Christmas 2025: THE MYSTERY OF GODLINESS
There are moments when heaven seems to lean close—when the veil thins, when the soul senses a truth too radiant for mere human language. Paul called it “the mystery of godliness”—a mystery not meant to confuse us, but to capture us; not meant to hide truth from us, but to humble us before the Truth Himself (1 Timothy 3:16). For godliness does not begin with man climbing toward God; it begins with God stooping toward man in Christ Jesus. It begins with mercy stepping into flesh, holiness walking dusty roads, righteousness wrapped in swaddling cloths, grace made visible.
“God was manifested in the flesh”—and suddenly Bethlehem becomes the blazing center of reality. The Infinite becomes an infant; the One who spoke worlds into being learns to speak human words; the eternal Son accepts time, frailty, hunger, sleep. Here is the scandal and the sweetness of the gospel—Deity veiled, yet never diminished; glory hidden, yet never absent; love embodied, yet never exhausted. No wonder angels sang—heaven had never seen anything like this.
“Justified in the Spirit”—for the Spirit hovered over His every step, vindicating Him at every turn, declaring Him righteous in His obedience, powerful in His compassion, sinless in His suffering. The water of His baptism did not cleanse Him, but revealed Him; the Spirit descending like a dove testified that this Man is the Father’s beloved Son (Matthew 3:17). Even His cross, rugged and bleeding, was not a defeat—they pierced His body, but they could not touch His holiness; they crushed His flesh, but they could not stain His righteousness.
“Seen by angels”—for heavenly beings watched His ministry with awe. They were present at His birth, ministered to Him in temptation, strengthened Him in Gethsemane, witnessed His resurrection, and stood ready to accompany His ascension. Angels, who saw creation dawn, bent low in wonder as the Creator walked among His creatures.
“Preached among the nations”—for His gospel refuses borders; it breaks through languages, cultures, kingdoms. He is too great to be confined to one people, one land, one generation. The same Christ who walked the hills of Galilee walks now through every nation by the preaching of His Word; the same voice that called fishermen still calls sinners—“Follow Me” (Matthew 4:19).
“Believed on in the world”—and here the miracle continues. Hearts once darkened by sin awaken to His light; souls once bound by guilt rise to His pardon; men and women, frail and flawed, suddenly find themselves longing for holiness—hungering for the God who first hungered for them. Faith itself becomes evidence of the mystery, a quiet miracle in the human heart.
“Received up in glory”—the final note, the eternal crescendo. The One who descended to our misery has ascended to Majesty. He did not vanish; He reigns. He did not retreat; He intercedes. He did not abandon us; He promised to return. And from that throne—not distant, but divine—He shapes us into His likeness day by day, until the mystery of godliness becomes the reality of glory.
So we stand before this mystery—humbled, lifted, awakened. Christ is the secret of godliness; Christ is the power of transformation; Christ is the beauty behind every virtue; Christ is the fire that warms the cold heart, the light that breaks the long night, the Shepherd who guides His flock through every valley.
And as we behold Him—crucified, risen, reigning—we discover the greatest mystery of all: the God who reveals Himself in Christ also remakes us into Christlikeness. Not by our striving; not by our strength; but by the quiet, steady work of grace.
“Great indeed is the mystery of godliness”—and great indeed is the Savior who embodies it (1 Timothy 3:16).
BDD
