIV)For Samuel to know the Lord, he had to have God’s word revealed to him. God had to initiate and speak. This is the same for Paul, for Paul to know this mystery it has to be made know to him by revelation. And it is the same for us. For us to know God it has to be made known to us by His word, which thankfully we have today.
The Mystery
So Paul tells us there is this mystery that he was told and so he doesn’t leave us in suspense he tells us what the mystery is.This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 3:6 NIV)Paul mentioned this in chapter 2 already. God’s new plan for His people is that the Gentiles are now included into His new people group. The Gentiles who once were far away, cut off from the promises of Israel are now to be part of the one body, the one new citizenship, the one new building where God dwells. This mystery is the double union of us with God and us with each other.
This would have been radical for some to take in. God is letting the Gentiles share in His promises. But this was the plan from the beginning. All nations were to be blessed through Abraham. "the full inclusion of Gentiles in the family of God was always in the heart of God, and now that plan has been revealed for all to see and for all to hear through the preaching and fellowship of the church. "(Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year B, Volume 1 Homiletical Perspective)
Because of Jesus, who came from the line of Abraham, who took on the sin of both Jews and Gentiles, he made a way so that both could be one group and no longer two. Because of Jesus all people can come to God, and be one together.
And Paul saw it as his God-given task to tell people about this new revelation. Paul says he became a servant of this message and because of what God did in his life, he went out to preach this message to the Gentiles. He wanted them, and by extension us, to know about the boundless riches of Christ (Eph 3:8).
Christ has given us His riches. Christ has given us new life, and a new position with Him in the heavenly realms. We are gaunteed this position and are given His Spirit to ensure that we will receive all that is promised to us. This is great news for us, and sometimes unimaginable. We are loved so much, and Christ achieved so much for us, that we get His victory, His riches.
We are blessed and it is wonderful, but the text goes on and shows that we are actually not the end goal. The end goal is not that the Gentiles are included, no, this new group of people, this mixed group of Jews and Gentiles has a bigger intent. This new people was to show something of God to the universe.
The Intent
His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Ephesians 3:10–11 NIV)I want you to imagine something, something that is probably impossible to do, and I don’t mean for this to be taking God too lightly in this thought experiment. (I got this from John Piper) But imagine God is painting a picture . He has all these brushes and a canvas the size of the universe. He is picking up different brushes and mixing different colours, and the angels and the Seraphim and the Cherubim and the demons are all wondering what God is painting. God tells them that the final product is going to display His wisdom to them all.
What do you think is on that canvas? What subject or object does God use to show His wisdom to Heaven? What might the angels be thinking God would be painting? This passage says that it is through the church, the manifold wisdom of God is made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms. The church reveals something to beings in heaven.
While we have the Bible and God’s revelation here on Earth, the heavenly beings have the church to reveal God’s wisdom to them.
Isn’t that crazy? Did you think this morning, when you were planning on coming to Church, that you are going to be demonstrating God’s wisdom to the heavenly powers today? As we gather here, and pray and sing and hear from God’s word and celebrate communion together, we are showing the rulers in heaven just how wise God is.
How can this be? It is because you and I are saved and we can gather with no hostility towards each other in worship to God.
In 1 Peter 1, it says concerning salvation, this is something angels long to look into these things.
Angels can not sing Amazing Grace, they can not say:
Amazing grace, how sweet the soundAngels do not get salvation. Some have fallen, but there is no redemption for them. Jesus didn’t come and die for them, but for us humans. The church shows how smart and clever and wise and loving God is, by making a way for sinful people to be with a holy God. God overcame our problem of being estranged from Him, it wasn’t possible for us to be in His presence at all. But God solved our problem by becoming a human and dying for us in our place and conquering our sin and death for us all.
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now am found
Was blind, but now I see
That is why we are told in Luke 15:7
I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. (Luke 15:7 NIV)When someone repents, in heaven they rejoice at salvation in how God can offer grace to sinful humans. Angels are fascinated by God’s grace, they want to see it, they rejoice in it. And so when the redeemed and reconciled people gather together, it shows how good God is, they go nuts and celebrate in awe at God’s wisdom in saving sinners.
The powers and authorities who are against Jesus, when they see our gathering they get a tangible reminder that their rule and power has been broken and that all things are to be subjected to Christ. These powers can not hinder the advance of the Gospel, they are really Jesus’ footstool. This can give us great comfort knowing that their powers are weak, and God is building His people.
So look around today, we are showing God’s wisdom to those in heaven. We show God’s desire to win a people for Himself.
"The church is the primary part of God’s plan. If God is going to do anything in the world, God will do it through the church." (Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year A, Volume 1 Homiletical Perspective)
And God is in the business of saving sinners. We have this revelation of Jesus, and so we have this message that can be proclaimed to other sinful humans, and they to can know God. We have a responsibility to tell this gospel of unity with us and God to others and also a responsibly to live out this unifying Gospel with each other.
Near the end of the American Civil War, on the Capitol building in Richmond, Virginia, they covered it with white sheets to make a massive banner over the top of it (I took this story from Mark Dever). On it they wrote their message in large letters and lit the area with gas lanterns so it could be read at night from far off. On their banner, they wrote one verse from Ps 118:23
the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. (Psalm 118:23 (NIV)This verse could be the banner of the church and the banner for your life. Our salvation and our community is the Lord’s doing. At the end of history when a large crowd that no one can count gathers, we will be able to see all that the Lord has done throughout history, building a group of people for Himself. We will look around and say, “This is the Lord's doing and it is marvellous in our eyes.”
We now have the message of the mystery that was revealed to Paul. Everyone can now receive the blessings and promises of Christ. Through faith, we are now able to approach God with freedom and confidence.
May we be a people who sees God’s revelation in His word, and who pass on his message to others. May we gladly gather together knowing that it is expressing, not our wisdom, but God’s in a redeemed group of people that He saved for Himself.
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