Introduction
Recently, the music veteran from Tamil Nadu (in South India), Ilaiyaraaja stated that he doesn’t believe in the resurrection of Christ. In one of his recent speeches, he claimed that he watched a few documentaries on YouTube which supposedly prove that Jesus didn’t resurrect from the dead. Several Christians in and around Tamil Nadu have been protesting his remarks on social media. Well, I believe that one day, Ilaiyaraaja will bow his knee before Jesus and confess that he is Lord! In fact, one day, all the enemies of Christ will recognize his Lordship and tremble before the resurrected and glorified Christ. Today’s text talks about this very fact.
Would you take God’s Word and turn your Bibles with me to Philippians 2:9-11? I have entitled today’s sermon as: “The Exaltation of Christ." Our text is part of Apostle Paul’s prominent exhortation given in Philippians 2:5-11 to the Philippian Church. Though this passage has great Christology, the primary purpose of this passage is to exhort the Church at Philippi to be united and humble (Philippians 2:3-5). In today's passage, we see that the Father highly exalted Jesus and gave him the name above every name so that all creation can worship him to the glory of the Father.
Central Proposition of the Sermon: I have used an inductive proposition for this sermon.
(I have used Dr. John MacArthur’s outline for this sermon.)
1. The Source of Christ's Exaltation is the Father (Philippians 2:9).
In Philippians 2:5-8, Apostle Paul explains that Christ humbled himself through incarnation (by adding human nature) and by dying on the cross for our sins. Since Christ humbled himself, God highly exalted him and bestowed (wholeheartedly, generously, graciously gave) on him the name above every name. Now notice that it is God, the Father who exalted Jesus. In Philippians 2:7, Paul says that Jesus “emptied himself.” In Philippians 2:8, he says that Christ “humbled himself.” Since Christ humbled himself, the Father exalted him. Christ didn’t try to elevate himself, but he waited for the Father to elevate him. So, God “highly exalted” Jesus. This phrase can also be translated as “super-exalted” or “hyper-exalted.”
Acts 2:33 also conveys the idea of Jesus exalted by the Father. So, the exaltation of Christ includes resurrection, ascension, and glorification. This is what Peter and the apostles say:
Acts 5:31: God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
So, it is God who exalted Jesus. And please understand this. It is God who exalts us too. That’s why, Matthew 23:12 (cf. Luke 14:11; 18:14) says: Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Humbled by whom? Exalted by whom? By God! That's why the psalmist says:
Psalm 75:6-7: 6 For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up, 7 but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another.
Here, we need to answer the question as to why Jesus was exalted. Isn’t he already exalted? Isn’t Christ the eternal God? I think the key to understanding this question is in Philippians 2:7-8, where Paul says, “7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Since Christ “emptied himself,” “humbled himself,” and died on the cross, God restored back all that Christ gave up and he gave Christ much more than that, especially the complete submission talked about in Philippians 2:10-11. Since Jesus humbled himself, one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that he is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11). It is God who exalted Jesus and it is God who exalts his people too.
2. The Title of Christ's Exaltation is "Lord" (Philippians 2:9, 11).
Paul says that God bestowed on Jesus “the name above that is above every name.” Based on Philippians 2:11, some scholars say that this name is probably “Lord.” Though the word “Lord” was used for owners, Roman emperors, and pagan gods, scholars point out that the word “Lord” (Greek: kurios) is a translation of the Hebrew word, “Yahweh” (that’s the Greek word in the Septuagint as well). This clearly affirms the deity of Jesus.
Jehovah’s witnesses cannot explain how Jesus can be given the name “Lord.” “Name” also implies that Jesus has authority over all. So, the Father gave Jesus the name above every name. In Scripture, we see that God gave a new name to people who entered into a new stage in their lives. God changed the name of Abram to Abraham after he received the promise (Genesis 17:5). Jacob’s name was changed to Israel after he wrestled with God (Genesis 32:28). Jesus gave the name, Peter to Simon before he became his disciple (John 1:42). Even Jesus is bestowed the name above all names after he humbled himself. Jesus is far above all!
Paul is taking the words in Philippians 2:11 from Isaiah 45:21-23. When Paul declares that Jesus is Lord, he is clearly stating that Jesus is the Lord, who is “a righteous God and a Savior.” And there is none besides him! In fact, the phrase “Jesus is Lord!” is said to be the first creed of the church. Early Christians believed that Jesus, not Caesar, is the Lord! And many of them paid with their lives for confessing it. Even elsewhere, Apostle Paul refers to Jesus as "Lord":
Romans 10:9: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
2 Corinthians 4:5: For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.
Jesus is our Master. He is the sovereign Lord who has complete authority over us. Jesus is not just your Savior, who gives you a ticket to heaven. Jesus is also our Lord and we are obligated to submit to him.
3. The Response to Christ's Exaltation is Worship (Philippians 2:10-11).
Since Jesus is Lord, what must be our response? Worship! God exalted Jesus “so that” (a purpose clause) every knee should bow and every tongue confess (Philippians 2:10). Paul is not teaching universalism here. But he’s saying that one day everyone will recognize the lordship of Christ and bow their knees before him. We must bow down before the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Notice that every knee “in heaven and on earth and under the earth” will bow before Jesus. This demonstrates the absolute sovereignty of Christ. The millions of angels and the saints in heaven will bow down before Jesus. Those of us who are on the earth will bow before him as well. God’s people joyfully adore him. But one day, the rest of the people will recognize his lordship too. This is what Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9.
2 Thessalonians 1:7-9: 7: And to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.
Some will joyfully bow their knee before Jesus and others will bow their knee before him with terror and regret that they didn’t submit to his lordship. “Under the earth” probably refers to hell. One day, all beings in all the universe will recognize the authority of Christ. Every tongue will confess, acknowledge, and affirm that Jesus is Lord! Even Christ’s enemies will acknowledge his sovereignty. Hitler will bow before Jesus, Stalin will bow before Jesus, Osama Bin Laden will bow before Jesus, all the militants of ISIS will bow before Jesus, all the religious fundamentalists who oppose Jesus will bow before him!
4. The Purpose of Christ's Exaltation is God's glory (Philippians 2:11b).
God is glorified through Christ’s exaltation. I want us to look again at Isaiah 45:21-22:
21 Declare and present your case;
let them take counsel together!
Who told this long ago?
Who declared it of old?
Was it not I, the Lord?
And there is no other god besides me,
a righteous God and a Savior;
there is none besides me.
22 “Turn to me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.
John MacArthur says that every knee will bow and every tongue confesses not to the irritation of the Father, not to the embarrassment of the Father or not to the blasphemy of the Father, but “to the glory of God the Father.” The Father and the Son don’t compete with each other. The Father, the Son, and the Spirit are co-equal and co-eternal within the Godhead, the Trinity. In John 5:23, Jesus says that if anyone does not honor the Son, they do not honor the Father. The Father is glorified in Jesus: “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him" (John 13:31).
Even when the Lord lifts us up, it brings glory to his name. Listen to what Paul says:
1 Corinthians 1:28-29: 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
Even when the Lord lifts a humble saint, it’s for his glory alone!
Conclusion
Central Proposition of the Sermon: Put others first!
Humble yourself, count others more significant than yourself, and look at others’ interests. When you do that, the Lord himself will lift you up. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you (James 4:10). Apostle Paul gives the deep theology of Christ to emphasize the need for humility and unity in the church. If we try to lift ourselves up, the Lord will humble us. But if we humble ourselves, the Lord himself will lift us up, for his glory! Let’s reflect Christ in his humility and in his sacrificial service.
