Paul is full of joy because his life is centered around Jesus. He answers the question here that Jesus asks in Mark 8. Just before heading to Jerusalem to be crucified, Jesus asks his disciples who he is. Paul is clear about that answer here.
Paul’s deep longing for Christ are a higher aim than today’s obsession with “authenticity”.
For Paul, the difficulty of the choice between life in service to Christ and death leading to union with Christ was far more distressing than the notion of trial or execution by far.
Is Paul’s joy real? Is he really anticipating the trial with eagerness? Is Jesus really so worthy to Paul?
In reality, Jesus is that worthy to the Father, and that is what is shining through in the life of Paul. Paul’s life is a picture and a result of the worthiness God sees in Jesus.
Paul eventually comes down on the side of life in the body, not because it means more to him or because he knows the results of his upcoming trial. Rather it is because he sees which result is more necessary for those he serves, like the Philippians, and that service itself is in pursuit of the glory of God.
The glories of God have become Paul’s gladness. Like us, his chief end is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever. But we live in a world, culture and even church that is indifferent to the pleasures of Jesus. With all the avenues of entertainment available, there are so many distractions that outshine our limited understanding of Christ.
So what do we do? We cannot force ourselves to desire God more. Rather, the love of God for the Son comes into us and becomes our love for the Son.
This is what Christ prayed for the church in John 17, and this is what we should pray for. This is what we must give time to, what we must prioritize over our screens and entertainment. This is what we must seek in study and preaching during the week, not just on Sunday mornings. This is what we must speak out as we seek others’ enjoyment of Jesus as well.
– Sermon Notes, Brian Bailey, Seed Church, Lynnwood, WA, August 5, 2018
Philippians 1:18-26
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