Raised With Christ • Colossians 3:1-4 • Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026

Hidden in Christ: Discovering Your True Identity This Easter

Have you ever participated in an Easter egg hunt? The thrill of the search, the excitement of discovery, the anticipation of what might be hidden inside each colorful shell. But what if I told you that the greatest Easter treasure isn't hidden in plastic eggs scattered across a lawn, but rather in something far more profound—your very identity in Christ?

The Things That Are Above

The apostle Paul writes with urgency in Colossians 3:1-4: "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God."

This isn't a casual suggestion. It's a call to constant, deliberate seeking. Not just on Easter Sunday. Not just when life gets difficult. But always. Constantly. Every day. All the time.

Why? Because we desperately need these heavenly things.

Think about the spiritual gifts we receive the moment we come to faith, the instant we're baptized into Christ's death and resurrection. Forgiveness. Salvation. Eternal life. These aren't rewards we earn through good behavior or spiritual disciplines. They're gifts given completely, perfectly, without fail, at the very beginning of our journey with Christ.

But does God want us to stop seeking them? Absolutely not.

Beyond these foundational gifts, we need ongoing strength, patience, endurance, and hope just to navigate life in this broken, sin-corrupted world. We need these things to face what each day throws at us. We need them to endure the trials that come from living in a fallen creation.

Means to an End

Consider this sobering reality: approximately 95% of everything in our lives is merely a means to an end.

Our careers. Our bank accounts. Politics. Government. Social status. Educational achievements. Even many of our relationships. All of these are temporary, earthly concerns—means to various ends, but not the end itself.

Paul continues: "Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."

This doesn't mean we ignore our responsibilities or become so heavenly minded we're no earthly good. Rather, it means we recognize what truly lasts forever. We focus on the gifts that strengthen us eternally, bring us lasting peace, offer genuine comfort, and provide unshakeable hope.

These eternal gifts come to us through the waters of baptism, through the power of God's Word, and through the sacrament of communion. They're not abstract concepts but concrete realities that transform us from the inside out.

The Mystery of Being Hidden

Here's where things get fascinating. Paul writes, "For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."

Hidden? Why hidden?

Think about an Easter egg tucked away in the grass, concealed behind a tree, nestled in a corner. There's purpose in that hiding. And there's profound purpose in God hiding your life with Christ.

First, God hides you in secrecy. He's working in your life constantly, often without you even realizing it. He's building things up and tearing things down. Adding things in and taking things out. Strengthening some areas while softening others.

Have you ever looked back on your spiritual journey and wondered how you got from point A to point B? You can't quite trace the steps. The transformation seemed to happen almost imperceptibly. That's God working in secret, out of His overwhelming love for you, making you better than you ever were, drawing you closer than you've ever been.

Second, God hides you for your safety. First, from yourself. How often do we sabotage our own spiritual growth? How frequently do we make the same mistakes, fall into the same patterns, create the same problems? God's protective hiding shields us from our own destructive tendencies.

But it's not just about protecting us from ourselves. The world is corrupted, filled with evil, and orchestrated by an enemy who works in secret through deception and conspiracy. Satan wants to destroy, discourage, and defeat you. But when you're hidden in Christ, you're protected from the schemes of the evil one.

Third, God hides you to establish your identity. When were you raised with Christ? At your baptism. When did you die to sin? At your baptism. This isn't just a religious ritual or a symbolic gesture. Baptism marks your transition from outside God's family to inside it, from outside His love to enveloped in it, from outside salvation to secure in it, from having no eternal life to possessing it fully.

That's your identity now. Not your job title. Not your relationship status. Not your achievements or failures. Your identity is baptized child of God, beloved, redeemed, forgiven, saved.

The Appearing

Paul concludes with this glorious promise: "When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."

Is heaven on your mind?

There's a beautiful tension in the Christian life. We're called to be fully present in this world, serving faithfully, loving generously, working diligently. Yet simultaneously, we're to have our minds set on things above, eagerly anticipating Christ's return.

Why should heaven occupy our thoughts? Because it's better than we could ever imagine. More glorious than our finite minds can comprehend. It represents the end of suffering, the completion of our transformation, the fulfillment of every promise God has made.

We look forward to that day when Christ appears and all the horrible brokenness of this world comes to an end. When we are completely made perfect and changed in glory. When what is now hidden will be fully revealed.

The Invitation to Seek

So here's the challenge: seek the things that are above.

Don't settle for the 95% of life that's merely a means to an end. Don't exhaust yourself chasing after things that won't last beyond this life. Don't set your mind on earthly concerns to the exclusion of eternal realities.

Instead, seek Christ. Seek His forgiveness daily. Seek His strength for today's challenges. Seek His wisdom for difficult decisions. Seek His peace in anxious moments. Seek His presence in Word and sacrament.

And as you seek, you will find.

Because Christ is risen, and in Him, so are you.

(Blog content generated by PulpitAI from sermon transcript)