In this chapter we want to see the third great mystery in the Bible. This mystery, which is the mystery of mysteries and the center of all the mysteries, is the mystery of God. The mystery of the universe and the mystery of man in reality are just one. The mystery of the universe is God, and the mystery of man is also God. In a general sense, God is the mystery of the universe; in a particular sense, God is the mystery of man. God is the mystery of the universe and of man. Furthermore, God Himself is a mystery. This mystery is simply Christ.
This is the mystery of God preached by the apostle Paul (1 Cor. 2:1). This is not the shallow revelation that so many have preached; it is the mystery hidden in the depths of God. This mystery is not any superficial aspect of the gospel; it is the intrinsic reality of the complete gospel of God. This reality is Christ as the mystery of God.
If we want to know how Christ is the mystery of God, we need to study the first two chapters of Colossians. Colossians 1 and 2 tell us what kind of person Christ is.
Colossians 1:12 says that Christ is the God-allotted portion of the saints. In the Old Testament, God allotted the land of Canaan, the land flowing with milk and honey, to the tribes of Israel; each tribe received a portion. This portion became the inheritance and blessing of the children of Israel. Today, in the New Testament, Christ is our God-given portion as our inheritance. This portion, this inheritance, is the spiritual blessing which we have received.
Colossians 1:15 says that Christ, who is the Son of God’s love, is the image of the invisible God. The image here is not a physical image but an expression of all that God is. Christ as the Son of God’s love has God’s life and nature, so John 1:18 and 14:7-9 say that He expresses the Father. Because He expresses the Father, He is the image of the invisible God. God is invisible, but the Son of God’s love, having God’s life and nature, can express God; therefore, He is the image of God. This is the relationship between Christ and God.
Colossians 1:15 goes on to say that Christ is “the Firstborn of all creation.” Christ is the first One among all creatures. This speaks of Christ having the preeminence among all creatures. With regard to Christ being God, He is the Creator; but with regard to Christ being man, He is a creature. Since He became a man and partook of the created blood and flesh, to be sure He is part of creation. Among the creatures, after the first Adam fell, there was a last Adam. If Christ was not a creature, how could He become the last Adam? If He was not a creature, He could not have become the last Adam. Adam is the name of a created one. You cannot say that the first Adam was created, yet the last Adam was not. To say this is not logical.
According to the original text of Colossians 1:15, we cannot deny that in God’s creation, Christ is the first created One, who has preeminence in all creation. If He was not the first created One, He could not have the first place in all creation. For Him to have the first place among all creatures, He needed to become the first created One. Praise the Lord that He is not only the Creator but also a creature! Furthermore, He is the first of all creation because He wants to have the first place in all creation. He was a created man so He could die and shed blood for us. If He was not a creature but was only God the Creator, He could not have died, because God can never die. Some people say, “Our Christ is only the Creator.” In this case, I want to ask, “Does the Creator have blood? Does the almighty Creator have flesh and blood? If He had no blood, how could He shed blood for us?” (Acts 20:28).
Dear brothers and sisters, we should not be deceived. Of course, our Lord is the Creator. However, He is also a creature. This is why He is all-inclusive. Because He is a creature, He could die. He actually died by being crucified. Furthermore, He was buried in a tomb. If He was only the Creator and not a creature, would it not be absurd for Him to be buried in a tomb?
Thank and praise the Lord that He also resurrected! In His resurrection, His physical body was transformed into a spiritual body. First Corinthians 15 clearly says that through such a resurrection, He as the last Adam became the life-giving Spirit. Although He is the life-giving Spirit, He still has humanity. When He went back to the disciples after His resurrection, He went with a resurrected body. He showed them His hands and His side, and He told them to touch His side and the nail marks on His hands (John 20:19-27). He is indeed the Spirit, but He still has a human body, so surely He has humanity. Therefore, today He is still the Son of Man in heaven (Acts 7:56); in His coming back He will still be the Son of Man (Matt. 25:31); and even in eternity He will also be the Son of Man for eternity (John 1:51).
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