"All to know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, dying his own death, in the hope of attaining to the resurrection from the dead" (Phil 3:10-11). This affirmation of St. Paul in his letter to the Philippians the apostle writes it in a polemical context. He wants to put his addressees on their guard, with great force, against the Judaizers in order to establish that the only salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ. The apostle considers everything a loss in comparison with Christ Jesus. He - who could boast of being a lineage of Israel, since he belongs to the tribe of Benjamin, Hebrew of Hebrews - considers everything as garbage in order to win Christ. This winning Christ is centered by the apostle in "feeling (in Him) the power of His resurrection".
Faith in Christ has as its end to know him (to love him) and to feel in him the power of his resurrection. To feel in Him the power of His resurrection is like the end, the goal; but this goal is not reached if I do not have "communication in His sufferings, configuring myself according to His death".
Resurrection as a goal
The Christian life has, logically, its center and axis in Christ, in identification with Christ. The first Christian preaching to the Jewish people, contained in the discourse of St. Peter and transmitted by the "Acts of the Apostles," does not immediately present the eternal Word, but the Word incarnate, that is, Jesus, whom they have known, seen and treated, who has walked their streets and whom they have handed over to death through Pilate.
St. Peter emphasizes this Jesus, this "servant Jesus" who, nevertheless, has been raised to the right hand of God, that is, equal to God, by his death and resurrection. When St. Paul affirms to pursue "to feel in him the power of his resurrection" is indicating to us what is the goal of our identification with the sufferings of the "servant Jesus". That goal is divine life, participation in the life and happiness of God. The power, the strength of his resurrection is to introduce us forever into the life and joy of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Therefore, everything else is garbage. Jesus is our only Savior: "There is salvation in no one else. For there is no other name under heaven given among men by which they must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Happy Easter!!!
