240730 – Jesus is with you.

In the early 1900s, the world was captivated by a private investigator with bizarre methods and brilliant wit. Eager readers would binge the stories of Sherlock Holmes the same way we binge Netflix shows. These pages were packed with twists and turns that gave chills and granted adventure — even if it was all just pretend. From private eyes to spies, everyone loves a good mystery.

Christianity was the great mystery of the first century. Why was a carpenter’s son from Judea changing the world? How did the early leaders seem to possess power over sickness and nature? The Christians in Colosse were almost entirely non-Jewish, so how were they following a Jewish rabbi’s teaching? Paul writes this short, theology-packed letter to help them contextualize their questions and bring clarity to the
mystery.

In the first chapter, Paul refers to a great and “glorious” mystery. He then defines it as “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (1:27). In all other ancient traditions, gods dwelled within inanimate objects like statues or sanctuaries. However, our God is personal. He doesn’t live inside things; he lives inside of us.

Have you ever felt like you were playing hide and seek with God? You feel as though you keep looking, but you cannot find Him. In the childhood game, we can easily miss the kid hiding in plain sight. The same is true for God. We often miss Him because we make it far more mysterious than it needs to be. God is not found in some complicated program or supernatural vision quest — God is within you right now.

God is with you — right now. God is with you — in this very moment. God is with you — forever.