Becoming partakers of Christ
Series: Metamorphosis | Bible text: Philippians 3:10
Today is Good Friday, in three days Easter. This sequence also applies to the personal and faith process towards maturity. Paul wants to experience the resurrection power of Christ. For this to happen, he also wants to share in his suffering and become like him even into his dying. This sermon explains the significance of this truth for our lives.
It seems to me that it happens more and more often that my wife Silvia says something about which thoughts are running through my head at the same time. These are not only topics that are thematically in the air. The secret of marriage is to get to know each other better and better and to become more like each other.
We have even more potential for similarity in our relationship with Jesus. That is a most attractive prospect! He is a great role model. With great authority he preached, performed countless miracles and loved people unconditionally. Hanging on the cross, overwhelmed by pain, he forgives his executioners» servants. Without question, it is worthwhile to be transformed in our being into His image. Paul is of the same opinion: «Yes, I want to know Christ better and better; I want to experience in myself the power with which God raised him from the dead […].»(Philippians 3:10a). And we raise our arms and shout «Amen». But then Paul continues with a very challenging statement that sounds fiercely like a buzzkill: «[…] and I want to share in his suffering, so that I will be like him until he dies.»(Philippians 3:10b NGÜ). We lower our eyes and say, «Oh, no!» But – for an all-round Jesus-like project, it is necessary to share in his life and in his suffering. And – first comes Good Friday, then Easter.
At his suffering
Paul wants to become a participant in Jesus» suffering so that he becomes more like Jesus even to the point of dying. What does it mean to share in Jesus» suffering?
In baptism we are united with Jesus and the Father in death and resurrection. This is confirmed: «For through baptism we died and were buried with Christ […].»(Romans 6:4 NLB). Baptism is the ritual of sealing the covenant with God. A covenant is the union of two people who merge into a new body. It is based on voluntary commitment to the covenant partner. A person who is baptised gives himself to God, just as God has given himself to us. A covenant is the framework and foundation for a trusting, loving community. In baptism our former life is crucified with Christ (Romans 6:6).
To share in his suffering means to give oneself completely to God. The self-will, the self-realisation, the ambitions to merge one’s whole life with God, to ally oneself with Him. Jesus names as a condition for discipleship to deny oneself, to take up one’s cross and to give up one’s life for Him (Matthew 16:24f).
This does not mean that we are pale, bored and weary of life, but that we courageously and joyfully give ourselves to Jesus. That we take our money, our marital status, our friends, our passions to the cross and say: «Here is my money. From now on, we’ll decide together how I use it!» The result of this dedication is great freedom. I no longer have to worry, because the One who owns and shares all gold and silver with me has become my private asset manager. Martin Buber is reported to have said: «To begin with oneself, but not to end with oneself; to start from oneself, but not to aim at oneself; to grasp oneself, but not to deal with oneself.» Such freedom will be experienced by those who become partakers of Jesus» suffering.
A few weeks ago we discovered that the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1ff) are virtues we are to learn. One of them is called: willingness to endure resistance for the sake of justice. This is also a form of sharing in Jesus» suffering. A fortnight ago, Y.E. told us in the service what this meant for him in Sudan. His account left a deep mark on many of us and caused consternation. Despite unspeakable torment because of faith in Jesus Christ, he said that we should not pray for the persecution to stop, but that they would have strength to persevere. A question that preoccupied many of us was: «Would I remain faithful to Jesus in such a repression?» With baptism you have actually answered this question, because you have merged into a new body through the covenant with Jesus. We could never get through such a pressure situation on our own. But I am convinced that even then the covenant will bear! Paul also gives an impressive account of his persecutions. This enumeration ends with the sentence: «Through suffering we constantly experience in our own bodies the death of Christ, so that his life may also be visible in our bodies»(2 Corinthians 4:10 NLB).
I am very impressed by the attitude of Daniel’s three friends before they were thrown into the furnace of fire. They said: «Our God, whom we worship, can save us from the fiery furnace. And if he does not, know that we will not honour your God or worship the golden image.»(Daniel 3:17f LUT). What trust, what certainty, what freedom! Their lives are connected to God – what can happen to them? Let us practise the virtue of «enduring opposition for the sake of righteousness» early on. Let’s start in small ways: let’s courageously stand up for our faith in front of our study or work colleagues and neighbours.
When Jesus was on the cross, he said: «Father, forgive these people, for they know not what they do»(Luke 23:34 NLB). Unbelievable! Even in his dying Jesus loves his enemies and becomes their advocate. Paul wants to be like Jesus even into his dying days! In such a pressure situation the deepest character of a human being is revealed. By practising virtues as described in the Sermon on the Mount, a steadfast character is developed. That is what metamorphosis wants.
On his life
Yes, I want to know Christ better and better; I want to experience in myself the power with which God raised him from the dead.»(Philippians 3:10a NGÜ). By sharing in Christ’s suffering, Paul also wants to become a sharer in his life. We do not live towards dying, but die towards life. Good Friday is followed by Easter. The grave is followed by the resurrection. Those who became similar to Jesus in dying may experience the resurrection power in all its facets. This also applies concretely at the end of earthly life and is the reason why many older followers of Jesus look forward to dying. They know that they are dying towards life.
Divine vitality, however, does not only show itself in God’s glory in eternity, but already now. It is like a frog that was recently a tadpole and now jumps headfirst from a stone into the water full of vitality. Or like a butterfly dancing in the sunlight from one flower to the next. That is life. That is resurrection power. Both animals had to go through a metamorphosis beforehand. The resurrection power shows itself in the transformation of our being towards a divine character. When we have made ourselves one with Jesus in baptism, a process begins in which we learn virtues and build character from them. New things become possible. Without this resurrection power we would have to state with Jeremiah: «Can a coloured man change his skin colour or a leopard its spotted coat? Just as you cannot do good all of a sudden, after you have always done only evil.» (Jeremiah 13:23 NLB). A change of character is impossible from a human point of view. But from the cross flows a power that makes the impossible possible. The metamorphosis we talk about all year is not just a tuning of our appearance, not just a colour and style consultation, but a divine supernatural miracle that has its root in the cross of Jesus. Those who become partakers of Jesus» suffering and life are transformed into His glory, His character (cf. 2 Corinthians 3:18).
Another facet of this resurrection life: «Our former life was crucified with Christ so that sin loses its power in our lives. Now we are no longer slaves to sin»(Romans 6:6 NLB). When we become like Jesus in dying, sin loses its power over us. We can still sin, but we no longer have to. Sin is … not to dance to the music of heaven. He who has been crucified with Christ has clear vision and gets in touch with heaven – even in the dark moments when I sit all alone in front of the PC at night and surf in the wrong direction. Also in the world of thought. According to last Sunday’s sermon, between 50–80,000 thoughts buzz through our brain every day. Unfortunately, there are nine times more negative thoughts than positive ones. According to information from the internet, only 3% of our thoughts are uplifting. What a potential for a better quality of life! We can have our thoughts changed to the positive uplifting through metamorphosis. In the original Metamorphosis passage it says: «[…] let yourselves be transformed [in your being] through renewal of your mind»(Romans 12:2 SLT). Our senses contain our thoughts. We can encourage the transformation of our thoughts through gratitude and the praise of God.
Last but not least, this new life also includes the authority to perform miracles. Connected to Christ, we may witness how people are healed through prayer and how burdens have to give way.
«Yes, I want to know Christ better and better […].»(Philippians 3:10a NGÜ). Knowing Christ better and better – therein lies the potential for life change! The good news is that profound life change is not something that will happen later in heaven. No, it begins now. With Jesus, the Kingdom of Heaven has come to us on earth.
Possible questions for the small groups
Read Bible text: 2 Corinthians 4:7–11; Philippians 3:10
- Can you understand Paul’s desire to share in the sufferings of Christ? What is behind it?
- What does it mean concretely to share in the sufferings of Christ? Do you want that too?
- Have you already expressed through baptism that you want to die and rise with Christ? Why (not)?
- How can we experience the resurrection power? What does this have to do with metamorphosis?
- How can we know Christ better and better?
