Paul keeps us waiting in Colossians 1. He talks about the mystery of God being revealed in Jesus, but we don't find out quite what he is on about until he drops it in right at the end of the chapter. And it is a corker when we finally get to it. He almost says it in verse 26, but then says it was hidden for ages and generations.
In the first part of the chapter, Paul speaks of the power of God and says this "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him." Col 1:16
But Jeremiah knew that, for he says "But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding" Jer 10:12
Not much mystery there. But Paul is not talking of God in the same way as Jeremiah. Paul writes of Jesus, the image of the invisible God, being equal with God: and this is the first part of the mystery, which Jeremiah only dreamt of!
But the real humdinger Paul reserves for verse 27: the mystery is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Oh, you say, I already knew that. It's having Christ in me that makes me a Christian.
But - YES! Revealed! Christ in me… really in me. The image of the invisible God actually dwelling in me. Imagine the scientist infusing a human brain into a snail or a tiny amoeba. Even that unthinkable extreme does not do justice to the idea of the eternal God having a home in my heart. Easy to take for granted, but a huge WOW factor if we think about it. No wonder millions, nay billions of people on our planet have been affected by this notion and are his followers. And no wonder Paul talks of labouring with every ounce of his energy to present Christ to others.
Have you grabbed that hope we have in Christ: the hope Jeremiah so longed for and never saw? and if so, can we reveal that hope to others today?
Alan Cartwright
Read the Bible in a year: Psalm 117:1-2, Jeremiah 9:17-11:17, Colossians 1:24-2:5
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