Hold on to this Great Mystery that is Revealed – Colossians 1:24-2:23
In the previous passage, we stood in awe of all that the Father has accomplished through the Son. Now, Paul continues to unpack the glorious implications of this truth, even from his prison cell. He sees his suffering not as a burden, but as a privilege to participate in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of the church. This is because he has been entrusted with a profound and transformative message.
Colossians 1:25-27 of which I became a minister according to the commission of God given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, that is, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to His saints. God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
What an incredible truth! Paul calls himself a “minister according to the commission of God,” chosen to make “the word of God fully known.” This word is the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to His saints. God specifically desired to make known “among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery.” This mystery is not a complex puzzle, but a person: Christ in you, the hope of glory!
For so long, the people of God had specific laws, rituals, and traditions, creating a separation between Jew and Gentile. But now, in Christ, that wall has been broken down. The promise, the hope, the very presence of God, is not confined to one people group or one set of rules. It is for everyone who believes, through the indwelling presence of Christ Himself.
Paul labors tirelessly, struggling with all of God’s energy that powerfully works in him, for one purpose: to present every believer mature in Christ (Colossians 1:28-29). He wants the Colossian believers, and us, to be united in love, to have the full riches of complete understanding, so that we may know God’s mystery—Christ Himself!
Colossians 2:2-3 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery—Christ. In Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
This means we don’t need to look anywhere else for wisdom or understanding. All truth, all wisdom, all knowledge, is found in Christ.
This revelation has profound implications for how we live:
Colossians 2:8-10 Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, which are in accordance with human tradition and the elemental spirits of the world, and not in accordance with Christ. For in Him the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily, and you have been filled by Him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.
Paul warns us not to be led astray by empty philosophies, human traditions, or worldly systems that are not aligned with Christ. Why? Because in Him the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily, and you have been filled by Him! We are complete in Christ! We don’t need to add anything to Him.
This completeness in Christ means we are not subject to the burdens or judgments of the past. Our old sinful nature has been dealt with in Christ, and through Him, we have been made alive, our sins forgiven, and the debt against us completely erased and nailed to the cross. This is glorious freedom!
Colossians 2:16-17 Therefore, don’t let anyone judge you in regard to food and drink or in the matter of a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of what was to come; but the substance is Christ.
The old practices, the dietary laws, the festivals—these were shadows pointing to a greater reality. Now, the substance, the reality itself, is Christ! We are not to be judged by these things, because we have the fulfillment in Him.
The ultimate takeaway from this powerful passage is this: We need Christ alone. He is the great mystery revealed, the one who dwells in us, the hope of glory. He is our wisdom, our completeness, our freedom from sin and judgment. He is the substance, the fulfillment of all things.
May we truly grasp and hold onto this great mystery, living in the freedom, joy, and hope that is found in Christ alone.
