The Hidden Life (Easter Sunday Sermon, 2026)
This Easter Sunday I decided to do something different. I wanted to focus on the epistle lesson for the day. The first four verses of the third chapter of Paul's letter to the Colossians.
1 Since you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth, 3 for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.
The Hidden Life
Date: April 5, 2026 Speaker: Alan Swartz Scripture:
Colossians 3:1-4
1. Introduction
In the quiet of this Easter morning, we find ourselves
standing at a threshold. It is the
intersection where the silence of an empty tomb meets the our profound
expectation for a word that actually matters. We gather with a deep hunger,
hoping that the story of the resurrection might do more than occupy our minds
for an hour; we seek a reality that can reshape our very existence. We begin
not with a search for information, but with a plea for a movement of the Spirit
that turns data into destiny. Like the women who first approached the site of
the crucifixion and the burial, we come expecting one thing, yet we must remain
open to being utterly surprised by the living God. Let us pray…
Almighty God, as we stand at the foot of your word, the way
the women stood at the foot of the cross—expecting one thing and yet open to
surprise—surprise us again today. Speak to us in ways we do not expect. Let the
preached word be more than information; let it be transformation. And may
Christ be exalted in this place, and may we leave here different from when we
came. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Having invited the Spirit to move among us, we now turn to
the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Colossians, which helps connect the miracle of
the empty tomb and the grit of our daily lives.
2. The Easter Paradox
The first Easter morning presented a paradox: the greatest
revolution in human history had occurred, yet the physical world appeared
entirely unmoved. In the immediate wake of the resurrection, the Roman guards
were still at their posts, the religious leaders still held their levers of
power, and the disciples remained huddled behind locked doors in fear. If you
had walked the streets of Jerusalem that morning, you would not have seen the
resurrection with the naked eye. It was a hidden reality that shifted the
foundations of the cosmos without yet disturbing the dust on the street.
3. Verse 1: The Foundation of Resurrection Identity
In the economy of the Christian life, “being” must always
precede “doing.” Paul establishes this foundation by stating: “Since you
have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is
seated at the right hand of God.” The theological pivot of this passage
rests on that word “since.” While some translations use “if,” Paul is making a
statement of fact. He is not posing a question of possibility but asserting a
reality of identity. He assumes that for the believer, the resurrection is not
a distant goal to be earned through effort, but a past event that defines the
present.
This is at the heart of what we call regeneration or new
birth. It is the radical claim that we share in a life that is not our own. As
we consider this union, we must remember that our resurrection doesn’t happen
apart from his; it takes place in his. We are united with him
spiritually, sharing the same resurrected life that conquered the grave.
Consequently, holiness flows from our identity, not the other way around. We
are not seeking a philosophy to improve our circumstances; we are seeking a
Person—the risen king—who currently reigns with ultimate authority. Our
spiritual practices are not attempts to find a new life, but the joyful
exercise of the one we have already received in him.
4. Verse 2: Reorienting the Mind Above the Noise
The call to “set your minds on things that are above, not
on things that are on earth” is frequently misinterpreted. It has led some
to believe they must become “so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly
good.” To correct this, we must remember John Wesley’s rule for understanding
scripture: we must compare scripture with scripture to find the balance. Paul
is certainly not condemning creation; we know from Genesis that God created the
heavens and the earth and called them “good.” Instead, Paul is targeting a “system
of earthly values” that competes for the soul’s allegiance.
Setting the mind is a deliberate choice of orientation. The “earthly
things” Paul warns against are those that lead to the exaltation of the old
self: self-promotion, status-seeking, and the relentless, anxious striving of “keeping
up with the Joneses or the Smiths.” This connects deeply to our study of the
Sermon on the Mount; when Jesus spoke of a holiness that exceeds that of the
Pharisees and called us to be “perfect,” he was pointing to this same shift in
orientation. We are invited to leave behind the fading, scorekeeping values of
the world and instead rehearse the eternal values of Christ’s kingdom. By the
grace of God, we are genuinely free to choose which reality will guide our
daily business: the noise of the world or the Word of God.
5. Verse 3: The Security of the Hidden Life
Paul then makes a startling declaration in the past tense: “For
you have died.” This is a completed action. In the eyes of heaven, the old
self, dominated by sin, shame, and the need for external approval, has been
buried. In its place is a life that is “hidden with Christ in God.” Paul uses
the imagery of something concealed and kept safe, stored away like a treasure
locked in a vault.
This “hiddenness” provides security for the believer. Our
life is enfolded in a double layer of protection: we are in Christ, and Christ
is in God. It is a secure, secret identity. This leads to the question: “When
nobody’s looking, who are you?” Because we are enfolded in him, we are freed
from the exhaustion of performing for a human audience. We are safe and secure
in the ultimate union of God.
6. Verse 4: The Promise of Shared Glory
The culmination of this hidden reality is the promise of future revelation: “When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.” It is critical to note that Paul does not say Christ “gives” life or “improves” life; he says Christ is your life. This is the essence of sanctification as total union. As Wesley noted regarding “Christian Perfection,” this is not about achieving a perfect physique or a perfect intellect, it is about being made “perfect in love.”The current hiddenness of the Christian life is not
permanent. There is a coming “universal unveiling” where the interior holiness
we practice in secret will finally be made plain to all. This is a
participatory glory; we do not have a separate moment of recognition, but
rather we share in his moment of triumph. The resurrection, therefore, is not a
Sunday project or a religious hobby; it is the very pulse of our existence.
Every beat of our heart is a gift from the one who is our life, and our daily
task is to live into that reality until the day the hidden becomes visible.
7. Practical Application: Living as Ambassadors of Heaven
Living the resurrection requires moving from the graveyard
of our past mistakes to the right hand of God. If we are truly citizens of
heaven acting as ambassadors on earth, our daily tactics must reflect this
hidden reality. I recognize that the world makes this difficult, but I challenge
you with these three steps:
1. The
Morning Reorientation: I know it is difficult to resist the pull of the
world, but tomorrow morning, before you check your phone or the news, spend
five minutes setting your mind on a single attribute of Christ. Intentionally
choose the upward gaze before the earthly noise begins.
2. The
Hidden Deed: Perform an act of kindness this week that no one else will
ever find out about. By serving an “audience of one,” you are rehearsing for
the universal unveiling of your hidden life.
3. The
Holy Resignation: Identify one “earthly thing”—a grudge, an addiction, or a
need for control—and intentionally leave it in the tomb. Use our closing hymn
as a prayer of holy resignation, handing the old self over to Christ.
Choosing love over spite and peace over panic serves as the
visible sign of the hidden, resurrected power at work within you.
8. Benediction and Sending Forth
As you go forth, remember that the truest thing about you is
not what the world sees, nor is it even what you sometimes feel in your moments
of weakness. The truest thing about you is what God has done in Christ. You
have been buried, you have been raised, and you are currently hidden in him
until the day of his glorious return. Live into this reality. Seek the things
that are above, set your mind there, and trust that the one who is your life
will keep you until the hidden becomes visible and the risen Christ is all in
all.
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy
Spirit. Amen.
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