What is the mystery of faith? In this podcast, we discuss the truths about faith, God’s grace, and how we should follow the light. Sometimes, we don’t understand but are willing to learn more. Your host, Felice Gerwitz, will share some powerful insights with you.

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Did you know that the “the mystery of faith” is found in 1 Timothy 3:9 in several translations, The Wycliffe Bible and the Douay-Rheims Bible? The verse states: “Holding the mystery of faith in a pure conscience.” Meanwhile, the New International Version states, “They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience.”

The mystery of faith is holding on to the deep truths of faith.

There are many things about faith that are mind-blowing when we stop to think about them. For example, the Trinity. The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit. One God and three distinct persons. It is a mystery. Or what about miracles? How do they happen? There is no explanation; it’s miraculous; it is something we believe in by faith.

Now, faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1. The basics of salvation are easy to remember, but for some, they are not so easy to understand. Jesus was born a babe through the power of the Holy Spirit, which overshadowed the Virgin Mary. He was raised by Mary and Joseph in Nazareth, born in Bethlehem of Judea, and lived a humble life. The Christmas story is well known.

The miracle continues with three men from the Orient, The three Wise Men (or the Wise Guys as my children used to call them), and through the study of light, or the star, the Magi knew they would find something remarkable: a king. Our pastor told us that they were studying the constellation Leo, which is the Lion or Judah. They knew the capital of Judah was Jerusalem. The light they saw represented a King, and they expected to see this baby in a palace dressed in finery, as only a prince would be born into a royal household. That is why they went to seek the baby in the palace of King Herod.

In the scriptures, Matthew 2:1-12 (It is long, so I won’t read it on air, but do take the time to read it yourself if you have not already) In this scripture we read that everyone knew the prophecy, and when the Magi asked King Herod, he was troubled. But what is shocking is that all of the chief priests and the scribes, the learned men who knew and studied the Word, ignored the call; they didn’t go, but the Magi didn’t ignore it. They were surprised the babe was not in the palace, but they immediately went to Bethlehem, prostrated themselves before the King of Heaven and of Earth, the baby in abject poverty, and felt prostrate before him and worshipped him. They followed the light. And, by the power of the Holy Spirit, they were infused with grace from God. What they found was not a royal baby dressed in fancy clothing but what they saw exceeded their expectations. This grace was given to them by God and was a mystery they could not understand.

God’s ways are not our ways (I’ll read Isaiah 55:8-9) in a minute, and we’ve long established this concept 0n many of the episodes, yet we continue to try to understand that which is a mystery: why Jesus, who is the second person of the Trinity, fully God, and fully man would come as a babe to a poor family. Why not a wealthy family? Why not as a King? The Magi, the wisest of men, were expecting a royal baby. That was certainly what the people of Israel were expecting: a king who would set them free from Caesar’s rule.

Yet we learn when Jesus was born.* It is in John 3:1 – In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee. It was a time of unrest, and the people were waiting for their savior. Yet, many missed him. Unlike the Magi, the learned men did not follow the light.

It was many years later that Jesus began his ministry at around the age of 30 – Luke 2:23  Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry… In Numbers 4:3, we read that you had to be at least 30 years old in order to serve as a priest; in Numbers 4:3, “Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work at the tent of meeting.”

Jesus did not begin his public ministry until around 30, but can you imagine his life with Mary and Joseph? How wonderful to live with the Savior! Again, it is a mystery that the Almighty God would humble himself. The last we hear of Jesus is when Mary and Joseph find him in the temple after three days when he was twelve. The years after this are referred to as the hidden years. It was as if the Lord wanted to devote his time to his parents (his foster Father, Joseph, and mother, Mary), who would sacrifice so much for him.

If those concepts are known to us who are Christian and still astound us, can you imagine if you were not a Christian? If I asked you to make a list of all the things that puzzle you about faith, what would your list look like?

List of Mysteries of Faith:

1. Why do bad things happen to good people?
   
2. How does the Lord allow evil to take place in our world?
   
3. Why do people continue to reject Jesus as the true Messiah?
   

In Isaiah 55:8-9 we read: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unjust man his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God: for he is bountiful to forgive. For my thoughts are not your thoughts: nor your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are exalted above the earth, so are my ways exalted above your ways, and my thoughts above your thoughts.”

This brings us to how God – who continues to call his people (us) back to Him again and again, has such mercy, such goodness, and such compassion! Yet, we continue to reject Him while we remain in error and sinful.

The mystery of faith is recognized by miracles that happen today. They are shrouded and often kept secret. For example, there are relics of the Holy Cross that Jesus died on that are kept in churches throughout the world. There are some at the Vatican. There are many historical accounts that Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great, was instrumental in recovering the True Cross in 326-328. That is something that isn’t often common knowledge!

We live in an age of unbelief and rejection, and as usual, I will not spell it out for you; you already know. And what I can do – what we can do is turn our hearts and minds totally toward God as a way of not only giving to the Lord but also reparation, to make up for those who have rejected Him. I will follow the Lord. I will learn and study; I will read good books that will fill my mind with knowledge and not fall short. It is a commitment I make today before you, and I pray the Lord gives me the grace to follow through.

And so let this be a lesson for us all that our loving God is calling us today and every day. Right now. He is calling you to come to Him. We don’t have to understand everything, and that is faith – the belief that Jesus Christ is Lord and that the Almighty has done great things for us. Yes, there are many mysteries of faith or scripture verses that may leave us puzzled, yet He has not rejected us; He waits for us with open arms. He has demonstrated this in His life, death, and resurrection. He has opened the gates of heaven, He continues to bless us and allow miracles to happen daily, and the Holy Spirit is with us always. Please, Lord let us be like the Magi, infuse us with grace to believe and to understand. The Lord Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and he has called us to worship Him.

I pray this is a time of miracles for you in your life – look for them each day. Rejoice in the mysteries of our faith and seek Him always. Amen and Amen.

*There is a super interesting article about how the age of Jesus was figured for all of those who say the math doesn’t add up. You can read it here.

Another article on the True Cross.

True Cross Article here.

A special on the Mystery of Faith here.

Interesting article about the Star of Bethlehem here. 

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