“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.”
—Philippians 3:10-11 NIV
As we prepare to celebrate Resurrection Sunday…now just a few days away…we contemplate Christ’s resurrection and what it means in our personal lives. We did not witness this event, but we attempt to understand the ageless power of it! We marvel at what His resurrection means to us individually. Christ, our Savior, endured the crown of thorns, the nails, the cross, the mockery, and even the path which led to his death. All for us.
Even then, there were soldiers who cast lots for his seamless garment, fulfilling old prophesy. (John 19:23-24; Psalm 22:18) What were they thinking? These individuals, so consumed by their personal greed and idiosyncrasies, were completely oblivious to the magnitude of what was going on right above their heads—God’s only Son, Heaven’s treasure, was giving His life as a covering for the sins of humanity. He cancelled our debt. All charges against us were dropped.
How is this “casting lots” debacle even possible? Even today—as we reflect upon Christ’s death and resurrection—how do we lose ourselves in those trivial, irrelevant, petty concerns about things that do not really matter, all the while losing sight of life-changing truths just above our heads?
If you want to hurt someone deeply, you ignore their deep pain. You focus on the seamless robe and what you can gain from it… paying no attention to the gasping last breath of Love nailed to a cross. We lose ourselves in our capacity for evil self-centeredness.
Paul presents here a compelling challenge. He asks an almost hidden question: Do you really want to know Him? If you answer “yes,” then you must participate in His suffering.
Okay, so what does that really mean?
To me, it means total surrender to all Christ would have me say or do. It means increasing my knowledge of Him daily. It means loving, as He would love. It means yielding to Him, believing and sharing with others the knowledge that He has the power to lead us out of any crisis. It means speaking words of healing for every hurt. And it means being strengthened as we resolve to never distrust His promises.
My prayer for you today is to truly know Him and grow, more and more, into a personal relationship with the Lord. Moment by moment, understanding the power of His resurrection.
Regina M. Prude is an inspirational speaker and author. Send e-mail comments to regina@reginaprude.com. Read her blog posts at www.reginaprude.com; follow her on Facebook (www.facebook.com/reginaprude) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/rprude.) Write her at PO Box 58795, Nashville, TN 37205.
