THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST
Sport is wildly popular all over the world and face of a franchise is usually its star player. And yet while fans would go crazy trying to obtain souvenirs and autographs from the star players, they would barely notice when the owner of the franchise walks by. Hidden from sight, barely known, these are the mysterious few who have the real power. They own the franchise and the players. They can hire and fire. They take all major decisions. And while fans ignore them in favor of the players, the players know who the boss really is!
A mystery is when there are hidden aspects of reality. If everything were obvious, there would be no case for any mystery. The Bible repeatedly talks of the mystery of Christ, to remind us that there is a lot more to Christ and Christianity than is obvious. There is no denying a hidden, spiritual realm around us with experiences that cannot be explained by the physical nature of things. However, man’s innate nature is to avoid paying any attention to this reality and focus on just the physical. To understand Christ, experience life to the fullest and also link to the eternal life, man has to explore the mystery of Christ and thereby connect to the spiritual realm. Paul in Colossians 1 expresses three aspects of Christ’s mystery;
1. Supremacy:
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together (v17).
The supremacy of Christ was never evident when he lived his life here on earth as a mere carpenter in the lowliest of settings and in relative poverty. The focus in those days would have been on the religious leaders and the Roman rulers. Yet, in Paul’s words, there is no being in the universe that is more powerful. Further, all of creation flows out of him and exists to serve him. No one in Jesus’ time except for the discerning few would have remotely attributed that degree of supremacy to the Jesus of Nazareth. Today nothing has changed. Great men have lived and died, Jesus lives on, in mysterious silence, yet ruling over the entire realm.
2. Reconciliation:
But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation (v22).
When man passes through this life, it is rarely evident that his greatest need is reconciliation. That there is enmity between man and God because of man’s sin is not something that is taught in our schools and universities. Yet, while man chases money, power, prosperity and influence in this world, his heart always remains parched unless this great need is met. The mystery of Christ’s life was primarily in his death, where he made atonement for man’s sins and brought reconciliation between man and God.
3. Habitation:
—–this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (v27).
Following his death, Jesus was raised to life and he now makes dwelling within a person who accepts Jesus as his Savior. On the outside there is little evidence of a person being habited by Christ, yet for one who experiences it, no treasure can match the abundance of knowing that Christ dwells within you. To think that the Lord of the entire universe would dwell within frail man is itself mind-boggling, yet a mysterious reality for one who is plodding through this life on earth toward his eternal dwelling.
