Philippians 3:10-11, “That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”
“That I may know him.” That was the goal and purpose on Paul’s heart while he was sitting in prison, that he would know Jesus fully in his personal relationship with him and to know the power Christ puts forth now from sitting at the right hand of God. Knowing Jesus intimately and resting on his resurrected power gave Paul peace, and it gives me peace.
We can say we know someone because we sit and talk together (or text or email back and forth). We can say we know someone because we are committed to them as a friend. We can say we know someone because we recognize their strengths and see what is different about them from others. But knowing Jesus includes all of these yet goes beyond them.
- Jesus is my shield, overseer, and protector; therefore, I know him.
- Jesus is refining me and washed me with his precious blood on the cross. To that extent, I know him.
- Jesus has subdued my enemies beneath his feet. I know him in that character as I have shared and committed these instances to him.
- Jesus is my great shepherd, and I know him because I am His sheep.
- Jesus has proven he cares for me, and I have seen him move mountains and part my own Red Sea for me.
- “They say he is a door: I have entered in through him, and I know him as a door.” Spurgeon.
So how do we know Jesus better? By going through the various trials and sufferings in our fallen world and bringing them all to the feet of Jesus Christ our Lord. That is how our personal relationship with Christ deepens. There is nothing that He does not know, and he has abundant compassion, love, grace, and mercy waiting to be given, for any pain, tragedies, heartaches, and setbacks, because he has felt those things too.
My prayer and desire of Jesus is for him to give me wisdom as I need to know him better today than I did the day before. I need his help in expressing his kindness, love, faithfulness, and goodness in his name. Our world needs love and kindness and I don’t always naturally give out love and kindness in my responses when I have felt hurt or rejection. Do you? Yet Jesus did.
People around us are either going towards being near to God or away from him. Psalm 73:26 says, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” It was pointed out to me recently, that Jesus’s closest friends, the disciples, all disappointed him (Mark 14:37-42). One betrayed him and another disowned him (Mark 14:17-42). But Jesus told them, because he had spent time in prayer, “Get up! Let’s go! See – My betrayer is near (Mark 14:42).”
As I continue to grow in knowing Christ better, I will have his shield of protection over me, going ahead of me and behind me. I will make mistakes, but Jesus restores and corrects me when I have failed him in fighting back with harshness in tone and words, in a verbally heated wrestling match, or passing onto others how I have been treated wrongfully, and indulge in self-pity. That is called a sin, which is gossip (Romans 1:29b-32). Jesus loves me unconditionally in spite of my flaws and gives me forgiveness, grace, and love when I repent and ask his forgiveness. I need to improve in doing the same to others even when they don’t apologize. May I know Jesus better today than I did yesterday, as I learn from my failures, and as he shows me his redeeming work in me, working things out for my good (Rom. 8:28). I look ahead, waiting and watching for Christ’s return, and say too, Get up! Let’s go!
Listen to Danny Gokey – Give Me Jesus (Live). 1/24/16.