The Power of Jesus’ Resurrection
Today’s Verses:
Philippians 3:10-11 ESV
That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Lent draws our eyes to the cross, not as a place of defeat but as the very doorway to life. In these verses, the apostle Paul lays bare the Christian’s longing—not merely to admire Christ from afar, but to know Him deeply, even through suffering and death.
“To know Him” is more than intellectual knowledge; it is a personal, intimate communion with the crucified and risen Lord. In Lent, we walk the path of repentance, drawing near to the One who first drew near to us. In Christ’s sufferings, we see our sin exposed and our salvation secured.
“Becoming like Him in His death” is not a call to earn God’s favor through hardship but a surrender—a dying to self and all confidence in the flesh. As Luther reminded us, the way of the Christian is always one of simul justus et peccator—at once sinner and saint, daily dying and rising.
And so Paul presses forward, not with uncertainty, but with hope: “that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” This is not doubt, but humility—clinging to Christ alone, trusting that just as we share in His death through Baptism, we shall surely share in His resurrection.
Prayers
A Prayer for Today:
Lord Jesus Christ, as I walk with You this Lent, grant me to know You more deeply—not only in the joy of Your resurrection but also in the fellowship of Your suffering. Teach me to die to sin and self so that I may rise daily to new life in You. Strengthen my hope in the resurrection of the dead and keep us steadfast in faith until that glorious day. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
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