Sunday: “Christ Will Be Magnified”
Daily Lesson for Sunday 11th of January 2026
Read Philippians 1:19-20. What seems to be Paul’s expectation as to the outcome of his trial? What does he consider even more important than being acquitted?
Although Paul was no criminal, this was not the first time that he had been imprisoned, and he was no stranger to persecution. To the Corinthians, he detailed his sufferings up to that time: “In prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness” (2 Corinthians 11:23-27, NKJV).
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But lest we think these sufferings were uppermost in his mind, Paul immediately adds, “besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:28, NKJV).
Read 1 Corinthians 4:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 2:10-11; Galatians 4:19; and Philemon 1:10. What relationship does Paul have with the churches he established and the people he won for Christ?
Like Jesus, who spared nothing to save us, Paul was willing to “spend and be spent” for the sake of fellow believers (2 Corinthians 12:15, NKJV). But, paradoxically, the more a person’s actions resemble that of Jesus, the less they are loved or appreciated by some. “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). But faithful Christians remain perhaps the most powerful way to glorify God and to reveal the truth of the gospel (compare Philippians 1:7). “Paul’s patience and cheerfulness during his long and unjust imprisonment, his courage and faith, were a continual sermon.”—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 464.
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Look at how you live and how you treat people, especially people who don’t treat you nicely. What kind of witness for Jesus do you present? |
You may consider me a bit cynical if I tell you that Paul had himself to blame for at least his treatment in Jerusalem and his imprisonment in Rome. On his way back to Jerusalem after his third missionary journey, he stopped off in Tyre for a few days. The local disciples were upset by his intention and repeatedly urged him, “through the spirit” not to go. But he had his mind set.
He moved on to Caesarea, where Agabus, a bone fide prophet, bound his own hands and feet with Paul’s belt and prophesied that the Jews would bind him and hand him over to the Gentiles. Even his travelling companions (which included Luke) pled him not to go. But he went, against the advice of both the Holy Spirit and his friends. Today we would call that action pigheaded.
Then when he got to Jerusalem, he took part in a ceremonial cleansing (a Jewish rite) at the temple. During this event, he was recognised and accused on false charges of desecrating the temple by bring Gentiles into the court. In the fracas that followed, he was arrested and to cut the story short a bit, he claimed Roman citizenship and asked to be tried in Rome. This was an embarrassment to the Romans who would have liked to let him go.
I don’t want to make too much of a point about Paul’s insistence on going to Jerusalen and ultimately to Rome, but I cannot help wondering what may have happened if he had been less insistent of fulfilling his own wishes, and followed the clear leading of the Holy Spirit to kept away from Jerusalem.
What is evident is that despite of Paul’s pigheadedness, the Lord was still with him. God did not give up on him but made the best use of the decistions he made. Not only did he witness for Jesus both on the way and when he reached Rome, but we understand that many of his epistles that are so relevant today were written while he was incarcerated there. I like the idea that God does not just work with compliant, well-behaved Christians, but also with pigheaded ones. And sometimes when that happens, the world changes.
I might add too, that this series of events may be useful to those who agonise over making spirit-led decisions in their daily lives.
Are these statements factual or Biblically accurate? I’ve never heard of this claim that Paul is pigheaded. While it’s true that all of us have weaknesses in our lives, even Paul referred to himself as the chief of sinners. Could you provide the exact passages you mentioned, especially those referenced in the first two paragraphs?
The story of Paul’s instance on returning to Jerusalem at the end of what we call his third missionary journey is found in Acts 21.
I’m glad you gave a really good summary of what brought Paul to Rome. I am always a little uncomfortable when we make the texts say what we want them to say so we can make a point.
Paul was definitely not guilty, but he did orchestrate his imprisonment. If you don’t read Acts, you might think the Romans just grabbed him and took him to prison, but this was not what happened. Paul had his reasons for appealing to Caesar and they might have been good ones, but I agree that it seems it was not God’s plan A for him. But as you say, God continued to be with him. It is the same for us.
Your comment shows us that God is very aware of our character and short comings. Regardless of Paul’s shortcomings, God used him mightily. Had Paul not have been in prison, maybe he would have not found the need to write so many letters and we would not have God’s inspiration in writing over 2,000 years later. This gives me great hope that God still can use me regardless of my own shortcomings.
Maurice – could Paul have seen the ‘bigger picture’ which the others could not, making this his motivation? God certainly moves in mysterious ways to accomplish His work!
Happy New Year, Brother Maurice.
I’m glad you wrote this message to us because we all at many points in our lives have not listened to God’s Holy Spirit and instead followed our own way (our own understanding). In many matters in my own life, the Holy Spirit was clearly telling me to do this or go this way; but I said “Naw, I’m going to do it my own way”. Some of us are still doing this today. But I love my Lord Jesus, and His Holy Spirit, for His patience in enduring with me for so long.
My prayer is that I listen to God’s Holy Spirit more and obey.
Wishing All of us God’s blessings in 2026!!
God warns us what is coming so we can prepare but is still coming. As Jesus knew about the cross but still went. I pray I will be 1/10 faithful.
The new life that we have been called into is to magnify Christ. To magnify Christ is to live a life of being a witness. Being a witness for Christ is to make Him “visible”. We have been called to be witnesses. Being a witness for Christ is an identity and not an activity.“Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16). Knowing about Jesus and talking about Him are not enough! People must see the gospel before they can accept it. “By their fruit you will recognise them.” (Matthew 7:16). No amount of knowledge or oratory alone can magnify the name of the Lord, but by living what we know and what we talk about. “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” (John 13:17). Jesus gave us a foundational principle to magnify Him.
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34–35).
Paul was not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus; he proclaimed it fearlessly, no matter the consequences. He lived the message he preached. He identified himself with Christ through His suffering. “ I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death” (Philippians 3:10). We magnify Christ not by what we say but by what we do. Through our acts of love, kindness, mercy, forgiveness, compassion and generosity, Christ is magnified to the world. Jesus gave us an idea of how to magnify His name.
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16.)
The concept of magnifying Christ is clearly seen in Philippians 1:20, where Paul wrote, “according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death” (NKJV). Paul’s prayer and hope were that whether he lived or died, Christ would be magnified and honored. This became his singular life goal. When Paul expressed his desire to magnify Christ, he did not focus on magnifying Christ first and then other things or himself afterward. His passion and mission statement was clear: “that… now as always Christ will be honored (or magnified) in my body.” His purpose and vision was to glorify Christ not just for a season, but always.
After Paul’s dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus, Christ was not merely one of his passions, but his single and all-consuming passion. He declared, “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). Paul’s life was fully surrendered to Christ, and his greatest desire was to complete the mission God had entrusted to him, regardless of personal cost.
Many times, we have made Jesus appear too small in our lives because we are distracted and preoccuppied with with different responsibilitities. We need Christ to be magnified—to be lifted up and exalted in every detail of our lives. We magnify Him not because He is small, but because sin has blurred our vision of how truly glorious He is. My prayer like Paul is that we exalt and magnify Christ, making this our single, all-consuming passion, even when life is difficult. May we remain focused and never lose sight of our singular goal—to magnify Christ, even when we are on the verge of losing everything.
To love a person who doesn’t like me takes a fruit of the Spirit characteristic. I’d say this is only possible through the love I have for Christ, because all that I do should be done for Him first.
Humans conceived, born, and raised in a fallen world cannot naturally be loving, kind, empathetic, and compassionate. It is even worse when they attain power. It is only those who embrace God and His love who live to glorify God with their relationships with their fellow humans.
The part of today’s lesson that strikes me the most is, “…paradoxically, the more a person’s actions resemble that of Jesus, the less they are loved or appreciated by some. “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12).”
My brothers and sisters, let us remain faithful to God even when discouragement comes from those closest to us.
Melvin, you are right we do want to remain faithful to the end. I was listening to an oldi but goody on YouTube, a recording of a live concert 4 years ago. By the Kings Herald quartet. Here are the words.
I want to be ready,
I want to be ready,
I want to be ready,
Walk in Jerusalem just like John.
Oh John oh John what did you say?
Walk in Jerusalem just like John.
That you will be there on that great day.
Walk in Jerusalem just like John.
King Jesus rides in the middle of the air,
Walk in Jerusalem just like John.
I pray the Lord we’ll all be there,
Walk in Jerusalem just like John. 🙏
God bless you Melvin.
Thanks John.
Gal.4:19-20 – ”My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you, how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!”
Our salvation is the Holy Spirit’s never ending work of transformation “until Christ is formed in us”.
Paul experienced the beginning of his life-changing transformation on his way to Damascus where he had planed to persecute Jesus’ followers – he encountered Jesus! Now, he is imprisoned because he wants to lead everyone to Jesus Christ, to know what being transformed by Him means in ‘real’ life.
Nothing else encountered in life compares with this life-changing experience – to ‘being born again’; agreeing to die to ‘self’ to make room to have Christ formed in us. This is the Christian’s purpose in life as the Holy Spirit leads us in God’s Righteousness and Truth.
The word magnified means to make great, to exalt, to enlarge in perception.So the idea is not that Christ becomes greater in essence (He is already fully glorious), but that He is seen and acknowledged as great by others through our lives.
Christ is magnified when His worth is clearly displayed.We act like a lens, not the source of the glory.
When we live so that Christ is magnified:God’s character becomes visible to the world.The gospel gains credibility.Worship becomes life-shaped, not just church-based.Fear of death and loss is diminished.
Thank you, Maurice. I am a new convert and been here every day eversince. The one that you’ve written about Paul is new to me. But one thing I’ve noticed upon reading Acts 21 is; 1. Yes, Paul didn’t obey the Holy Spirit and his friends but, 2. He didn’t do it for his own glory. Noticed what he said in Acts 21:13 – Then Paul answered, For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. Though he didn’t obey but his disobedience was still for Jesus.