Mystery
Summary
Dominic Jackson wraps up our series on beauty by inviting us to rediscover mystery as a way God draws us into wonder, trust, and a deeper relationship. Through Elijah’s encounter with God in 1 Kings 19—where God is not in the wind, earthquake, or fire, but in a gentle whisper—we learn that God often meets us in ways we wouldn’t expect, yet exactly as we need. The New Testament deepens this invitation by naming Christ himself as the mystery of God (Colossians 4:3; 1 Timothy 3:16; Colossians 2:1–3), calling us to seek not just answers about God, but to truly know him.
Questions for reflection
When you hear the phrase “God works in mysterious ways,” what do you feel—comfort, frustration, cynicism, relief? Why?
Where in your life are you tempted to demand clarity when God might be inviting trust and presence instead?
Elijah expected God to show up with power he could recognize. Where might you be expecting God to work in familiar patterns rather than new ones?
Where have you subtly treated God like a formula—assuming that checking the right boxes guarantees the right outcomes?
What practice could help you pursue knowing God (not just knowing about God) in the coming week?
-
Well, good morning. Good morning. Whether the Gateway Church is your home community or you're just somehow stumbling across this online, I pray that this finds you well, finds you warm on this snowy day. And something that we say a whole lot around here is that the church is not a building, not a day of the week, but the church is a people, a community, and so church, it's good to be with you all. Not in person of course, but in spirit. Before we look at our text, I wanted to start by asking a question. Is there a phrase or a cliche that drives you crazy? Well, at the top of my list, my least favorite expression that people will often say is, well, God works in mysterious ways, and rarely is this offered as an explanation or an answer. In fact, it's much more like a bandaid or a cop out.
Often when tragedy strikes or when I'm attempting to wrestle with something theological or philosophical or I have concerns, someone well-meaning or not will step in. And this has happened many times over the years will step in, shrug their shoulders and just acknowledge the obvious. God works in mysterious ways, a k, a stop asking questions. Well, that's what I want to look at here today, those mysterious ways. And we continue our series on beauty where in many ways we have been challenging ourselves with seeing things differently. Well, today we look for beauty in mystery or perhaps we look to discover the mystery found within beauty. Right off the bat, I imagine that for some of us, this ideal of mystery of the unknown can be incredibly frustrating. Some of us have more questions than we do answers when it comes to the scriptures or God, or even just the way that the world works.
Others find comfort in the fact that God continues to amaze us and that we can't explain away our faith or God in a three point sermon. We approach the unknown, not with frustration, but instead with wonder and with awe. Either way, this morning we find ourselves on a search for mystery, not as a puzzle, but as we'll see in a little bit, a person Thomas Thomaston says, to find love, I must enter into the sanctuary where it is hidden, which is the mystery of God, which is the journey that we take here today. One of his missionary letters, the apostle Paul is in prison. He's preparing to be released and continue his ministry, continue sharing the gospel in foreign lands. But in the meantime, he's writing this letter and he's writing to a group of believers and supporters to encourage them to correct some bad doctrine that's being taught that's happening at this time.
And then finally, finally, Paul is writing to ask for prayer. And at the very end of this letter, Paul doesn't ask for an opportunity to escape prison, which would be at the top of my list if I was writing this letter. And as for his ministry, he doesn't ask for chances to share the law of the Torah or the commands of God or even the truth of Christ. He's not praying for more of those opportunities. No, in his prayer, in Colossians chapter four, verse three was pray for us that God may open a door so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ. I don't know about you, but this isn't the way that I pray personally. If you are like me, I ask God for less mystery, less unknown in my life, but not Paul. And I have to ask, when is the last time you asked God for more opportunities to experience mystery in your life?
In his book, selling Between the Stars, Stephen James reflects on both the truth and mystery of Jesus. He writes, rather than sharing the paradoxes of Christianity, we're busy trying to make Jesus seem reasonable, sensible, and practical, but he's not. He's radical, paradoxical, and absurd. James goes on to write about the direction that most preachers and pastors, myself included, take when teaching from this bizarre and beautiful book that we call the Bible. He says, rather than proclaim the mystery of Christ, we explain the truth about God. This is much safer territory. All too often modern Christianity locks mystery outside in the yard while we gather together to talk about truth in the living room. What is it about the unknown that makes us uncomfortable? When did the church go from supernatural to a time seeming neither super nor natural? Well, let's look at a story today that might not be the first story that you think of when I start talking about mystery.
It's actually a story that in many ways might seem anti-climactic, but don't sign off yet. Let's see where the text takes us. We're jumping right into the middle of a story in One Kings 19. And this is like the story after the story, if you will. If you've ever read Kings, you might be familiar. The prophet Elijah, he has this epic showdown on top of a mountain with a whole bunch of wicked false prophets and hundreds of them gather to worship their God, Baal. And there's this drought and fire called down from the sky, and it's like this bloody mess. And the odds, of course are stacked against Yahweh. Yet God reveals himself in this amazing, powerful, supernatural way. It's a pretty epic story and it's incredible. Yet Elijah has really upset some important people. By the end of it, he's got a bounty on his head.
He's on the run running for his life, literally running for his life. Right When we hop into our text, verse three, Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came, Toshiba and Judah, he left his servant there. While he himself went to Dave's journey into the wilderness, he came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. Going to stop there for a second notice that sometimes dying for a cause as Elijah was ready to do on top of that mountain, just the chapter before sometimes dying for a cause is easier than living for one. And Elijah is at his lowest point right here. Right when we hop into the story, verse five picks up, then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep all at once. An angel touched him and said, get up and eat.
He looked around and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, get up and eat for the journey is too much for you. So he got up and ate and drank, strengthened by that food. He traveled 40 days and 40 nights until he reached reb the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night. So before God asked Elijah to do anything before he sends him on his journey, he feeds him. He has him rest. He makes sure that he's rested because he knows that this trek is going to be a lot. Elijah, remember, Elijah is depressed here. He was suicidal when we met him picking up this story and God's response wasn't, here are some Bible verses.
It wasn't, here's an assignment for you to do, go to the temple and do this. No, it was food and rest at least first. Also know that after he's ready to go, he had some Mount Horab, which might sound familiar to some of you. This was a place where Moses encountered God. This was the place of the 10 Commandments. This was a place of encounter, and Elijah arrives there, and what does God say to him? It says, and the word of the Lord came to him. What are you doing here, Elijah? Instead of an answer, he gets a question. And of course this question wasn't for God himself. He certainly knew the answer, but it was a moment for Elijah to ask himself, what am I doing here? Why am I here? What is motivating me? Verse 10, he replied, I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty.
The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars and put your prophets to death with the sword. I'm the only one left, and now they're trying to kill me too. Here is Elijah venting, rambling, defending himself. Then nobody is asking him to. Verse 11, the Lord said, go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord. For the Lord is about to pass by so badly. Elijah wants to see God. I imagine him thinking, if I could only see him, if I could only experience him with my own eyes, I can keep going. If I could only experience God and see his presence, then I know that this wasn't all for nothing. So God finds him in a cave and says, you want to see me go outside, and I'm sure the prophet is guessing how this interaction is going to go.
Maybe it will be like Moses's encounter. He certainly would've been familiar with that story. Or maybe he'll display. Yahweh will display his power again, just like he did last time with the battle against the false prophets. Maybe God will reign fire down. Let's find out. It says then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord. The Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake after the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. So Elijah is expecting to see God, and I'm sure he is expecting him to see in all the ways that he's seen him before. And by the way, each one of those references to nature is a different way in the Hebrew scriptures that God has revealed himself, but not this time.
So how does he reveal himself? Let's keep going. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Here we see the beauty found in waiting, but we also get a glimpse of the bigness and smallness of God's power. See, finally, after all the storms and catastrophes and near death experiences, I imagine that Elijah's knocked to the ground after each one and he finally climbs to his feet and he finally gets ahold of himself. And then it's here that a soft whisper passes the prophet. And it's here that after this bur kisses his cheek that he walks to the edge recognizing that he just experienced God. Have you ever noticed that God will often reveal himself in the complete opposite way that we go looking for him?
At least that's the case in my own walk with him. Sometimes God shows his strength in restraint and in small motions. Other times, other times it's the majesty of his power is on full display and the stars and the cosmos being held in place and held together and billions of people being given their next breath. The question is, are our eyes open to these things? But the beauty of this story isn't just that God speaks tenderly and softly to Elijah in a mysterious way. The man who had earlier called down fire from the sky meets God in a breeze. But it's also that here God rescues Elijah, but not in the way you or I would expect and definitely not the way Elijah expected. He doesn't come down swinging. He doesn't show as mighty power in the ways that he had before he shows up in a whisper.
The story continues, if you want to keep on reading, where God will give Elijah an assignment, some homework to continue this mission that he set out on a purpose. He gives 'em a reason to live. Because remember earlier in the story, Elijah is at his absolute lowest point. He wishes for death multiple times. He straight up suicidal here. And instead of God using his great power to weaken his enemies who are on the hunt for him instead softly and tenderly, he strengthens Elijah. God shows up, but not how Elijah expected him, but exactly how he needed him. So a few takeaways from this story and a couple of reflections on mystery here. The first is that God doesn't change, but our relationship with him should. Elijah seems to hear and elsewhere you could read, look for God's the way that he used to work, even in his speech, he's referencing the past and all the things that he had done and experienced because of God.
He's trying to prove his faithfulness. And this is something that I've noticed in my own walk with God that so often when I'm going through something, or especially whenever I'm feeling distant from God, my first prayer is, God, take me back. Take me back to when I first believed or take me back to when things were easier. But the truth is God might be inviting us into something new and revealing himself in new ways, which leads to the second point. God doesn't show up the way expected. St. Augustine says, if you have understood that what you have understood is not God, also notice that God isn't a formula. Remember that speech that Elijah jumps into? Well, we often do the exact same thing, at least I do. I prayed, I went to church, I volunteered, I gave, but desiring a relationship with God and desiring to check the boxes for perceived godliness are two entirely different things.
Next, there's notice there's a difference between being lost and being misguided or wandering versus wandering. Elijah is both lost and misguided in the story. And to one, the first God gives grace, rest a meal, multiple meals. In fact, right? Elijah is searching and hurting and God offers him grace. But to the other, God shows him truth. He reveals his awesome power to him to remind him who he is. And for some of us who feel far from God, I imagine we need a shoulder to cry on a friend, to sit with a savior who draws us in. But for others, we need to submit to his authority, stand under his power and be amazed by his greatness. The reason I love this story with Elijah is no one acts the way they're supposed to, at least not the way I would expect. Here's this brave man trembling in fear when we meet him.
A man who risked his life for God is ready to throw his life away. This man of God feels distant from God. And then there is of course the all powerful mighty God who doesn't show up the way anyone would expect either. He speaks to Elijah, not in a giant storm, but in a soft whisper. And so here's where I'll land with this message for today, because most of us probably won't find ourselves anytime soon in a cave running for our lives hopefully. But that doesn't mean that the mystery won't find us. Something fascinating that's easy to miss in the languages in the scriptures is in, stay with me for a minute. I'm just going to nerd out. Give me one minute. In Hebrew, mystery is the word miss store and is literally defined as a secret. The word is first used. You'll find in the earliest uses in battle plans or even a recipe at one point.
It's a secret that only a few people know. So the first use the Hebrew word for mystery, my is a secret. In Greek, the word becomes mysterion, which now becomes defined as a question. Interesting. Same word, both defined as mystery. That's where we get our English word mystery. But one is the question and the other is a secret answer. And the Bible actually uses both. Both the secret and the question suddenly have an answer. And the New Testament gives us not a what, but a who. Ephesians three, five explains that a mystery is something that was for a time hidden from some and then through the Holy Spirit is revealed. So it sounds like this is simply secret knowledge, right? Not quite. This isn't exactly what Paul is suggesting the Spirit is doing. Paul writes one Timothy three 16 Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great.
And what is this great mystery in question? Keeps going. He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on the world, was taken up in glory. Goes on to say in Colossians two, my purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding in order that they may know. Here it is, know the mystery of God, namely Christ and whom are hidden, all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. The paradox of faith is that Jesus is not only the riddle, but he's also the answer. Suddenly it starts to make sense that the New Testament writers and the mystics and the contemplatives and the disciples come to realize that. Forgive the cliche, but it's the best explanation that I have.
The pursuit of Jesus is not just the destination, but it's also the journey that the greater the mystery, the greater the knowledge we have. Even in the unknown, Ralph Wa Emerson says, all I have seen teaches me to trust the creator for all I have not seen. The beauty of this understanding is that we do not arrive at a conclusion just like we do not arrive at faith, but we walk in faith, continuous motion. It's not a one-time decision, but a daily formation of not pursuing the answer or looking for clarity, but sitting in the mystery or sitting with the mystery, which is Christ Jesus. And though I used to hate this, the not knowing, and sometimes I still wrestle with it because I like to understand how things work. I like to have right answers. And I realize this is actually however good news.
By attempting to elevate myself, I would have to shrink down God, no matter how much I think I want to hallelujah that we worship a God that we cannot explain in a sermon, at least not fully. I'm so thankful that there is not a box big enough to put my God in. So if I could offer one thing I have learned about the questions and faith, it is this. There are things that I do not know about my wife. There are things I do not know about marriage or relationships or love. They are a complete mystery to me. And I could either write a list, spend my time trying to figure out the answers to these questions and bring my hypothesis to my wife. Or I could read dozens and dozens of books on marriage, or I could simply date my wife, pursue her, spend time with her.
And the beauty is those questions will slowly start to become answered. Some of them, some won't ever. But remember, when it comes to our most important relationship, there is a difference between wanting to know about God and wanting to know God. And my encouragement is to keep asking questions, keep wondering, keep chasing, keep searching, not answers to the unanswerable, but to the one who holds them. Though this is not mandatory for following Jesus, some would say, Hey, the Bible says it. That's good enough for me. Case closed, no questions, no mystery, no wrestling, no searching for some people. And if that works for your faith, great. However, for most of us I think, and even if this did work, how much would you miss out on in the experience? How much would you miss out on? By believing that we have to choose between truth and mystery, when in reality it's the same road that we take on the unknown.
Annie Dillard, one of my favorite writers, says, you do not have to sit outside in the dark. If however you want to look at the stars, you'll find that darkness is necessary, but the stars neither require nor demand it. And so friends, may we learn to sit in the dark. May we continue chasing the mystery. May we discover that the mystery is not a puzzle or a riddle, but a person, one who reveals to us beauty along the way, one who wants to offer us grace and wants to feed us and clothe us and give us rest, but also one who desires to reveal his power to us in ways we could never expect or comprehend. So grace and peace to you wherever you are. See you next week.