Exalted Above Every Name
Minister: | Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: | 5/10/2018 PM (Ascension Day) |
Text: | Philippians 2:9-11 |
Psalters: | 130, 58, 303, 183 |
- A glorious exaltation.
- “Highly exalted” is not relative, but superlative: the highest possible position.
- Along with the exaltation God gave Jesus “a name which is above every name.”
- This is not a personal name, but a title reflecting rank or position – which name indicated He was at the pinnacle of all things
- The title of the highest position in the universe is “Lord” (cf. Romans 10:12; I Tim. 6:15; Eph. 1:21,22).
- When did this exaltation take place?
- First, when God raised Jesus from the dead, and then when God exalted Jesus’ to heaven at His ascension.
- Third, God seated Jesus at His own right hand, a position second only to the King Himself.
- God had a purpose for exalting Jesus: “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…and every tongue confess…”
- Every knee and every tongue includes all rational creatures on earth and in heaven: all men and all angels.
- God’s purpose is that “every knee should bow,…and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.
- “At the name of Jesus” is to acknowledge the name or position of Lord which God had given to Jesus.
- To bow the knee is to worship, to acknowledge Jesus’ position as Lord by giving worship, honor and reverence.
- When every tongue confesses, then God will have all men and every angel verbally acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord.
- This is all “to the glory of God the Father.”
- This giving of glory will be realized in the great day of judgment when Jesus will appear in all His glory as judge of all.
- The basis of Jesus’ exaltation to highest glory is His obedience. This is indicated in “therefore.”
- God sent His Son to serve as the Mediator of His elect church, to bring them the salvation eternal ordained for them.
- The glory to which God exalted Jesus was a glory was promised Jesus for His perfectly obedient suffering.
- We must also have the mind of Christ – a readiness to render total self-denial in obedience to our Father.