Behold the man (ecce homo)!

The Mystery of God

The bible is the book that contains the mystery of God, which is hidden in the bible as parables. Since it is written in the parables, it is not easy to recognize or understand the mystery of God in the bible. However, we have to know the mystery for at least two reasons. First, one does not hide what is not important. Likewise, the mystery of God is something important to God and us, and we have to know about it for our salvation. Second, everything hidden has an appointed time to be revealed. Likewise, the mystery of God has its own appointed time to be revealed.

Luke 8:17 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.

The Disclosure of The Mystery of God

The fact that God hid something as mystery shows that it has its own appointed time to be revealed. Therefore, when the time comes we have to know the mystery of God.

Revelation 10:7 But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”

The mystery of God is a prophecy given to the prophets and they are recorded in the bible as prophecies. When the appointed time for the fulfillment of the prophecy comes, the mystery of God will be accomplished or in other words “revealed”. And at that time we can know what the mystery of God is.

What is the Mystery of God?

Then what is the mystery of God hidden in the bible? What did God want to hide until the appointed time? Let us find out what the mystery of God is.

Colossians 1:27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Colossians 2:2 My goal 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 the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

The mystery of God is the Christ, that is, God who appeared as man in the flesh among his people. The Christ is the mystery of God. The Christ is described in many different ways. Sometimes, he was called a king, or a high priest, or a prophet. (John 19:37, Heb 5:8, Acts 3:22) However, in reality, he was God himself who appeared as man. Then why was it necessary for God to appear as man?

When God appeared among his people on Mt. Sinai among the clouds and thunders in the time of Exodus, God’s people got terrified by his appearance. They thought they would die if they saw God and they heard from God directly. At that moment God used Prophet Moses (a man) as mediator between God and His people. In this way, God’s people could receive the words of God without having to face the glory of God that frightened them.

Man Moses and Man Jesus

Using Moses a man as mediator was just a copy and shadow. This was given to show Man Christ who would come as mediator between God and His people. Instead of sending a prophet, God decided to come down as man in person to lead them. That was Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 3:5 “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house.

Moses was used by God to show the appearance of the Christ the true mediator who can give eternal salvation to his people. According to this prophecy, Christ Jesus came down from heaven to us. Even though he was called in many different ways, he was God himself, who appeared as man to save his people. (Phil 2:6, Rom 9:5)

The Christ, Mystery of God

God himself appeared as man and dwelled among his people, but his people did not recognize him. To their eyes, he was a man just like one of them. They could not see the divinity of God hidden in the flesh of Jesus.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God….. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him….. 14 The Word (God) became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Behold, The Man

Even though God came down to his people to teach them and lead them to salvation, they did not recognize him nor did they receive him. Rather, they rejected the Christ because they could see only his outward appearance without witnessing the glory of God hidden in the flesh. To their eyes Jesus as a mere man claiming to God. When Governor Pilate had Jesus stood in front of Jews, they shouted in one voice, “Crucify him!”. They rejected the Savior they had been waiting for because they saw only humanity in Jesus. Jews could only see physical aspects of Jesus

John 19:5 5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Look! Here is the man!

However, the disciples of Jesus correctly testify that he was God who appeared as man. And they could receive him and the salvation the Christ granted to his people at his first appearance 2000 years ago.

John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people.

Both of the testimonies of John and Paul has an important message in it. Both of them saw Jesus as man in the flesh. At once, however, they could see the divinity hidden inside the man Christ. They recognized the man as the Christ or God who appeared as man in the flesh.

Divinity Hidden in the Flesh

Then how could they recognize the divinity hidden in the flesh of the Christ? Peter knew the truth of Jesus and he testifies about Jesus as such.

Matthew 16:13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Unlike the Jews of the time Peter knew the identity of Jesus Christ even though he came as man. By testifying Jesus as the Son of God actually he was witnessing that Jesus as God himself who came as man to fulfill the prophecies of bible. (Isa 9:6) Then how could he know that Jesus was God?

John 6:68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. 69 And now we believe and know that you are the Holy One who has come from God.

He could know Jesus was the one prophesied in the bible and he came from God to fulfill the prophecies of the bible through “the words that give eternal life”. Even though Jesus appeared as man, through the words and the teachings that give eternal life he knew that Jesus was God because it is only God who can give eternal life.

Mystery of God in the Last Day

2000 years ago, Christ was the mystery to the Jews because they did not know who he was. Only a small number of people chosen by God could see know the identity of the Christ. According to the bible, the same thing will happen in the last day when the Christ appears for the second time.

Hebrews 9:28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

The bible prophesies that the Christ, the Mystery of God would appear for the second time as man in the flesh just as he appeared for the first time. And the bible says he is the one who comes to give salvation. Then what will happen when the man Christ comes again? Jesus already foretold that the same thing will happen at that time.

The Second Coming Christ, Mystery of God

Luke 17:25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

About his appearance in the last days, Jesus told that he would suffer many things as his first coming and he would be rejected by the people of the generation as he did 2000 years ago by his own generation. In this situation what is the way for us to know the divinity of Christ hidden in the flesh? To the most people Christ would be a mystery because they would see only the physical appearance of the Second Coming Christ.

But the people of God must be able to see the divinity hidden in the flesh and recognize him. The bible teaches we can know the Christ only through the words of eternal life.

The Sign of The Man Christ

Then what is the words of eternal life the Second Coming Christ brings to us?

John 6:53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.

Christ comes to give us salvation and he brings the words of eternal life for our salvation. The words of eternal life are granting salvation of eternal life through his flesh and blood, that is, the bread and wine of the Passover. The one who brings the words of eternal life promised in the Passover is the man Christ or God who comes as man in the flesh.

Today, a man appeared and restored the Passover of the new covenant which got abolished in 325 AD in the council of Nicaea. Even though he was man and lived as man in every way, through the words of eternal life we have to know who he is. Christ Ahnsahnghong brought back the Passover and opened the way to the tree of life through the bread and wine of the Passover.

“Behold, the man!”

Who is he to us? We have to ask this question to ourselves and should get the right answer for the question? Is he a man claiming to be God? Or a prophet? Or a bible scholar? Or even a heretic? Or the man Christ, who is God the Savior who came as man in the flesh for our salvation?