Moments to Ponder

Episode 154: The Ultimate Plot Twist (Col. 1:24-2:5)

• Betsy Marvin • Season 16 • Episode 154

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The Old Testament serves as a divine mystery thriller where God dropped clues about reconciliation with Him through a coming Messiah. In the ultimate plot twist, Jesus—not the expected political warrior-king but a shepherd-rabbi-savior—was revealed as the answer, with His indwelling presence being the great mystery now unveiled for all believers.

• The mystery of how sinful humans can reconcile with a perfect God is solved through Jesus
• Paul celebrates the struggles believers face as opportunities for spiritual growth
• The indwelling of Christ is described as a "heavenly treasure chest of hope"
• Christ's presence within us gives access to God's wisdom and knowledge
• Understanding God's truth helps believers recognize deceptive arguments
• Paul's purpose is that believers be encouraged, united in love, and have full understanding
• Knowing Christ is having access to all treasures of wisdom and knowledge

"I pray, as Paul did in verse 28 of chapter 1, may your heart awaken to his truth for you. May you all grow in the desire to understand your salvation in Christ and live into the truth."


0:00  Welcome to Moments to Ponder

0:34  God's Mystery Throughout Scripture

2:13  Paul's Message to the Colossians

5:16  Christ: Our Message and Purpose

8:20  Finding Truth in a World of Lies

9:49  Closing Prayer and Encouragement

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Speaker 1:

Hi friends, I'm Betsy and I want to welcome you to Moments to Ponder. This podcast is designed to give you a few moments in God's Word and take away something to ponder. It's my prayer that you will find encouragement as we spend time together today. This is episode 154. Mysteries.

Speaker 1:

I think there are a lot of people who are drawn to mysteries and I'm one of them. Not scary horror type mysteries, but the true gather. The facts follow the clues, kind A good Agatha Christie novel or a true crime drama just draws me in. I'd love to see how the pieces fit together like a good puzzle and I try to solve the who did it before the ending is revealed. And if it's a good twist I didn't see coming it's even better.

Speaker 1:

You might not think of it this way, but the Old Testament is a bit of a mystery thriller. Throughout the Old Testament, god was dropping clues for his people as they sought the answer to the mystery of how to become right with God. They had laws and sacrifices, but they knew a Messiah would come and change everything. Now we know the answer to God's mystery because we have the benefit of seeing all of his clues along the way. Through the story of Joseph, god showed what a Redeemer would look like. Through the Passover, god explained salvation. Through the prophet Isaiah, god left clues as to what would happen to the Messiah when he arrived. God was sharing puzzle pieces for thousands of years, yet his people missed it. They thought they had solved the mystery by looking for a political warrior, king, but in the ultimate plot twist that only God can do, he sent a shepherd, rabbi, savior.

Speaker 1:

As Paul writes to the Colossians, this is his big news. There is a divine mystery and we know the answer. Remember, they're being tempted to think differently than Paul taught them. They're being tempted to believe that there is a secret knowledge that only a few can actually know. In order to make it clear that he knows what he's writing about, paul speaks directly to this church. We continue in chapter 1 at verse 24. I can even celebrate the sorrows I've experienced on your behalf. Paul writes detailed plan. I would fully equip you with the Word of God. Paul's words sound a little different. I celebrate the sorrows I've experienced on your behalf, but he wants them to know that he's glad he's heard of their struggles because he knows that that will grow them, because that's what's grown him. It's through the difficult things that we discover what we still need to learn about Jesus, and it's because of this that God has equipped Paul to equip this church with God's word. So next, the equipping he speaks of there is a divine mystery, a secret surprise that has been concealed from the world for generations, but now it's being revealed, unfolded and manifested for every holy believer to experience. Living within you is the Christ who floods you with the expectation of glory. 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.

Speaker 1:

In my Bible, the heading for this section of verses is the divine mystery. Paul is disclosing here that the Christian mystery, the questions raised in the Old Testament, are not secrets. They're revelation of divine truth. They were once hidden, but now they are openly proclaimed. The mystery has been solved the mystery of how we sinful, flawed creatures can reconcile with a perfect God, the questions of how we can receive access to all the wonder of God. Well, the answer, the solving of the mystery, is Jesus. And the mystery of Christ is that he's in us and it's a treasure that we can share, and God wants everyone to know it. It's a supernatural connection, the indwelling of Christ. That's why it's so mysterious to some, but all can have it and know the answer. That is the wonder of the Spirit. In verse 28, he continues Christ is our message.

Speaker 1:

We preach to awaken hearts and bring every person into the full understanding of truth. It's become my inspiration and passion in ministry to labor with a tireless intensity, with his power flowing through me, to present to every believer the revelation of being as perfect one in Jesus Christ. On a Sabbath retreat a few years ago, this verse just jumped off the page for me. We preach to awaken hearts and bring every person into the full understanding of truth. I have this verse written on the wall of my office at home. It's the wallpaper on my computer.

Speaker 1:

As a person in ministry, I share this desire with Paul for every person to understand the truth of God's word for their lives and to awaken their heart to that. I desire for you, for you to know that you are loved and chosen and seen as his perfect one. You don't need to be in mystery to live these words. Christ is the message of all who follow him, and it's our personal work of sharing Christ that we get to do to share with everyone, and we do it because of his power in us.

Speaker 1:

Verse 1 of chapter 2. Paul continues and woven together into love's fabric. This will give you access to all the riches of God as you experience the revelation of God's great mystery, christ, for our spiritual wealth is in Him like hidden treasure waiting to be discovered heaven's wisdom and endless riches of revelation, knowledge. I want you to know this so that no one will come and lead you into error through their persuasive arguments and clever words. Even though I'm separated from you geographically, my spirit is present there with you and I'm overjoyed to see how disciplined and deeply committed you are because you have such a solid foundation in Christ, the anointed one.

Speaker 1:

Paul acknowledges that he hasn't met them, but that hasn't stopped him from praying fervently for them, contending for their hearts. He wants them to have confidence that they do know God's mysterious plan, jesus, and it's through him that wisdom and knowledge lie. As a Christ follower, the Spirit is in you. This is the mystery known. This is the hope of glory. Not that we deserve it, earn it or can do this by ourselves. It's the abiding presence of Jesus in us, which is the revealed, unfolded mystery for every believer to experience.

Speaker 1:

These words, along with verse 2 and chapter 2, state Paul's full purpose for writing, and he says it straight up my purpose is that you may be encouraged, united in love and have the full riches of understanding so that you would know Jesus, in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found, dear one. The more we know his truth, the easier it is for us to see the lies that seek to derail us. Lies that sound true until we lean into God's word. Lies that seek to define us until we see what God says of us. It's not a mystery, it's a revelation of truth. I pray, as Paul did in verse 28 of chapter 1, may your heart awaken to his truth for you. May you all grow in the desire to understand your salvation in Christ and live into the truth.

Speaker 1:

You know there are so many fine-sounding arguments that cause doubt and skepticism in our world today. There are probably some that trouble you. Ephesians 1, 17 and 18 are verses that continue Paul's thoughts on wisdom. I encourage you to ponder them today. Go ahead, open your Bible and look them up. And now know that I am contending for you, that your hearts will be wrapped in the comfort of heaven and woven together into love's fabric. Wrapped in the comfort of heaven and woven together into love's fabric, this gives you access to all the riches of God as you experience the revelation of His great mystery, jesus, for our spiritual wealth is in Him, like a hidden treasure waiting to be discovered. Heaven's wisdom and endless riches of revelation knowledge are right there, waiting for you. Thanks be to God, amen.