Christ Cannot Be Hidden: The Paradox of Humble Power

He could not be hid. Christ was the reputed son of a village carpenter, a poor despised Nazarene—yet His fame spread abroad. This was no accident of birth or inheritance. He had come to seek and save that which was lost, to fulfill all prophecy, to preach the everlasting gospel, to work miracles the world had never seen. Therefore His concealment was impossible.

Exell identifies four dimensions of Christ's unavoidable visibility. First, the Lord Jesus is not hid—He may be plainly seen by those who will use their eyes: in the works of creation, in His Word, in the effects of His grace. Second, He ought not to be hid; we must renounce self to announce Christ, for He is the only remedy for humanity's yearning cry. Third, He cannot be hid. Though the Christian sky may be clouded momentarily, the Sun of Righteousness will burst forth in fresh power and glory, and His purpose must prevail. Fourth, He will not be hid—a day is coming when every eye shall see Him, and self-deception will be no longer possible.

Yet Christ Himself desired to be hid. He entered into a house, and would have no man know it. This desire sprang not from fear or shame, but from the modesty of high goodness. Nature herself, in all her magnificence, remains modest. Christ's character—the grandeur of the firmament—is silent, simple, severe. He forever discarded the trumpet, teaching His disciples: "Let your light so shine."