Text: 1 Corinthians 3:9-15; 1 Peter 2:4-6; Isaiah 28:16
The greatest thing in life is to know Jesus and experience Him and power of His resurrection – the one who was and is to come. Philippians 3:7-11 reads:
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ… that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and may share His sufferings. To become like Him and in His death, that if possible, I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Paul was a man who had an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. He was a chosen instrument of the Lord. The power and anointing of God was upon him so much that he carried the good news to the Gentiles and the children of Israel. He suffered for the sake of Christ but still wanted to know Him more. Like Paul, we must desire to know Jesus more and more.
Who is He that we must know?
Jesus is the eternal word that existed and was manifested in the flesh as the Son of man. He is the One who came that we might have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). The Bible declares in Genesis 1 that the seed of the woman would bruise the head of the serpent. Jesus is that seed and if you get to know Him, He will bruise the head of the serpent in your life.
Get the seed, for it is the precious seed of life. Plant it in your heart, in your home and wherever you may be. Protect it, and it will grow in you as a mighty tree and bear fruit. Eat of it and you will never die. Share it with your neighbors and friends and pass it on to your offspring.
Also, Jesus was revealed in Exodus as the Passover Lamb. In Deuteronomy 18:15, Moses wrote:The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, Him you shall heed.
As a prophet, Jesus Christ was far greater than Moses because there was no sin in Him.
Prophets of old prophesied about His birth, life and death (Isaiah 9:6; Micah 5:2, Psalm 69:21, 22). Zachariah (in Zachariah chapter 9) saw Him as the triumphant King on a donkey and the One who has been crowned King over all the earth. They desired to know who this man was but did not live to see Him.
In the New Testament, John the Baptist came as a forerunner to prepare the way for Him. His birth was an extraordinary event which was announced by angels. Wise men traveled from afar to worship Him.
What is in Him?
There is joy in Christ Jesus, for He is the Prince of Peace. He has power to deliver us from all afflictions since all power and authority has been given to Him (Matthew 28:18). His Word calms the storms of the sea and comforts the broken hearted. His Word was His very life. When He said “watch and pray”, we saw Him praying all the time while His disciples slept. When He charged us to love one another, He first loved us by offering Himself as a sacrifice so as to reconcile us with the Father.
The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve. He washed His disciples’ feet. He denied Himself family and took up the cross. During the crucifixion. He asked His Father to forgive His enemies.
How To Know Him
Abraham was a friend of God through submission and obedience. Knowing God by truly submitting to Him in faith is the most important experience in life. In so doing, we will come to enjoy His peace and blessing. To know Jesus, we need to study and obey His word and present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto Him.
His death and resurrection
Christ’s death and resurrection brought victory to mankind. Signs and wonders happened at His death (Matthew 27:45-53). When He resurrected and ascended into heaven, the disciples were endowed with power and they preached the gospel to all nations.
Get to know Jesus, all you who labor and are heavy laden and He will give you rest. He transforms life. Those who had an encounter with Him never went back the same.
As believers, we ought to live the life of our Lord, Jesus Christ. His word should be our very life. We ought to know He is our Creator. He reveals Himself to all who seek Him and He is a rewarder for those who diligently seek Him