The Big Reveal

Humans (and cats) have always been drawn to the wonders of magic. [Note: For additional information related to how cats are impacted by magic, see YouTube.] Some tend to enjoy and appreciate a magician more than others, but everyone has an imagination. Magicians are fascinating because their performances often defy common logic and it's human nature to be captivated by the unexplained. A magicians's act can be quick or lengthy, but they always conclude with a "big reveal" (i.e. pulling a rabbit out of a hat or showing the audience that you made someone disappear). Unfortunately, a true magician never reveals their secret. The explanation behind "The Big Reveal" is usually kept a secret to protect the integrity of the act and keep the audience entertained. God is often cited as being a magician because of the things He does that we can't explain, which some believe are for the purposes of God's own entertainment. God's most important "big reveal" is no secret.

All throughout the Old Testament, God reveals himself to His people. Considering the highlights, Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, David, Elijah, Samuel, and Isaiah all were personally chosen by God to carry His mission forward. While each of these (and all the others) had their successes and their failures in carrying forward God's mission, God was always intentional in His messaging about His "big reveal", even if no one understood it at the time. Hebrews 1: 1-2 says, "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world." And just as a real magician would never do, God explains the why behind His "big reveal" in Matthew 24:14 where it says, "And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."

It's fair to say that God isn't much of a real magician by magician standards, and that's for our benefit. God not only told and foreshadowed the coming of himself in human form (Jesus) to Earth, He actually did it and explained why. When Jesus came to take on our humanity, He sanctified us (freed us from sin) and now asks us to reveal Him to each other just as God himself did through Jesus. While this may seem impossible to do at times, it's helpful to remember we don't need any magic. C.S. Lewis once said, "The longest way round is the shortest way home." We must choose the longest (often hardest) way round to Christ and we can't forget to bring people with us along the way. A magician's "big reveal" will always be for entertainment, but God's "big reveal" is our road map to get us all back home.

-Jacob
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