Knowing Christ: Resurrection Power and Shared Suffering - Philippians 3:10-11

Commentary

Revd. Mark Fletcher: Verse 10, he says, I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing in his suffering by becoming like him in death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection of the dead. Let me just break that down for you. To know Christ: there is a God who is not distant, who has made himself known to us. The author of the universe, the Logos, the one who was there at the beginning, can be known and is seeking us out. And there is no greater thing than that. Paul says he wants to know the power of his resurrection. Scripture tells us that the power which raised Christ from the dead can be at work in us through faith, bringing new life and transformation, that we might be a light in the darkness, the salt of the earth, the first fruits of the resurrection. Paul speaks about sharing in Christ’s suffering, and there is this kind of incredible dignity and privilege of discovering that our pains and our sorrows need not be meaningless, but may be part of God’s plan for the redemption of the world. And ultimately, that he might attain the resurrection from the dead. Perhaps the greatest promise of all, that death is not the end and that we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth. Is that not a remarkable vision? The greatest aspiration. Set that before yourself and make the choice. Are our desires too strong, or do we not desire enough? So what is it that you’re pursuing in life? Don’t settle for that which does not satisfy. Do not allow yourself to be distracted from the pursuit of the real joy that is to be found in Christ Jesus. Let us, as Hebrews says, throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race before us, so that we might be part of the greatest story of all.