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Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery

Matt Boswell, pastor at Providence Church in Frisco Texas, Michael Bleeker, worship pastor at Matt Chandler’s Village Church in Dallas, Texas, and Matt Papa, contemporary Christian artist, are worship leaders from different churches who have written ‘Come Behold The Wondrous Mystery’, a beautiful hymn that teaches and celebrates the person of Christ.

The style of the hymn is simple and pentatonic, written in triple time and in a folk setting that is easy to learn and ideal for congregational singing. But the real strength of the song is in its lyrics, which are a masterclass in Christology (the doctrine of Christ).

Each verse is a beckoning to “come behold” and draws upon the ancient tradition of the invitational. The church is summoned and gathered to focus on Jesus, the Saviour. The invitational calls us to experience Christ, to “long for”, “behold” and “see” Him in the truth of the gospel and meet with Him by the Spirit. As we worship in spirit and in truth, the song can be divided into four acts.

 

Come behold the wondrous mystery
In the dawning of the King
He the theme of heaven’s praises
Robed in frail humanity
In our longing, in our darkness
Now the light of life has come
Look to Christ, who condescended
Took on flesh to ransom us

The first verse is act one, and it focuses on the incarnation of Jesus Christ in His birth, the “dawning of the king”. When He is “robed in frail humanity”, born in flesh as a baby, the writers remind us that He is the one all heaven sings about, the “theme of heaven’s praises”. He is the “light of life” who “condescended to ransom us” – He is light for our darkness –the one we have always longed for.

Come behold the wondrous mystery
He the perfect Son of Man
In His living, in His suffering
Never trace nor stain of sin
See the true and better Adam
Come to save the hell-bound man
Christ the great and sure fulfillment
Of the law; in Him we stand

 

The second verse, or the second act, focuses on the life and ministry of Jesus. Jesus is “the perfect Son of Man” who lived and suffered without “trace nor stain of sin”, as the “true and better Adam”. We are reminded of Paul’s teaching about Christ’s righteous life that Adam ought to have lived in the Garden of Eden. Because Jesus is without sin, perfect and righteous, His life is the “great and sure fulfilment of the [Old Testament] law” who has come to “save the hell-bound man”.

Come behold the wondrous mystery
Christ the Lord upon the tree
In the stead of ruined sinners
Hangs the Lamb in victory
See the price of our redemption
See the Father’s plan unfold
Bringing many sons to glory
Grace unmeasured, love untold

 

The third act focuses on the work of Christ upon the Cross, or His crucifixion. “Christ the Lord upon the tree” is not a defeated Christ, but a victorious one, the “Lamb in victory”, who gains by losing and saves by being dying in the place, or in the “stead” of us, “ruined sinners”. This great gospel exchange – one death for the death of many - was “the Father’s plan”, to “bring many sons to glory” – we are those sons. At this point, the writers cannot restrain themselves and in the final line, we all sing, this is “grace unmeasured, love untold”.

Come behold the wondrous mystery
Slain by death the God of life
But no grave could e’er restrain Him
Praise the Lord; He is alive!
What a foretaste of deliverance
How unwavering our hope
Christ in power resurrected
As we will be when he comes

 

The final act in the fourth verse focuses on the resurrection of Christ. In the resurrection, despite being “slain by death, the God of life” overcomes the power of the grave and Christians proclaim that victory, singing “He is alive!” As we look upon the resurrected Christ in His glory, we are reminded beautifully also of His second coming – His victory over death is the start of our victory over death, it is a “foretaste of deliverance” and it gives us “unwavering…hope”. What is this hope? Because “Christ in power [was] resurrected,” we too “will be when He comes” – with resurrection bodies, glorified and saved for eternity.