BEHIND THE CURTAIN

Ephesians 3:1-13

In the story, “The Wizard of Oz”, a fraud was discovered behind the curtain-a man who declared himself to be an all-powerful wizard but wasn’t.  He fooled many people for a long time, until the curtain was pushed aside and he was “outed”.  There have always been people who believe the same about God-that He is a fictitious character made up by needy people who want to escape responsibility for their circumstances.

Paul’s assignment in the world was to draw back the curtain on a mystery that had for hundreds of years been sealed in the heavenlies:  the “mystery of the Gospel.”  That sounds strange to us, doesn’t it?  To us, there is no mystery; the Gospel is the “good news of Jesus Christ”.  That just rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?  That’s because we aren’t Jews living in the time of Christ. 

The teaching of the Gospel in Paul’s day was heresy to good Jews.  To the orthodox Jew, this teaching from Paul was like someone in modern times trying to teach that the world is flat.  No one would believe it because we now have the technology to see the earth from space.  Jewish people in the time of Christ had been taught for millennia that they were God’s chosen people and Gentiles were dogs, outcasts, unredeemable.  (By the way, that’s us!) 

So, Paul’s teaching in Ephesians 2, Jews and Gentiles being reconciled in the dirt around the cross, was very unpalatable to most Jews.

But, on to that mystery . . .

1.     Paul is continuing where he left off in Ephesians 2:22, “And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.”  (3:1) “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles . . . “  He begins here in chapter 3, then the rest of 3:1-13 is a kind of aside; he gives a little background before he plunges into one of the most beautiful prayers in all of Scripture.

·        Paul is a prisoner (in a Roman jail) for the sake of the Gentiles (me).  (1)

·        “For this reason . . .” The reason Paul is a prisoner is found in 2:22.  It is because the dwelling of God, where He lives by His Spirit, is being built in God’s people, which now includes the Gentiles, to which Paul has been called as a messenger.  (2:22, 3:1)

·        God’s grace was given to Paul “for you”-the Ephesians.  It wasn’t given to Paul to hoard for himself.  (2)

·        The mystery of the Gospel (Christ’s work on the cross, redeeming both Jew and Gentile) was given to Paul through revelation by God, no one else.  (3)

·        Since God revealed this mystery to Paul, (he wasn’t given this revelation by listening to anyone else) the Ephesians would be able to understand Paul’s profound insight.  (4)

·        The mystery of the Gospel was not revealed by God previous to Paul to the degree that it was revealed to Paul.  (Peter had received a partial revelation when he experienced the vision of the sheet in Acts 10).  (5)

·        The mystery plainly stated: 

o   Gentiles (that’s me!) are heirs with Israel

o   Gentiles are members of one body with Israel

o   Gentiles share in the promises of God in Christ Jesus with Israel (6)

·        Paul became a servant to this Gospel by the power of God and by the gift of His grace.  (7)

·        Paul claims to be the least of God’s people.  (8)

·        Paul was given grace, not to hoard, but the purpose was that he would preach the Gospel to the Gentiles (that’s me).  (8)

·        Paul was chosen to explain the mystery of the Gospel to the Gentiles: that God has been working since eternity past to unite Jews and Gentiles at the foot of the Cross.  (9)

·        God’s intent is to use His people, Jews & Gentiles, the church, to reveal who He is and all His wisdom to an unbelieving world.  (10)

·        This has been His eternal purpose, and it was accomplished in Christ.  (11)

·        We can walk right up to God’s throne with freedom and confidence through faith in the finished work of Christ on the Cross.  (12)

·        Because of this, Paul asks the Ephesians not to be discouraged because of his sufferings.  (13)

2.   Father, I am a partaker of this grace with Paul.  We share from the same    cup.  The grace given to him was for me, a Gentile, that I would come to Christ and share in the covenant.

 For whom have you given me this grace?  Like Paul, it’s not given to me to hoard.  Father, I cry out to You!  Please make me faithful in the administration of this grace.  Give me an audience!   Don’t let me walk off the stage of my life and not speak of Your grace to the next generation!  I pray for myself, that Your complete will for me will be accomplished.  You promise to complete the work in me and I stand on that promise today.

           
3.  Father, the next generation lives in my children and grandchildren.  They must  carry the Gospel to their culture after I’m gone.  I pray You will raise them up, that they will share in this cup of grace with Paul, and will proclaim Your Name boldly.