Death Cannot Stop Jesus | Philippians 1:12-21
Remember the context of this letter. The Philippian church sent Epaphroditus to visit Paul, who was under house arrest in Rome, because they were worried about Paul. They were concerned for his well being and wanted to encourage him. Paul is going to send this letter back with Epaphroditus and he is going to send Timothy back with him because of an issue in the church.
“But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition. For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.”
--Philippians 2:19-21
Paul is concerned. Paul is troubled after learning about this conflict in the Philippian church which is why he begins his letter by reminding this church why they are meeting in the first place. God is doing a good work in them, God is still working in them, do not forget your first love, Jesus Christ. Remember to discern real knowledge to love what is excellent according to God—stop the complaining, stop this troublesome behaviour, there is a greater mission at hand.
“I urge you Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord. Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.”
--Philippians 4:1-3
Notice how Paul begins his letter not directly addressing the issue at hand? It takes him till the end of his letter to address the issue. Paul doesn’t scold, he doesn’t mock them or get mad at them rather he starts with the foundation of their faith, he reminds them why they are meeting there in the first place, because Jesus has saved them, Jesus loves them and has given them hope to share the gospel in Philippi.
- Be Faithful to Christ; Keep sharing the gospel of Jesus—that is your mission, never forget this.
“Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear.”
--Philippians 1:12-14
Paul is reminding the church of their purpose, of their mission: To love God, to serve God and to Love and serve each other. Paul ultimately is also pointing to the sovereignty of God. Paul is celebrating the fact that he is in prison because it means the real gospel has been preached. It means that his imprisonment has emboldened others to go out and share the gospel—Paul is celebrating because the gospel of Jesus is spreading throughout Rome, Greece, and Macedonia.
Joseph’s story: Genesis 37-50
-Joseph is Jacob’s favoured son (Jacob is the grandson of Abraham who’s name gets changed to Israel)
-Joseph is given a special coat and has a dream. He has a gift of interpretation. His dream tells of his brother’s bowing down before him—this angers his brothers.
-Brothers are jealous and throw Joseph into a pit and sell him as a slave in Egypt.
-Potiphar, an Egyptian official, takes Joseph as his slave. Joseph falsely accused of abusing Potiphar’s wife. Thrown in Jail
-Joseph is imprisoned with Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer. Pharaoh has a disturbing dream and his wisemen cannot interpret it but the cupbearer remembers when Joseph interpreted his dream.
-Joseph becomes Pharaoh’s governor after interpreting Pharaoh’s dream and saving the Egyptians and Hebrew people (his brother’s and family) from famine because they stored the food properly to sustain them through famine.
-Joseph disguises himself when he first sees his brothers, they are given food but they bow before Joseph as Joseph speaks harshly to them to preserve his disguise.
-Joseph reveals himself to them and this is the interaction:
“But Joseph said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about ‘this present result, to preserve many people alive. So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.’ So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.”
--Genesis 50:19-21
This is an amazing perspective! Joseph understands God’s sovereignty, Joseph understands that God is always at work and he remains faithful to God even when his life was unjust, even when he went through trial. Joseph’s trials, Joseph’s false accusations, his imprisonment was all a part of God’s divine plan for saving His people from famine—Paul is giving the same perspective, he celebrates his imprisonment because he knows it is a part of God’s plan for the gospel to spread.
- Paul chooses to rejoice. He finds God’s joy in trial; it is a joyful task to work with God.
“Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice. Yes I will rejoice.”
--Philippians 1:15-18
The Christian’s life is not hopeless; it is hope filled. There is no circumstance in which the Christian sits in that is a hopeless state. We look to Christ and Christ gives us peace, and joy as we anticipate seeing Him one day especially in the middle of our desert; especially in the middle of our suffering.
Paul even references his detractors, his opponents and he even thanks God for moving the gospel of Christ forward through them. All Paul cares about is the truth of Christ. He reminds this church to preach the gospel with pure intentions, not out of competition or selfish gain.
“All death can do to the believer is deliver them to Jesus.”
--John MacArthur
χαίρω chaírō, khah'-ee-ro; a primary verb; to be "cheer"ful, i.e. calmly happy or well-off; impersonally, especially as salutation (on meeting or parting), be well:—farewell, be glad, God speed, greeting, hail, joy(- fully), rejoice.
“…for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.”
--Philippians 1:19-20
- Nothing can stop Jesus; not suffering, not even death. Satan cannot stop our Living Hope.
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
--Philippians 1:21
“No man has authority to restrain the wind with the wind, or authority over the day of death;”
--Ecclesiastes 8:8
“For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason, God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.”
--2nd Thessalonians 2:7-12
True Christian fellowship is much more than having a name on a church roll or being present at a meeting. It is possible to be close to people physically and miles away from them spiritually. One of the sources of Christian joy is this fellowship that believers have in Jesus Christ. Paul was in Rome, his friends were miles away in Philippi, but their spiritual fellowship was real and satisfying. When you have the single mind, you will not complain about circumstances because you know that difficult circumstances will result in the strengthening of the fellowship of the Gospel.
--The Bible Knowledge Commentary
Read Matthew 6:25-34.
Do not worry about tomorrow. Jesus is all powerful, nothing can stop Him from working, nothing can stop His gospel from going forward. Not a bullet, not your mistakes, and not even Satan. Therefore, Go, preach the good news of Jesus to everyone you know. This world needs Jesus.
“Jesus defeated death so that you can live.” – Charlie Kirk
God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus;
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!