Colossians 2:2 discusses the mystery of Christ. In the Bible, a mystery is something concealed until God reveals it. Jesus is called a mystery because He was concealed and then revealed. He was hidden in the Old Testament, but God provided two ways for people to look forward to Him in faith: prophecies and shadows.

https://youtu.be/0UR8Et_Ht_gColossians 2:2 discusses the mystery of Christ, because Jesus was hidden in the Old Testament. He was concealed and then revealed.

Table of contentsFamily Worship GuideSermon NotesLesson One: Christ was a mystery.Lesson Two: Old Testament saints (Part One) looked forward to Christ in faith through prophecies and shadows.Lesson Two: Old Testament saints (Part Two) strained to understand the mystery of Christ.Lesson Three: Think of the Old Testament as a key versus only a rulebook.Lesson Four: John’s ministry solved the mystery of Christ.Lesson Five: (Part One) The kingdom of God brought a choice in Jesus’s day…Lesson Five: (Part One) The kingdom of God brought a choice in Jesus’s day (Part Two) and ours.

Family Worship Guide

Directions: Read the following verses and then answer the questions:

Day 1: Colossians 1:26-2:2, 16-17, Luke 24:27, John 1:45-46, Hebrews 10:7 and discuss: scripturally speaking, what is a mystery? Why is Jesus called a mystery? How can Jesus be a mystery in the Old Testament, but the New Testament says the Old Testament is Him?

Day 2: 1 Peter 1:10-12, Matthew 13:16, Galatians 3:23-25, John 5:39-40 and discuss: how did the prophets in the Old Testament strain to see Christ? What are types and shadows of Christ, and can you name three from the Old Testament? Why should the Old Testament be thought of as a key versus only a rulebook?

Day 3: Luke 16:16-17, John 1:15, 29, Matthew 5:17, 11:11, Luke 13:24, 16:17 and discuss: why were the law and the prophets preached only until John? What did Jesus mean when He said He came to fulfill the law versus abolish it? What does it mean that some people were forcing their way into the kingdom of God in Jesus’s day?

Sermon Notes

The title of this morning’s sermon is, “The Mystery of Christ.”

On Sunday mornings we have been working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves at Luke 16:16, but I’m going to provide quite a bit of background information, so this verse makes sense.

Let me begin by explaining what a mystery is, biblically…

A mystery is something that can never be figured out no matter how much time you had or no matter how hard you tried.

For example, if you looked at a difficult math problem you might say, “This is a mystery to me,” but given enough time and effort you could discover the answer. But in Scripture, a mystery is something concealed until God chooses to reveal it.

In Colossians 2 Paul talks about a mystery. Look with me at verse one to see how much he wants his readers – including us – to understand this mystery…

Colossians 2:1 For I WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW GREAT A STRUGGLE I HAVE FOR YOU AND FOR THOSE AT LAODICEA AND FOR ALL WHO HAVE NOT SEEN ME FACE TO FACE, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of GOD'S MYSTERY, WHICH IS CHRIST.

Verse 2 says Christ is God’s mystery. And this brings us to lesson one…

Lesson One: Christ was a mystery.

Here’s the question…

Why is Christ called a mystery?

Because He was concealed and then revealed. He could not be known until God chose to reveal Him.

Look a few verses earlier at the end of Colossians 1:26…

Colossians 1:26 the mystery HIDDEN FOR AGES AND GENERATIONS BUT NOW REVEALED TO HIS SAINTS.

Christ was a mystery that was hidden in the past, but God has revealed Him to New Testament saints. Look at the next verse…

Colossians 1:27 To them God chose TO MAKE KNOWN how great among the Gentiles are the riches of THE GLORY OF THIS MYSTERY, WHICH IS CHRIST IN YOU,