Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith, the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.                                                    

Romans 16:25 (NASB)

For most of my life, I have preferred to read non-fiction books. In the last few years, however, I have become a fan of mystery novels. Since I read them mostly for relaxation, I prefer those without complicated sub-plots or multiple minor characters to keep track of. But, more than anything, I don’t like the ones where the author doesn’t give you clues as he tells his story. They may not seem like clues at first, but as the plot thickens, the observant reader can begin to put them together. And, when the story ends and the mystery is solved, all those clues come together,  

The centerpiece of the Romans benediction is also a mystery, a mystery that was hidden in the earliest Old Testament books. And this mystery, so long hidden, then only hinted at, was fully revealed in Jesus Christ. It was this mystery that Paul was explaining to the Romans in his letter to them.

This mystery was the gospel: the good news of Jesus Christ and the salvation by grace through faith for all who would accept it. Like all good mysteries, the story of the life, death and resurrection of Christ illuminated hundreds of Old Testament prophecies. Between his resurrection and his ascension, the risen Lord himself unwrapped the mystery found in those prophecies for multiple audiences.

Then, at His ascension, the mystery took on one final dimension as Jesus spoke these words: All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.    (Matthew 28:20 NASB)

Shocker! (as the kids say). Salvation in Jesus’ Christ wasn’t for the Jews only, but also for the Gentiles, all the non-Jews throughout the world. And, as it turned out, prophets in times past, had spoken of that, too. (Hosea 2:23) Those who followed Him—from then until today-- would preach that salvation and proclaim that message.    

And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.    (Acts 4:12 NASB)

Nancy Shirah