"...In The Power Of His Resurrection"

In Philippians 3, Paul writes that he, wants to know Christ, "...in the power of His resurrection". Well, exactly what does that mean? How do we get to know our Savior...and in the power of such an event? Well, to begin, with we will have to know Jesus in the pain of his suffering. Holy Week, or Passion Week, as some refer to the seven days between Palm Sunday and Resurrection Sunday, takes Jesus on an intense rollercoaster of human emotions. He is celebrated, angered by the corruption in the Temple, plotted against, lied on, betrayed, abandoned by his friends & comrades, railroaded in a kangaroo court system, beaten, whipped, made to carry the instrument of his own death, in the heat of the day, then, he was nailed to a cross, mocked, ridiculed, abandoned by his own Father (at the sight of the sins he bore), and then, eventually dies after enduring a day of unbearable torture called crucifixion.

In John 16:33, Jesus tells us that "in this life, you will have trials and tribulations", so we are guaranteed to have our share of trouble, difficult days, and drama. Like Jesus, there are days when we feel betrayed and/or abandoned by those closest to us. There are also other days when tragedy strikes and it seems as if our private lives are opened and exposed to the prying eyes of critics, who have nothing positive or supportive to say. We're hurting and no one cares. During that time, it's easy to believe that God doesn't care, isn't watching, isn't concerned about our situation, or we may even question if He exists. But take heart, Jesus also goes on to say in John 16, "...but fear not, for I have overcome the world". This Sunday is the day that he overcomes the world! However, resurrection is only possible because something bad preceded it. Holy Week, and Jesus‘ Crucifixion helps us keep things in perspective: “is what I'm dealing with as bad as Jesus’ suffering and crucifixion?“ If not, God has already proven to us in His Word that He is more than capable of handling whatever it is that we're going through. So the next time that we encounter some trouble, let's start praising God for our Resurrection Day. In that process, we will truly get to know our Savior..."in the POWER of His Resurrection". YOUR RESURRECTION DAY IS COMING!!!!! Enjoy your weekend and Happy Resurrection Day!