Really Real

Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great:

He appeared in a body,

was vindicated by the Spirit,

was seen by angels,

was preached among the nations,

was believed on in the world,

was taken up in glory. (I Timothy 3:16)

          According to the notes in my study Bible, the part of today’s passage that I centered was probably a creedal hymn. Paul was quoting a gospel chorus that he expected Timothy to know. Paul acknowledges that this whole idea was a great mystery, and more so to the Jew than to the Gentile. The Gentiles believed in sons of gods – except for the fact that such a thing didn’t take place historically. It always took place “a long time ago in a land far, far away.” 

         It is something for us to consider. We know Jesus was born in a stable, grew up, had a ministry for three years, died on the cross, rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. We sing about it. We celebrate Christmas, Easter, and to a lesser extent, the Assumption, but we’re almost two thousand years after the events in question. How real is it to us? How much time do we spend considering the mysteries of Jesus? How often do we consider the reality of Jesus beyond the historical record? I’m not suggesting we should start adding to the historical record, but how often do we think about an actual, flesh and blood Jesus walking from here to there, saying something He said or performing the miracles He performed.

         It’s a lot easier to treat Jesus like Hamlet, Yoda, Strider, or Clark Kent. He wasn’t, and isn’t real like we are. Oh, we say that we know He was and is. We sing it all the time, but our minds just can’t quite wrap around the real, honest-to-goodness, definite, in-your-face reality of it. As Del Tacket puts it, do we really believe that what we say is real is really real?

          It’s easy to think that Timothy and his congregation had it better. They probably got this letter within thirty-five years of the resurrection. There were still people around who were there…who saw Him and talked with Him. Paul had encountered the living Christ. Timothy hadn’t. Ephesus is about as far from Jerusalem as Erie, PA is from Zephyrhills, FL and just a few miles less than New York City is from Disney World. Sure, that’s closer than we are in both time and space, but it’s far enough away that Timothy would have faced the same problem. 

          The song would have helped to remind Timothy about the reality of Jesus. We need those reminders, too. What reminds you that Jesus is real as you go through your day?