The Mystery of Christ

Listen to this text from Isaiah
9, verse 6. For unto us a child is born,
unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his
shoulders, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor,
the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. I'm going to speak to you today
on the subject, the mystery of Christ. We preach Christ and
Him crucified. I've determined to know nothing
among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Who is Christ? What did He do? Why did He do
it? Let us look into this subject, the mystery of Christ. We hear
people using that name, some as a byword, some as a curse
word, some as a praise word, and some as a preached word,
but who is Jesus Christ? Now, I understand as much as
anybody listening to me, the difficulty of this task which
I have chosen, speaking publicly on the mystery of the person,
Jesus Christ. Oh, the mysteries of Christ. How complex and mysterious is
this person, Jesus Christ? In the same breath, the prophet
Isaiah called him a child. He called him the counselor.
In the same breath that the prophet called him the son, he called
him the mighty God. Now, this is where a lot of people
get all confused and messed up. The infant is the infinite. That's right. The son, he says,
and then called him the everlasting father. He says here in this
scripture, he's a man of sorrows, and yet he's the mighty God.
The scripture says here that he is despised, rejected, hated,
but he's wonderful. Do you understand that? The scripture
says here in this chapter, Isaiah 9, that his garments are rolled
in blood, and yet he's the prince of peace. That's the mystery
of Christ. What a complex and mysterious
subject, Jesus Christ. Now this ought to remind us of
the necessity of studying, of searching, of inquiring, of trying
to rightly understand the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. There's
no way possible that we can arrive at a full understanding of the
mysteries of Christ in this life. We know in part And we prophesy
in part, but when that which is perfect is come, then we shall
know as we have been known. But I want to understand something
of the person of Christ. I want to enter into the mysteries
of Jesus Christ. Job wrote this, Canst thou by
searching find out God? I know this. This understanding
of Christ does not come by reasoning. It does not come by research.
It comes by revelation. I know that much. I know we must
be Holy Spirit taught, God taught. Because understanding the person
of Christ, the natural man does not understand the person of
Christ. The preaching of Christ crucified
is foolishness. It's sheer nonsense to the natural
man. He does not understand it. He
cannot enter into it. His natural eye can't see, nor
his ear hear, nor his heart understand the mysteries of Christ. That's
what Job is saying. Can you, by searching, find out
God? Can you find out the Almighty to perfection? What's higher
than the heavens? What can you know? Is deeper
than hell? What can you know? The measure
thereof is longer than the earth and broader than the sea. What
can you know? That ought to cause us deep concern. That ought to drive us to our
knees and drive us to the Bible and drive us to the Word of God
and drive us to dependence upon the Holy Spirit, because we cannot
by reason and we cannot by research, we can only by revelation understand
anything about the mysteries of Christ, this person Jesus
Christ. The Apostle Paul was an educated
man. In fact, he was so well taught,
that one of the rulers, he appeared before Felix and Agrippa, before
many rulers, and one of them said, you've just studied so
much, Paul, that you've gone crazy. That's what he said. Paul
was a student before he met Christ. He didn't understand Christ.
He didn't know Christ. He didn't believe on Christ.
He didn't embrace Christ. He didn't know him. But when
God revealed Christ, now watch this. He said, God who separated
me from my mother's womb was pleased to reveal his Son in
me. His Son. God revealed his Son
in me. I didn't learn it in school. I learned it from God. Our Lord
one day asked the disciples, he said, Whom do men say that
I, the Son of Man, am? What are they saying out there?
And one of the disciples said, Well, some say you're John the
Baptist, and some say you're Elias, and others say you're
one of the prophets. But he said, Whom do you say?
Who am I? Who am I? And Peter looked at
him and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And
he said, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona. Flesh and blood didn't
reveal that to you, but my Father which is in heaven. And this
thing of Christ, the person of Christ, the glory of Christ,
the mysteries of Christ, you're not going to learn it by research
and reasoning, you're going to learn it by revelation. God must
teach you who Christ is. There's no, watch this, now listen,
there's no seeing Christ except by his own light. Now this is
where so many folks miss it, they want to see Christ in the
light of today's lifestyle, or today's educational processes,
or today's mathematics and science, and today's religious approach,
but there's no understanding Christ except in his own light.
Now here's what I'm saying. I'm saying Christ is the door,
but he's the one who opens it and shuts it. I'm saying Christ
is the lesson, but he's the teacher. I'm saying Christ Jesus is the
riddle, but he's the answer. I'm saying that Christ Jesus
is the destination, but he's also the way there. I'm saying
that Christ Jesus is that which is to be seen and the light by
which you see it. He is not one of the prophets,
he is the prophet. He is not a messenger of God,
he is the mighty God. God was in Christ, reconciling
the world unto himself. That's what led Paul to write,
oh, you see, this is getting complicated, my dear friend.
You might as well try to put the ocean in a thimble as to
try to put the infinite God in one of these minds or brains
of ours. The heavens can't contain God. The heaven of heavens is his
throne and the earth is his footstool. He considers the nations as a
drop in the bucket and the inhabitants thereof as grasshoppers. Paul
wrote, Oh, the depths of the riches, both of the wisdom and
the knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways
past finding out. This simplicity of Christ is
the mystery of Christ. That's right. You see, the Bible
talks about the simplicity of Christ. That's the mystery. Man
complicates everything. The simplicity of Christ is the
mystery of Christ. John wrote in 1 John 5, verse
20, "...the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding,
that we may know him that is true." May the Spirit of Christ
give you that understanding. the mystery of Christ. It's no
easy thing. It's no shake my hand, I'll meet
you in the promised land proposition to know the living God. Why do
you think the Apostle Paul cried, O that I may know him and the
power of his resurrection? I count not myself to have apprehended,
he said. I am not already perfect. I have
not arrived. I forget those things which are
behind and I press toward the mark of the prize of the high
calling of Christ Jesus, my Lord, that if by any means I might
attain unto the resurrection of the dead." We may get serious
about this matter. We are entertaining sinners on
their road to hell. The mystery of Christ. Let's
look at some of these things. First of all, here in the text.
Look at it. Isaiah 9, 6. Under us a child
is born, under us a son is given. Now, the average person thinks
the Holy Spirit is just repeating himself, but he's not. He's not
wasting words. And the student of the scriptures
and the student of Christ knows what he's saying. Under us a
child is born. Under us a son is given. As Jesus
Christ is a child, He was born. As he is the Son of Man, he was
born. He was born of Mary, he was conceived
of the Holy Spirit in her womb, and he was born after nine months,
just like any other child is born. As a child, as a man, he
was born. As the Son of David, he was born. As the Son of Man, he was born.
As bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, he was born. As
our representative, he was born of woman, born or made under
the law. Under us a child is born. But
now, wait a minute. Under us a son is given. That's
different. As the Son of God, he wasn't
born, he was given. He's the well-beloved, only begotten
Son of the living God. As a man he was born, as the
Son of God he was sent. He was given. For God so loved
the world, he gave his only begotten Son. Christ wasn't born. Christ
Jesus lived before the stars. In fact, they were made by him.
And when he left glory and came down, he enrobed himself in human
flesh as Jesus of Nazareth. That's the eternal, always existent,
immutable, infinite God in human flesh. Call his name Jesus or
Immanuel, God with us. A child is born, that's right.
But a son is given, not born, sent, given. That's what the
angels said. That's the best news you can
hear. The angels said, Behold, we bring you good news, glad
tidings of great joy. Unto you is born a Savior who
is Christ the Lord. This person, Jesus, is born,
but he is Christ the Lord. That's what John the Baptist
said, Behold the Lamb of God. which taketh away the sin of
the world." When Simeon took that child Jesus in his arms,
he lifted his eyes to heaven and he said, Father, I have seen
thy salvation. When the Father spoke at the
baptism of Christ, Christ came down to the river Jordan to be
baptized of John, and the heavens opened and the Spirit of God
descended upon him in the form of a dove. And the Father spake
and said, This is my Son. A Son is given. This is my Son. This is not the son of Joseph,
this is my son. This is not the son of Mary,
this is my son in whom I'm well pleased. This is my son, my son
before the world was ever made, my only begotten, my well beloved,
my eternal son. That's what the Father said.
This is my son. And because God in human flesh,
and I can have no peace till God in human flesh I see. And
because he came down here, I have a representative, a man to restore
what a man lost. In Adam I died, in Christ I am
made alive. By the disobedience of one, I
was made a sinner. By the obedience of one, Christ,
I was made righteous. I have a representative. And
because God became a man, I have a ransom. A price is paid. He
said, deliver his soul from going down into the pit. I have found
a ransom. I found only one, and that's
Christ. And because Christ came to this
earth in human flesh, I have a righteousness. He was made
sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him. And because God came in human
flesh, I have a resurrection hope. what manner of love God
hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called sons of God.
It doth not yet appear what we shall be, but when he shall appear,
we shall be like him. And he that hath this hope in
him purifies himself, even as he is pure." What is this hope?
Christ is coming back. He's our resurrection hope. Because
he died and he was buried, and because he rose again, and because
he lives, I have the hope of living also after I die. Because he said, because I live,
you shall live. That's the promise. Because I
live, you shall live. Not because you did this, that,
and the other. Not because you deserve it, but because I live,
ye shall live. A child is born, but a son has
been given. Now watch this. It says next,
his name shall be called Wonderful. Wonderful. I had a friend say
to me one time, ever since I saw this verse, I never call anything
on this earth wonderful. Thousands of things are called
by names they don't deserve. The only one who deserves the
title wonderful is Christ who is wonderful. He's called wonderful
because he is wonderful. He's wonderful in his eternal
glory. Before the morning stars sang together, before the sons
of God shouted for joy. before the mountains ever rose
out of the deep, before God ever separated the earth by the waters,
before God ever made man and put him on this earth, Christ
lived in eternal glory. In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and all things
were made by him. Without him was not anything
made that was made. And it was made by him and for
him. All right? He's wonderful in his love. It's
everlasting love. I have drawn you, he said, with
an everlasting love. It's unchangeable love. He said,
I'll never leave you. I'll never forsake you. Having
loved his own, he loved them to the end. He draws us with
an everlasting love, with an immutable love, with an infinite
love, even the death of the cross. Even the death of the cross.
That's how much he's wonderful in his love. He's wonderful in
his life. He knew no sin. Doesn't say he did no sin, though
he didn't. But he actually knew no sin.
He did know sin, but he didn't even know sin. He didn't even
think sin. There's no sin charged to the
perfect Lamb of God. When reviled, he reviled not
again. When hated, he loved. Wonderful in his life. Even Pilate
said, I find no fault in him. Even Pilate said, if he could
have found just one flaw, he would have exaggerated it. But
he said, I can't find one fault in this man. Even the people,
Christ said, which of you convinces me of sin? He knew no sin. He's wonderful in his death.
You know, I thought about this. It says Christ in Philippians
2, I believe it is, Christ, who thought it not robbery to be
equal with God, made himself of no reputation, took upon himself
the form of a servant, became obedient unto death, even the
death of the cross. You know that God should die.
is an amazing miracle. It's beyond human comprehension
that God should die in human flesh, or that God should die
on a cross, on a hated, cruel cross, on a criminal's cross.
That God should die on a cross is unbelievable, but that God
should die on a cross for sinners, for his enemies, that makes it
even more wonderful. He's wonderful in his life, in
his love, in his death, and he's wonderful in his resurrection.
Born among cattle in poverty sore, living in meekness by Galilee's
shore, dying in shame while the wicked one swore, Jesus, wonderful
Lord, wonderful in his resurrection. You know, I was reading the other
Sunday, that scripture where the women came to the tomb. on
that Sunday morning, that first day of the week, and the stone
was rolled away, and they met an angel standing right there
before the tomb. And he asked this question, Why
seek ye the living among the dead? He's not here. He's not
here. He's risen. Why do you seek the
living among the dead? Why do you seek Christ among
the relics, among the idols? among the dead ceremonies, among
the dead rituals, among all, you take the Holy Land, Jerusalem,
and all of those relics, and all of those shrines, and all
of those altars, and all of those sites. We're like the women who
came on that Sunday morning looking to minister to a dead Lord. He's
not dead, he lives. He's not there, he's here. Why
do you seek the living among the dead? He's not here, he is
risen. He has risen, and he not only
risen, but he sat down at the right hand of God, expecting
till his enemies become his footstool. Do you know the Old Testament
priests, sons of Levi, all of those fellows, they never sat
down. Well, they offered the morning
sacrifice and the evening sacrifice and the day of atonement and
all these different sacrifices, but they never sat down. There
wasn't a chair anywhere in that tabernacle or courtyard. because
those men never finished their work. Their sacrifices couldn't
put away Seneca. But he, this man, after he had
offered one sacrifice for Seneca, one sacrifice, his own blood,
himself, he sat down, having finished his work, and is waiting
until everything he died to accomplish shall be fulfilled. And then
he's coming back to claim his own. He's wonderful in his resurrection. But what's this? His name shall
be called Wonderful Counselor. Here's your good question. Isaiah
40, verse 3. Listen to this. Who hath directed
the Spirit of the Lord? For being his counselor hath
taught him. With whom took he counsel? That's
a good question, isn't it? With whom did the Lord God take
counsel? Not angels, not men. I'll tell you who. Christ. Buy
your Bible. Genesis 1, verse 26, he said,
let us make man. Let us make man. That's the Father
and the Son. It says in Genesis 11, 7, when
they started building that tower to heaven, you know, the first
idolatrous, God said, let us go down and confound their language. The counselor was with him. In
Zechariah 6, verse 13, the counsel of peace shall be between them
both. The counsel of peace. And in
John 14, 16, the Lord Jesus said to his disciples, I will pray
the Father, I will pray the Father, and he will send you another
comforter. I can't explain the Trinity.
I mean it all the way through the Bible. Let us make man. Let us go down and confound their
language. The counsel of peace shall be
between them both. And at the baptism of the Son,
the Father spoke and said, This is my Son. The Holy Spirit manifested
Himself in the form of a dove. The Lord Jesus Christ stood here
this day and He said, I'll pray the Father and He'll send you
the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. I just know that God is God.
Christ is our Redeemer. The Holy Spirit is our teacher.
God Almighty chose us, and Christ Jesus redeemed us, and the Holy
Spirit reveals Christ to us. He's the counselor. And then
in the next place, his name is the mighty God. I wish I could
make this plain to you. If I could, you'd fall on your
face before Jesus of Nazareth like Saul did, Saul of Tarsus,
and cry, Lord, what will you have me do? They call him the
doubter, but there's no doubt about this. He said, My Lord
and my God. My Lord and my God. And John on the isle of exile,
you know, when he was exiled, right in the book of Revelation,
he fell on his face. He said, I fell at his feet like
a dead man. He's God. When Paul was saying goodbye
to the elders of of the church in Acts 20, he said, Now you
feed the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood. Whose blood? God's church. God purchased it with God's own
blood. In Hebrews 1, verse 8, he said,
To which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my son,
this day have I begotten thee? To the Son he said, Thy throne,
O God, is forever. To the He said, Thy throne, O
God, is forever. raised the ire and the anger
of those Jews then, the religious leaders. Christ said, I and my
father won. And they began to pick up big
stones. They were going to stone him for blasphemy. And he said,
well, I've done many good works among you. For which of these
do you stone me? And they said, we're not stoning
you because you did a good work. We're stoning you because you're
a man and you claim to be God. They knew what he was saying.
Do you know what I'm saying? I'm saying just what you think I
am. Jesus of Nazareth is God Almighty in human flesh, the
mighty God, the everlasting Father, the everlasting Father. Listen,
let me tell you something. When Moses, when God called Moses
in Exodus, the first part of Exodus, to lead the children
of Israel out of Egypt, when Moses was tending sheep, he was
80 years old, and God spoke to him. First of all, he saw this
bush that was burning but wasn't consumed. And he walked up closer
to it, and the boy said, Moses, take off your shoes, you're on
holy ground. And Moses took off his shoes, and God talked to
him there. God told him to lead the people
of Israel out of Egypt. And he said, well, now, if I
go down there and tell Pharaoh to let the people go, whom shall
I say hath sent me? And God spake and said, you tell
them I am sent. And that's the name of God, I
Am. Now, when Jesus Christ was in
the Garden of Gethsemane praying and the soldiers came after him,
he said, Whom seek ye? And they said, you read this
in John 18, 1 through 6, they said, We seek Jesus of Nazareth. And he said, I Am. Now, that
He is in italics. That means it's not in the original.
I Am. And those soldiers fell back
the glory of that voice, the deity of that voice, the authority
of that voice, the power of that voice, the same voice that John
heard on Patmos, the same voice that Moses heard from the burning
bush, the same voice that Adam heard, Adam, where art thou?
The same voice that Abel heard or Cain heard, where is your
brother? I am. He is the everlasting Father.
He is the Prince of Peace. He's the author of peace between
the sinner and God. He's the author of peace between
Jew and Gentile. He's the author of peace in a
troubled heart. And he's the author of eternal
peace. Therefore, being justified by
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Prince of Peace.

The Mystery of Christ

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The Mystery of Christ

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About Henry Mahan

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