Colossians 2:3 defines for us the person of Christ from the inspired pen of Paul – “In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”. While defining Christ is very important this was not the sole reason why the Apostle developed this Christology (the doctrine of Christ). He was ultimately demonstrating that these treasures hid in Christ are ours. It is our relationship with Jesus which comes into view. This was important because the Colossians had lost their way and were not walking with the Lord. Therefore Paul was teaching them what they had in Him.

The definition of true treasure is unfolded here

To the worldly man treasure means material possessions and money in the bank. The Scripture, however, teaches that the riches of this world can be stolen, they can be mothballed or they can take wings and fly away. In modern parlance this can be inflationary pressures, the impact of war or the collapse of the banking system. The wealth of this world is not real because it can be lost so easily and ultimately it means nothing when we reach death.

True treasure according to Scripture is wisdom and knowledge. There is a wisdom and a knowledge which the world craves for and seeks. It is erected upon the philosophical systems of men which ignore the God of history and the Christ of God. The true treasure is the wisdom and knowledge which is of God.

Solomon was the wisest of men because of the gift that God gave him. We are reminded, however, that Christ is greater than Solomon (Matthew 12:42). Paul prayed earnestly that the Colossians might be “filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” (Colossians 1:9). In Romans 11:33 Paul extols the sovereign purposes of God, “the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God”.

There is a knowledge which is of man, which vanishes away (1st Corinthians 13:8). By contrast, however, the love of Christ passes knowledge (Ephesians 3:19). This is a knowledge which is more than academic understanding. This is the knowledge of the heart, an intimate acquaintance with Christ. Paul was willing to count everything as loss, as dung, in order to win this prize – “the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8).

Christ is the sum of wisdom and knowledge

In Christ we know God because He is the only begotten Son who declares or reveals God to man (John 1:18).

In Christ we discover ourselves, our sinfulness, our corruption and our absolute need of His grace. As our judge he knows what is in man, yet He came in love to redeem and rescue us from ourselves.

In Christ and His cross we view our redemption, our only hope because the Son of God loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20).

The way of salvation and true peace rests in him. He taught the new birth and opened up Himself as the only way to the Father (John 3:7, John 3:16, John 14:6).

The Holy Spirit, who is the author of our conversion comes from Christ as the deposit of glory, the means of assurance and the bringer of peace. He is our comforter who abides with us forever (John 14:16).

This wisdom and knowledge becomes ours only through the incarnation of Christ

While He possesses omniscience throughout eternity as the eternal Son of God. As the eternal Son of God Christ possessed all wisdom, but in becoming man He revealed and applied this wisdom in His role as Mediator for our sake.

For us to know the wisdom of God we needed a perfect man to be in possession of this treasure in order that the secrets of God might be unlocked for us.

Therefore all the fulness of the Godhead was in Him bodily (Colossians 2:9). In His growing up at Nazareth He was filled with wisdom (Luke 2:40). His confounding of the doctors of the law in Jerusalem as a boy of twelve demonstrates this treasure that filled His heart (Luke 2:47). He was truly a rabbi sent from God, as Nicodemas observed (John 3:2).

“Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise;
Thou mine inheritance, now and always;
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart;
O King of glory, my treasure Thou art.”
Be Thou my Vision, Irish - 6th Century

Through Christ mysteries are revealed.

In verse two of Colossians two Paul writes of the mystery of God in Christ. The Christian, however, receives the “riches of the full assurance , to the acknowledgement of the mystery…”.

That which is a mystery to the worldly man becomes clear to the Christian. The believer has a knowledge which is hidden from the children of the world. We have an understanding of the spiritual, of the eternal, of the world and of the future which is bound up in Christ.

Christ is all that we need.

The burden of Paul’s Epistle to the Colossians is that we are complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10). The Colossians were following false teachers who were promising a superior knowledge that excluded Christ. This superior knowledge, according to the false teachers, was to be gained through denying the body physical comforts, following Jewish legalism as well as pursuing the ideas of semi pagan Gnosticism. None of this involved Christ. He was no longer receiving the preeminence. It was all about man.

Paul was correcting these tendencies teaching the Lord’s people that they already were complete. They had all things and were all things in Christ.

Therefore our duty is to deepen this knowledge by pursuing Christ and walking with Him (Colossians 2:6).

Our Saviour said that where our treasure is – “there will our hearts be also”.

Where is your heart today? In material wealth? In earthly ambitions?

Is it not time to recalibrate and put Jesus at the centre of our lives?

"Thou, O Christ, art all I want;
More than all in Thee I find;
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint,
Heal the sick and lead the blind.
Just and holy is Thy name,
I am all unrighteousness;
Vile and full of sin I am,
Thou art full of truth and grace.

Plenteous grace with Thee is found,
Grace to cover all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound;
Make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art,
Freely let me take of Thee;
Spring Thou up within my heart,
Rise to all eternity."
Charles Wesley