Session 6
God’s great mysteries have been revealed to you
From Colossians: A 28-Day Devotional
One day, Jesus’ disciples came to Him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"
He replied, "Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them" (Matthew 13:10-12).
The "them" in Matthew13:11 are the crowds who heard Jesus’ stories. Jesus did a lot of teaching during his three-year ministry. He built off and often corrected the teaching the disciples and others had gained from years of going to synagogue.
Jesus wasn’t hiding the truth. To those who had a sincere desire to know God, Jesus’ stories made perfect sense. To those who wanted Jesus to pick a side, His stories sounded like nonsense.
Paul experienced a similar response as he traveled and taught. He suffered all kinds of persecution as he preached the good news (Colossians 1:24). But the suffering was worth it to see people understand that Jesus was, and is, God’s plan to save the world.
Paul had once been one of the "them" Jesus talked about. Born into a high-ranking religious family, He persecuted Christians when Jesus walked the earth. He knew lots about God but lacked a relationship with God.
Then Jesus appeared to Paul, and everything changed (Acts 9). Scriptures Paul had always known took on a whole new meaning. Connections he couldn’t see were clear as day. Mysteries that had been hidden were brought into the light (Colossians 1:26).
The same thing happens to us after we come to know Jesus. When we read the Bible empowered by the Holy Spirit, it’s more than a good book or literary experiment. The stories are part of our story. The prayers become our prayers. The promises are now our promises.
Jesus revealed to us everything we need to know about God (Hebrews 1:1-3). And like Paul, we have the incredible privilege of showing who God is to the world around us.
Reflect:
- How does it change the way you read the Bible to see each story as part of your history?
- What’s one mystery about God that’s been revealed since you started reading His Word?