6-30-19 Today in the Word

IN CHRIST ARE HIDDEN ALL TREASURES
Sunday, June 30, 2019 | Colossians 2:1–7

During Passion Week, Jesus arrived in Bethany and stayed at the home of his friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. At a dinner given in Jesus' honor, Mary took a pint of expensive perfume and anointed His head and feet. In response to objections, Jesus said her extravagant gesture foreshadowed His burial and that "wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her" (Mark 14:3–9).
Mary’s anointing of Jesus highlighted His supreme value. In Christ “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3). The whole point of Paul’s ministry was that people would come to know Christ: “My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ” (vv. 1–2).
Prior to the Incarnation, God’s plan of redemption was a hidden treasure or mystery—it had not yet been fully revealed. With the coming of Christ, that plan has now been made known (Col. 1:26). The appropriate response to this truth is to live “rooted and built up in him”—that is, growing, maturing, and bearing fruit based on our union with Him—as well as “strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Col. 2:6–7).
Christ is sufficient. There’s no need for additional sources of knowledge or salvation (v. 4). The “mystery religions” of Paul’s day promised exclusive knowledge to a select few, but the gospel of truth is freely available to all in Christ. Everything we need for life and godliness is found in Him (2 Peter 1:3).
APPLY THE WORD
Mary’s act revealed her true treasure! If “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” are hidden in Christ, then the way to wisdom is through a relationship with Him. As we close this month’s study, reflect on Christ as your treasure and the power of this image in Scripture. How is God guiding you to respond to what you’ve learned?
PRAY WITH US
As we come to the end of our study and prayer this month, let’s thank God for the treasures of His Word that He reveals to us by His Holy Spirit. What a joy it is to know Christ, to walk with Him, and praise Him—a treasure beyond compare!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

9-17-23 Not in a Billion Years

Not In A Million Billion Years :: By Dave Hubley Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles (There is a special message at the end of this article for those who might happen to read this and do not have Jesus in their life and are looking for peace and a way to better understand the present-day insanity and confusion.) Several years ago, I had a conversation with a guy in a waiting room while getting an oil change (in the car, not me). I don’t recall exactly how the conversation originated or how it progressed, but I have never forgotten it. As I recall, it had something to do with evolution and an article that was contained in a “waiting room magazine” that was available there. He made the observation that God was “something that man had made up.” I can’t recall the exact reason he used to justify his opinion, but it had something to do with the usual reasons people give: Weak-willed people needing a crutch, and blah, blah, blah. I engaged him in a “witness,
Read more

9-16-23 Santa Staleness

Santa Staleness :: By Edwin Tan Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles My one and only trip to Israel had more than a profound effect on my present-day psyche. It might have been three decades ago, but there is more than a lingering aftertaste. It happened smack in the last fortnight of the year. Surprisingly absent were the familiar sights and sounds of the Christmas most people are accustomed to. Hardly any Christmas decorations in downtown Tel Aviv, if not any of the shopping thoroughfares across the Holy Land. Hanukah was a breath of fresh air – not anything resembling a Christmas carol most people grew up with did surface. The Christmas Eve service in a small Protestant church not far away from Jerusalem’s Old City was awesome; songs that truly celebrated the virgin birth of our Lord, which though seemingly unheard of, were a welcome inspiration to many a soul. There was even one sung in Arabic! So it began, my overt disdain for the secular Christmas t
Read more

9-15-23 Miracles 2

Miracles 2 :: By Jim Towers Published on: December 21, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles This story is a continuation of the exciting things God continues doing in my life. I was supposed to have died a while back, and sometimes I feel as though I may do so soon. But since I’m ready to meet my maker, I have no fear of death. In fact, my evangelistic zeal has only increased, especially as I see the fast approaching of the “Tribulation period” mentioned in the book of Revelation. Insofar as my acting career is concerned, I just finished filming a soliloquy featuring Melchior, one of the three Magi who followed the star to Christ lying in the manger, and am preparing to portray a Jewish Priest on stage. Like I said, God is working overtime in my life, and I will be appearing on stage singing Broadway show tunes sometime in March, so I have a lot of rehearsing to do. In the meantime, I will be signing Christmas carols acapella at a park here in Naples. Since it is a spontaneous th
Read more