EXALTING CHRIST
We are talking this morning about Exalting Christ. Our theme for the month is Exalting Christ. For Feb Sharing the love of Christ. Mar Christ Crucified. Apr Serving Christ. May The Lordship of Jesus Christ, June Following the Example of Christ, July Christ suffered for you, Aug Give Yourself First To Christ, Sept Supremacy of Jesus, Oct Preaching Christ, Nov Jesus Crowned With Glory & Honor, Dec Praising Jesus Christ. Why? Jesus Christ is the central figure in the history of the human race. Our desire, our goal is to please Him, to exalt Him. Exalt in the Websters has this meaning: To raise in position. Elevate. To glorify; praise. To fill with pride, delight.
Why do we want to focus on exalting Christ? Because God did. Look at what he did in:
Phil 2:5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Phil 2:6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, Phil 2:7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. Phil 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! Phil 2:9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, Phil 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, Phil 2:11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Why did God exalt Jesus? It starts with Jesus attitude.
GOD EXALTED HIM BECAUSE OF HIS ATTITUDE
He was in very nature God, but look at his attitude reflected by his actions. First:
He did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. Jesus was and is God but he did not hold on to his equality with God. He did not try to grasp it. When God said as it says in Hebrews:
Heb 1:5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father " ? Or again, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son"?
There was no rebuttle from Jesus. There was no why can’t I be the Father. I’m God too, why don’t you go and die for them. It’s inconceivable that Jesus would respond this way.
He made himself nothing. We know that God is omnipotent (Gen 17:1 God appears to Abraham and says “I am God almighty.” Almighty means all powerful, omnipotent, meaning that he has unlimited power. This means that God can do whatever is possible to do. His power is unlimited and uninhibited by anything else.
Tozer says that God possesses what no creature can: an incomprehensible plentitude of power, a potency that is absolute. God has at His command all the power in the universe, the Lord God omnipotent can do anything as easily as anything else. All His acts are done without effort. He expends no energy that must be replenished. His self-sufficiency makes it unnecessary for Him to look outside of Himself for a renewal of strength.
He went from being God, to being born of a virgin, being nursed, crying, dribbling, crawling, walking, going through puberty, being a teen and becoming a man. In comparison to what he was, he became nothing. And he made himself that way.
He was in very nature God but took the very nature of a servant. Nature means the intrinsic character of a person or thing. A persons disposition, tempermant. Temperment meaning the manner of thinking, behaving, and reacting characteristic of an individual.
The nature of God is to do Godlike things.
Heb 1:10 He also says, "In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. You can’t do that if you are not in very nature God.
Look at what he told Job.
Job 38:4 "Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Job 38:5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? Job 38:6 On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone-- Job 38:7 while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? Job 38:8 "Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb,
Job 38:9 when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness,
Job 38:10 when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place,
Job 38:11 when I said, ’This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt’? Job 38:12 "Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place, Job 38:13 that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it? Job 38:14 The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its features stand out like those of a garment. Job 38:15 The wicked are denied their light, and their upraised arm is broken. Job 38:16 "Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep? Job 38:17 Have the gates of death been shown to you? Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death ? Job 38:18 Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell me, if you know all this.
Jesus was in very nature God and did godlike things. He went from that to taking the very nature of a servant. This means that his disposition was like a servant. His temperant was like a servant. He thought, behaved and reacted like a servant would.
Look at how he served in:
John 13:2 The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. John 13:3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;
John 13:4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. John 13:5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
This was astounding to the disciples but not to Jesus. He took the very nature of a servant and thought and behaved like a servant would. Oh how beautiful the heart of Jesus was and is!
From creating the universe and laying the earths foundations to washing dirty, smelly feet! Now let’s look at his appearance.
being made in human likeness. Phil 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man,
The appearance that Jesus took on was nothing to shout about.
Isa 53:2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. Isa 53:3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Compare that with what John saw in:
Rev 1:12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
Rev 1:13 and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.
Rev 1:14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.
Rev 1:15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.
Rev 1:16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
Rev 1:17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.
Rev 1:18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!
This is where the attitude of Jesus goes beyond comprehension. We said in the beginning that exalt means to raise in position, elevate but it goes deeper than that.
In the greek, the word hupsoo means to lift up(akin to huspsos, height), used literally of the lifting up of Christ in His crucifixion. At Jesus was being crucified he was being exalted!
Isa 52:13 See, my servant will act wisely ; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. Isa 52:14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him -- his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness--
Isa 52:15 so will he sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.
John 8:28 So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.
Acts 2:33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. Acts 2:34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, "’The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand Acts 2:35 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."’ Acts 2:36 "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
Many as they stood at the foot of the cross were appalled at Jesus. They mocked him, sneered, insulted, cursed and laughed at him. But as Jesus was being lifted up in weakness, he was being exalted, he was being glorified.
John 12:23 Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
John 12:24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
John 12:25 The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. John 12:26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
John 12:27 "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ’Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. John 12:28 Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again."
John 12:29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. John 12:30 Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine. John 12:31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. John 12:32 But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."
Now Phil 2:9 makes more sense. We see the most beautiful attitude the world has ever seen and because of his attitude look at what God did.
Phil 2:9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, Phil 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, Phil 2:11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
(2 Sam 22:47 NIV) "The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God, the Rock, my Savior!
(1 Chr 29:11 NIV) Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.
(Neh 9:5 NIV) And the Levites--Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah--said: "Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting. " "Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.
In all that we do we are to exalt Jesus Christ. He is the reason we live and have our being. We are forgiven of our sins in Him. We have eternal life because of Him. We know true love because He showed us unconditional, sacrificial and godly love. Let us honor Him by imitating His attitude. Let us honor Him by exalting Him in our hearts. Look at:
(Psa 46:10 NIV) "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
This year let us exalt the name of Jesus Christ by imitating his attitude, choosing to be nothing, choosing to be humble, choosing to serve and choosing to be totally obedient. Amen.
