The Ultimate Mystery

Good news; but if you ask me what it is, I know not;
It is a track of feet in the snow,
It is a lantern showing a path,
It is a door set open.
       — G.K. Chesterton 1874-1936

Everybody loves a good mystery, and G.K. Chesterton has penned for us a tiny yet profound mystery novel in this brief passage. All the elements are present: an intriguing setup, a trail of hints, and the hope of revelation. A great mystery draws us in by what it withholds, and Chesterton offers just enough to stir our imagination and awaken something deep within us—a longing to know, to seek, and to enter in.

The beauty of his verse lies in the opening phrase: “Good News,” where he invites us into the very mystery of God. Like shepherds, drawn by an angelic announcement on a Bethlehem night, we hear whispers of “good news,” but ask, … what is it?

God and His ways are mysterious, yet He longs to be known. He is ever giving us clues—wooing us unto Himself with the beauty of creation, the depth of Scripture, and the quiet nudges of His Spirit. For those who long to know, to seek, and to enter in, the search is over. In the Christ of Christmas, the mystery is solved:

“The mystery hidden for ages and generations…is now revealed to His saints…Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:26-27).

Jesus is the track of feet in the snow, the lantern on the path, and the door set open. He doesn’t just point the way—He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).

Chesterton’s tiny mystery novel is no mere story—it’s an invitation to encounter the ultimate mystery—the “Good News”—and His name is Jesus.

Merry Christmas.