As we’ve been walking through Colossians together, we’ve been learning more than just the content of this letter. We’re learning practical Bible study principles that can help us understand any book of the Bible.
In Part 1, we talked about the importance of context. We looked at the author, audience, culture, geography, and historical setting behind the letter. In Part 2, we talked about the importance of asking good questions and comparing Scripture with Scripture. We saw how a single question in Colossians led us to Job, Hebrews, and Revelation and helped us better understand what Paul was saying.
This week, I want to focus on what may be the most important Bible study principle of all: learning to see Jesus.
One of the easiest mistakes we can make when studying the Bible is making the Bible primarily about us. We immediately ask, “What does this mean for my life?” That’s not a bad question, but it’s usually not the first question we should ask. Before we ask what a passage means for us, we should ask what it reveals about Jesus.
Jesus told the religious leaders of His day:
John 5:39 — “Search the scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”
In other words, the entire Bible points to Christ. He is concealed in the Old Covenant and revealed in the New. From Genesis to Revelation, the Scriptures are ultimately telling one story, and that story is Jesus.
As we come to Colossians 1:26-27, Paul introduces what he calls a mystery:
Colossians 1:26-27 — “Even the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints… which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
When we hear the word “mystery,” we usually think of something unknown or impossible to understand. In the New Testament, a mystery is something that was hidden but has now been revealed. So what was hidden?
The Jews expected a Messiah. They expected a conquering king. They expected a kingdom. What they didn’t understand was that God wasn’t just planning to establish a physical kingdom around them, which they could see. He was planning to establish a kingdom within their hearts.
The great mystery wasn’t simply that Christ would come. The great mystery was that Christ would come to live in His people. Think about how radical that would have sounded! The God who created the universe, the God who spoke galaxies into existence, would actually dwell inside ordinary men and women! Not just God with us, but Christ in us!
As I studied this passage recenlty, it struck me that Paul keeps bringing everything back to Jesus. The mystery is Christ. The hope of glory is Christ. The wisdom is Christ. The knowledge is Christ. Maturity is found in Christ. Everything points back to Him.
That’s an important Bible study lesson. Whenever we study a passage, one of the best questions we can ask is:
“What does this reveal about Jesus?”
Too often people read the Bible looking for rules, principles, or life hacks. Those things have their place, but the primary purpose of Scripture is to reveal Christ.
This is especially important when we read the Old Testament. Jesus said the Scriptures testify of Him. That means when we read about the Passover Lamb, we should see Jesus. When we read about the tabernacle, we should see Jesus. When we read about the sacrifices, we should see Jesus. When we read about Joseph, David, Moses, or Joshua, we should be looking for shadows and pictures that point us to Christ. The Old Covenant conceals what the New Covenant reveals!
The more we learn to see Jesus throughout Scripture, the more the Bible comes alive. John 14:9 tells why that matters so much:
9 “He that has seen me has seen the Father.”
If we want to know what God is like, we look at Jesus. If we want to know how God treats people, we look at Jesus. If we want to know the Father’s heart, we look at Jesus. That’s why seeing Christ in Scripture is so important. The clearer we see Jesus, the clearer we see the Father.
And the clearer we see the Father, the clearer we understand who we are as Christians as we have been born again in His image! That’s exactly where Paul is taking the Colossians. Their stability wasn’t found in legalism, mysticism, secret knowledge, or religious performance. Their stability was found in Christ. Not merely Christ for them, but Christ in them.
As we continue studying Colossians, let’s remember that the ultimate goal of Bible study isn’t simply gaining information. It’s seeing Jesus more clearly. Because when we see Him, we see the Father. And when we see the Father rightly, everything else starts to fall into place.
