The Mystery of Jesus

 

The Mystery

We have just spent that last four weeks looking at the first chapter of Colossians. We continue…

In the midst of Paul’s superlative descriptions of the Craftsman from Nazareth, the apostle disclosed a mystery – “the mystery if the ages” – that had been shrouded and hidden in the very being of God for ages upon ages. All that Paul had said about Jesus in Colossians chapter 1 led straight to this grand and glorious mystery, which was the main point of his letter.

What is this mystery that had been hidden in God from before time?

It was not something to be solved or analysed.

It was not a principle, a rule or a law.

It was not even a set of answers to a set of questions to spend one’s life answering.

It was – and is – the wonder of all wonders.

The mystery of God is this…

That the One who is the visible image of the invisible God;

the One in whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells;

the One who is the living residence of the Trinity;

the One in whom eternity lives, breathes, and has its being;

the One who is before time;

the A to Z, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end;

the Firstborn of the created universe, who rose from the dead never to die again;

the Conqueror of death, sin, and the grave;

The Creator, Saviour, Redeemer, and Forgiver;

The One who holds all creation together in Himself;

the One who is the power of glory and might;

the Head, authority, and source of the church;

the One through whom and for whom all things were created;

the One in whom all things find their meaning and reality;

the One who reconciled all things in heaven and earth to God;

the One who nailed to His bloody cross every law, every rule, and every regulation that would condemn the beloved people of God;

the One who is supreme in every realm and holds the first place in all things – the Son of the Father’s love;

the One whose significance is unmatched in human history;

the One who holds the title deed to the universe…

this glorious, limitless, amazing, incredible, expansive, incomparable, marvellous, stunning, staggering, majestic, mighty, matchless, spectacular, outstanding, tremendous, immense, infinite, vast, grand, triumphant, victorious, precious, radiant, peerless, wonderful, magnificent

Christ has chosen to place all of His fullness where?

Inside of you!

“Living within you is the Christ who floods you with the expectation of glory! This mystery of Christ, embedded within us, becomes a heavenly treasure chest of hope filled with the riches of glory for his people, and God wants everyone to know it!“                                                                Col 1:27 TPT

And the same verse in the New International Version…

“To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."                                                                                     Col 1:27 NIV

Take time to let that sink in…

As the Father was pleased to dwell in the Son, so Jesus Christ is pleased to dwell in you.

All the riches of the glory of the heavens have been placed inside of you.

That is the mystery of the ages –

                                                      That this immense Lord, the living Word of God

Has chosen to make His home within your being.

But there’s more…

Not only does this Christ live in you,

but more importantly you can live by His life.

“When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

                                                                                                                                        Col 3:4 NIV

You have been invited to share life with your Maker and Creator.

And you have been made utterly, totally, fully complete in Him – here and now.

“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.”                                        Col 2:9-10 NIV

Why would you chase anything else?

How can you be consumed with anything other than your Lord, Jesus Christ?

Jesus Christ is like a vast ocean. He is too immense to fully explore, and too rich to fathom.

You are like a bottle. 

The wonder of the gospel is that the bottle is in the ocean, and the ocean is in the bottle.

This is the word of God that Paul of Tarsus a “steward of the mystery” was called to preach and declare. This is the high gospel that was unveiled to a small group of ex-heathen Gentiles (non-Jews) in the obscure town of Colossae in the first century.

And this is the message that all who preach God’s Word are called to proclaim today.

Based on "Jesus Manifesto" by Frank Viola and Leonard Sweet

This weeks YouTube link with songs for worship is available here  

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHnJn7EgQjAzpYwweWjpOgPQAFjyFaz8q

Have a blessed week

Jacquey