Sermon: "Journey to the Cross"

Sometimes at church services and meetings, someone will get up and give what is called a “testimony”.  This is something that takes a lot of courage and usually takes the form of the person explaining how he or she became a Christian and how that person’s life has been changed.

In these verses from Philippians, Saint Paul is giving what we would call a testimony.  Firstly he speaks of his attitude to life and faith before he encountered Jesus.  He appears almost to be boasting here as he describes his life as one who as a Jew was zealous for his faith and as a Pharisee, he kept the law literally and strictly.  It also appears that at the time he was somewhat intolerant of other faiths as he speaks of the time when he persecuted the Church. He even says how at the time he saw his life in obedience to the law as making him perfect before God and without any fault. 

When Paul encountered Jesus on the Damascus road his life changed in that he put his old life behind him.  The things of his old life which he once considered to be profit or gain he now considers to be loss and feels well rid of his former life as a Pharisee in strict obedience to the letter of the law.  He goes on to explain how he considers it worthwhile to let go of his old life because for him, to know Christ is more valuable than his old legalistic life.   Paul speaks strongly here as he says he considers his old life in attempt to win righteousness by obeying the law as mere rubbish or refuge or garbage,  (The original language here is somewhat stronger ! )   He now sees righteousness not as something to win by keeping rules but rather as something to be obtained through faith in Jesus Christ. 

Next, Paul comes to his main point as he says,  “All I want is to know Christ and  to experience the power of his resurrection;  to share his sufferings and become like him in his death in the hope that I myself will be raised from death to life.”

For him, his faith is faith in a person, the person of Jesus not in laws or ceremonies.  For Paul, it is what Jesus has done on the Cross that gives him salvation and not anything he has achieved himself. 

So is Paul saying that he has achieved salvation and perfection now, although in  a different way?   No he is not.  Rather, he speaks of his life as a Christian as an ongoing striving towards what Christ is calling him to be.  He speaks of leaving the past behind and looking to what is ahead as he lives his life in Christ. 

On this Passion Sunday as we begin to think more intently of Jesus’ journey to  Jerusalem and to the Cross, we too think about our faith and how we make our journey of life with Jesus.    For us, as for Paul,  obtaining salvation and being at one with Jesus is not about keeping laws but about what Jesus has done for us and continues to do for us.   Jesus’ road to the resurrection is the road of suffering. Our salvation is not without its price.  That price is the life of Jesus, but God’s power is seen at its strongest as Jesus defeats the evil of suffering and wins a victory on the Cross. So it is in our sufferings and difficulties and problems in our journey of life. 

Let our thoughts be those of Paul as we today begin this journey with Jesus. 

“All I want is to know Christ and  to experience the power of his resurrection;  to share his sufferings and become like him in his death in the hope that I myself will be raised from dearth to life.”

Preached by: Rev.John B Davies at Llanfwrog Parish Church on Sunday March 25^th 2007.