Knowing & Becoming

Ever hear someone claim an identity? …or catch yourself doing it?

This can happen in a variety of ways… name-dropping or being part of a following or fan club… or perhaps just seeking in some indirect way for it to appear as though we know more or have experienced more than we actually have.

Knowing and truly becoming that identity comes at a cost.

To really be a golfer, for example – not just get to drive the golf cart and hack around the course.

To be a hunter – not just have the gun or bow and hang a couple mounted trophies on the wall.

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How about, to be a disciple of Jesus – not just do good stuff and show up at church on Sunday and check the box for Christian when appropriate.

The people of Israel seemed to continually have this crisis of identity. They were the people of Israel… the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob… the chosen of YHWH… but what did their lives reveal?

After the reign of King Solomon, the kingdom of Israel split in two. The northern kingdom was known as Israel and the southern kingdom, where Jerusalem was located, was known as Judah. There was continual rebellion and idolatry in both kingdoms with occasional repentance and restoration.

God spoke through many prophets to each kingdom – warning of judgments that would come upon them for their sin.

Isaiah was one of those prophets – prominent mainly during the 7th century BC.

In the first section of the book of Isaiah, we read of Judah’s sins and God’s judgment that will come against them – up to and including exile – taken prisoner from their home to a foreign and hostile land.

The middle section of Isaiah is a message from God to the people of Judah who, as they had been warned, had been exiled to Babylon. It’s a message of hope – the promise of restoration – the promise of the Messiah.

God seeks to comfort His people suffering in exile and declares His faithfulness to and love for them.

In many ways, the grace of God is revealed – His goodness toward those entirely unworthy to receive it.

God declares His sovereignty over His people in Isaiah 43:15.

I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.”

And then encourages them to not get stuck in the past but to look to the future…

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Isaiah 43:18–19

In spite of all the prophets that were sent by God to His people throughout the centuries…

In spite of the fulfillment of God’s promise to bring them back out of exile...

God’s chosen people continually broke covenant in the most awful and adulterous and rebellious of ways.

Jesus described this in a parable…

And He began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out.

Luke 20:9–12

In story form, Jesus used this parable to vividly portray how the leaders, both religious and political, had for centuries rebelled against and denied God’s sovereignty as the LORD, their Holy One, their King, and their Creator – they wouldn’t even exist without Him!

They rejected and beat and even murdered the very prophets God sent to try to warn them and teach them and call them to repentance.

Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!”

Luke 20:13–16

Jesus identifies Himself as the Son Whom they will murder – and reveals that God will take the vineyard, that which He had entrusted to them, away from them and give it to others.

At this, they are appalled that He would even suggest such a thing: “...surely not!”

How dare He!? Israel – the land, the power, the kingdom – belonged to them.

They still didn’t even understand that what they were trying to cling to was merely the creation – the things of earth… when what they should have been clinging to was the Creator Himself.

But He looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written: “ ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’?

Luke 20:17

Here, Jesus prophetically identifies Himself as the cornerstone from Psalm 118:22 – the stone rejected by them, the builders – too blind to recognize His significance, importance, and value.

And then Jesus warns them…

Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

Luke 20:18

Those who fall – who stumble or trip – over Him in disbelief will be destroyed.

And, in the end, He will crush all who rebel against Him.

The Apostle Paul had been one of them – one of the builders – the leaders of Israel who rejected Jesus and sought to beat and murder all who would follow Jesus.

But when Jesus mercifully sought him out, Paul repented in complete humility.

And in his letter to the church in the city of Philippi, Paul eloquently proclaims his surrender of all creation for the sake of the Creator Himself.

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith — 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.

Philippians 3:7–11

All that Paul had found value in as one of the builders of Israel… all that self-righteousness and pride in personal achievement and wisdom and knowledge… nothing could even begin to measure up to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus personally as Lord!

Paul knew that to know Jesus he had to die to himself entirely so that he could be raised to new life in Jesus – becoming like Jesus both in death and resurrection.

Our sense of self… personal sense of achievement… all that we find value and worth in… all that we are proud of in this life… we can let none of it stand in the way of knowing Christ Jesus as Lord! …knowing Him and becoming like Him!

But for all that Paul had sacrificed and endured, he didn’t want there to be any misunderstanding that he thought he had already arrived or achieved that state of perfection.

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

Philippians 3:12–16

Like Paul, we’re not there yet.

But for Jesus’ sake, as we grow and mature, we recognize even more how we must let go of the past and all that it holds – both good and bad – joys and sacrifices – failures and successes – so that we’re free to give everything we have for the sake of knowing and becoming like Jesus our Lord!

Reflection

What is it in this life that clings to us?

What is it that we cling to?

Career, education, entertainment, legacy-building…

What are those things, if we’re honest, that keep us from pursuing that which is of the utmost eternal value?

To know Jesus more fully.

To become more like Jesus in every way.

There are many things in this life of real and significant and lasting value and beauty – but by the grace and mercy of God, may we seek and listen for the guiding of the Holy Spirit so that the things of earth never keep us from our Creator Himself.