Exalted!

I ask you to take your Bibles this morning and turn with me to Philippians chapter 2. If you're unfamiliar with the scriptures or don't have a Bible, there's a few Bibles that would be on page 981. We're looking at Philippians 2 this morning, and I'd ask that you follow as I read the first 11 verses of chapter 2. so if there's any encouragement in christ any comfort from love any participation in this in the spirit any affection any affection and sympathy complete my joy by being of the same mind having the same love being in full accord and of one mind do nothing from rivalry or conceit but in humility count others more significant than yourselves let each of you look not only to his own interest but also to the interest of others have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus who though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped but made himself nothing taking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men and being found in human form he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Father, we pray now that these words would become alive to us. help us Lord not to just see these as words on a page but the very word from you that we need to hear on this day open our hearts to it I pray I pray Lord that you would minister the gospel today as we recount the meaning of what Jesus has done and we'll thank you in Jesus name amen when Mary Magdalene went to the tomb on that first Sunday and the Sunday that Jesus was risen from the dead she had no idea what she was about to witness and when she did see Jesus she didn't know what to make of it what is this about what what does this mean the disciples at first had no idea what it meant they were hiding they were locked in their rooms they and then they hear about Jesus and they don't know what it's about what is the meaning of the resurrection you may be here today and you say yeah i hear i know i've heard about the resurrection of jesus and i know you church people and you christians you you believe in that resurrection but yeah i just i'll just put that i'll just check the box that says i don't get it i don't understand it but you know it's just one of those things you'll never get maybe you don't know the meaning of the resurrection well what we see in the resurrection is this is nothing less than the exaltation of Jesus to the highest place of honor. Now scriptures view the history of Jesus who is God incarnate in two stages.

They see him in two stages of existence. First they are there is his humiliation and then his exaltation. His humiliation and then his exaltation. In his humiliation Jesus left the glories of heaven the place where all the angels worshiped him and left everything where everything revolved around him and he came down and as our text tells us he was born as a human being he lived as a human being and he died the worst possible death you could he went from the highest place in glory to the lowest place in human existence he suffered along with us he went through all of the same things we did and he was even crucified on a cross in utter shame hanging naked before the world accused of being a criminal and a blasphemer from the highest point to the lowest and then our text tells us he took him from god took him from the lowest place and put him in the highest place that you could ever find both humiliation and exaltation necessary for our salvation now let's look at verses 9 through 11 we're going to center our thoughts on this text verses 9 through 11 therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name so that the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father when Mary met the resurrected Jesus that day when the disciples met him in the days following they were witnesses to the first step of Jesus to glory we need to understand Jesus in his exalted state first of all recognize that God the father exalted his son now what happened as a result of Jesus willingness to enter the state of humiliation what happened it says verse 9 therefore on account of this on account of what on account of the fact that he went to the lowest place you could, being obedient to death, even death on the cross.

Because of that, God exalted him to the highest place. He gave him exceptional honor. Because of what Jesus did, God the Father then bestowed on him exceptional honor, an honor never before bestowed on anyone before or since. And God gave him the name that is above every name in heaven and in earth to bestow means to give or grant generously with goodwill God lavishly gave him this title of dignity now some of you may have seen something like this on television I doubt that anyone's seen it in person when the king bestows an honor on someone so in April of 1953 Winston Churchill appeared before Queen Elizabeth and she conferred upon him the title of Knight From that moment on all men whether they British or not all men referred to Winston Churchill as Sir Winston Churchill He had that title. well God placed Jesus in the highest rank of honor so that there is no dignity there is no title found either in heaven or earth that equals his he has the highest that can be granted what God asserts here is that Jesus went from the lowest point in the universe death in utter shame on a cross as a criminal and a blasphemer to the highest point in all the universe and God the Father conferred on Jesus the title Lord which is what we see in verse 11 we are to confess that he is Lord now how was that exaltation accomplished? just as there were steps down from glory to the lowest place so there are steps from that lowest place to glory what are those steps?

God the Father gave exceptional honor by these steps to glory what are they? God exalted his son, first of all, to the highest place by his resurrection. Now, we all know about the resurrection of Jesus. Everybody knows that. But you know what kind of resurrection it was? This was not just the reanimation of a body.

It was not just a body receiving life again. This is something entirely different. This is what we call glorification. That is, when Jesus raised from the dead, he wasn't just raised. So he was the same guy, you know, in the same body. It was the same body, but it was glorified.

That is, this body in which he was raised was no longer subject to corruption and death. That body was immortal. That body could never die. It was, nothing had ever been seen like it. Jesus had, if you read John chapter 11, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. What happened to Lazarus some years later?

He died. He died again. But Jesus isn't just reanimated life. Jesus was raised with a body that would never die. A body that was immortal. Now when Jesus was raised from the dead, he was given a name that is above all names.

Why? Because by it, God declared that the claims that Jesus made were indeed valid. In Romans chapter 1 verse 4 we read, The gospel concerns Jesus who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord. God declared him to be the Son of God with power through the resurrection.

Remember, Jesus was crucified as a blasphemer. On that horrible night, Pilate sought to free Jesus because he could find nothing in him that would cause him by Roman law to execute him. Do you remember what the bloodthirsty crowd replied? They said, we have a law and according to that law he must die because he claimed to be the son of God. Kill him. He claims to be the son of God.

He deserves death. He's a blasphemer. And when you look at the claims that Jesus made, they're unbelievable. I'll just pick one. This comes from John chapter 5. Listen to what Jesus says here.

For just as the Father, he's referring to God, for just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son, referring to himself, the son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it in other words just like god can save a person raised from dead i can do the same thing i can do the same thing god does moreover the father judges no one but has entrusted all judgment to the son you think you got to answer to god guess what you have to answer to me and then the last thing that all may honor the son just as they honor the father wow what a claim you got to give me this is jesus standing there teaching these people he says you have to give me the same honor that you give god my goodness what is he claiming he claims the ability to save and the authority to judge and to top it all off everyone must give him that is jesus the same honor that they give to the only true God. And yet, so can you see why they called him a blasphemer? Can you see why they accused him of blasphemy?

Why? Because if that's not true, listen, if that's not true, Jesus is the worst blasphemer that ever existed. but guess what God raised this accused blasphemer from the grave overturning the accusation overturning the verdict overturning the sentence and declares he is exactly who he claims to be that's what the resurrection means if you're here wanting to check off the box that says one of those things I don't know what to do with I'm telling you what to do with it. Either believe Jesus is who he says he is, or he's a blasphemer.

That's the only choices you have. If he isn't raised from the dead, if Jesus never came out of the grave, he is indeed a blasphemer and he got what he deserved But God raised him from the dead overturning that accusation and that sentence When Jesus was raised from the dead, God gave him the name that is above every name because by it, God declared that he accepted his perfect obedience and his atoning work. If Jesus' bones are still in a grave somewhere, that means he's no different than you and me.

That means that the penalty that God has imposed on all humankind, death, that Jesus is no different than us, he's a sinner. Because he died. And if his bones are still in that grave, he's no different. He's a sinner. But God raised him from the dead. And the resurrection says that God the Father honored his work.

For death, the penalty for sin was vanquished by him. It could not hold him, which means the penalty was paid in full. How do you respond to this resurrected Christ? You cannot ignore him. You cannot ignore him. My friend, if you don't believe that Jesus has been raised from the dead, then you must say he is a blasphemer.

You respond to him in faith for salvation. Or you ignore him for your judgment. Can I just put it plainly to you? Either you believe what he says and can be saved, or you say he's a blasphemer. But if he has been resurrected from the dead, then he's also the judge. And you cannot ignore him.

Listen, you cannot ignore Jesus. You can't ignore him. It's one or the other. God now here's the next step God exalted his son to the highest place by his ascension now I realize that we don't have a lot of time so take my word for it if you can jot this down look it up later Acts chapter 1 what happens Jesus has spent several weeks with the disciples a little over a month and they're walking with him and they're outside Jerusalem and all of a sudden they see him just going up in heaven it says they stared up into heaven until Jesus ascended was hidden by a cloud and they're standing there staring all of a sudden these two what look like men standing there and say why are you staring in heaven this one that you saw ascended into heaven will come again same way you saw him go he's coming back and so he was ascended before the very eyes of the disciples he ascended into the presence of God to the right hand of God In the very next chapter of Acts, Peter, after the resurrection on the feast of Pentecost, gets up and preaches a sermon.

And he says, this Jesus that you crucified, God made him both Lord and Savior and exalted him to the right hand of God. Now he's no longer, Jesus is no longer the object of pain, sorrow, ridicule, hostility, opposition, and unbelief. But rather, he is now the object of praise and worship and adoration. one writer put it this way the angels have resumed their song of praise for the lord of heaven has returned what a contrast to the abuse and insults he endured while on earth yet the song of praise now goes beyond that which was sung before his incarnation for a new stanza has been added jesus has done something which he had not done previous to his incarnation personally experienced and overcome death.

And so now he receives the praise and adoration of all the heavenly creatures. This is Christ's transition to glory. Begun at the resurrection, it's perfected at the ascension. Jesus was given great honor by God in the ascension because by that ascension, God declares that the sacrifice Jesus made was made to him and that it must be presented to him in the sanctuary, in the inner sanctuary.

And that it is enough. It is sufficient. Turn over to Hebrews chapter 9. Hebrews chapter 9. We'll begin reading in verse 24. For Christ has entered not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.

Do you see what he's saying? Jesus ascended into heaven, not just into some sky, but he ascended into the temple, the real temple, not one made with hands, but the eternal temple to appear before God on our behalf, on his people's behalf. Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. you see what he says it's it's enough he doesn't have to keep offering himself like the old testament priest but as it is he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself and just as it is a point for man to die once and then after that comes the judgment so christ having been offered once to bear the sins of many will appear a second time not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him because because God accepted the sacrifice of Jesus, he was admitted into glory.

Again, you cannot ignore this Jesus. You cannot ignore this. You know, those of you who may be here who don't believe, the ascension proves that there's only one way to God. It proves that the only way to God is through Jesus. And believer, you have confidence to come into his presence. In the same book, Hebrews chapter 10, Therefore verse 19 therefore we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus So God exalted his son to the highest place through His ascension in which He now is in heaven interceding for us And God accepting what He has done.

But that's not all. God exalted His Son to the highest place by His enthronement. That is, by seating Him on His right hand. In Hebrews 1, verse 3, This very same book we just looked at, Hebrews 1.3, after he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty in heaven. He sat down at the right hand of God. Jesus ascended to occupy the place at God the Father's right hand.

Now to be at the right hand of the king, to be at the right hand of the king, is to share in the glory and the rule of that king. Right? Where do you think we get the idea, he's my right-hand man? This Jesus now shares the glory and the rule of God. At God's right hand, he exercises his rule as king. That right hand denotes participation in the government and the honor and the glory.

Someone might say, wasn't Jesus sovereign before? Yes, he was, but after the incarnation, going to that lowest point, being resurrected now enthroned, he is publicly inaugurated. Everybody knows it's Jesus. Everybody knows that he's the one who's received the government of heaven and earth as well as his church. The actual administration of power has been committed into his hands.

And so Jesus rules today as king. In fact, in Ephesians chapter 1, we read these words, God raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places and put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church. In other words, Jesus now rules over everything for the benefit of the church, his people. think that thought with me now he's been enthroned he is king he's ruling everything for the benefit of his people all of history is moving forward to the place where we will be vindicated Jesus is ruling over all the events of this world for our good for our good we may today we may today be angry discouraged when we read that President of the United States issued a proclamation making today Transgender Visibility Day and you know what that may make us angry and that may make us discouraged but yet we need to remember this Jesus is ruling over all even our President for the benefit of the church.

In some way, this is moving towards our good. We need to remember that. When you get discouraged, when you think you're starting to lose hope, you remember Jesus has been enthroned at the right hand of God. And that throne, that exercise of authority is for our good. You need to recognize as well here why God the Father exalts His Son. Why did He exalt Him such?

Let's look at verses 10 and 11 of our text. So that, why did He exalt Him? So that, at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Now, for one reason why God the Father exalted Him is because He suffered humiliation. Remember the therefore of verse 9.

Because he suffered this humiliation, he exalted himself. Because Jesus humbled himself, God promised to exalt him. And since he was a public person and his work was done publicly, justice required that his exaltation should be just as public. And so he was raised from the dead. And God the Father, note this, God the Father exalted his Son in order to encourage us to humble ourselves. you see this text is what it begins we began in verse one why because he's saying look don't do anything out of conceit or don't do anything for your own glory put others interests above your own put others interests above your own why because that's what Jesus did and because Jesus did that he was exalted now you know what the context of this passage is in chapter four remember Paul is writing to a church in the little city of Philippi and he's talking in verse 4 he talks about Iodia and Syntyche two women in the church they weren't getting along they were they were at odds and the church was kind of starting to form teams right and he's writing them and say no that's not the way of Christ Christ didn't if if Jesus was all about looking after his own interest do you think he would have come and died such a humiliating death?

No. And so therefore God exalted him. So therefore you, you put other interests, others interests above your own. You be humble. And remember, whatever happens to Jesus is our lot as well. All the way through, you read through the New Testament, you see whatever happens to Jesus is going to happen to us.

What does that mean? It It means you too will be exalted. It means you too will be vindicated. It means it's not for nothing. He exalted Jesus, he'll exalt you. Not in the same fashion, of course, but he will exalt you.

If Jesus suffered, we too will suffer. And if he's glorified, then we too will be glorified with him. But most importantly, God exalted His Son so that He would be the universal object of worship. Notice what He says, that He exalted Him, why? So that the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth. All of created reality should bow the name to Jesus. and every tongue confess that He is Lord.

God exalted Jesus so that you would worship and obey Him today. That you would worship Jesus by exalting Jesus and giving Him the title Lord. Everything must change in your life. Everything must change. You must bow to Him. You must confess Him to be Lord above all your other loyalties. he's got the loyalties you remember the early christians went through a time where the caesar wanted to consolidate his power of course and so every subject of the roman empire had to go to a temple, temple built to the Caesar, drop in some incense and declare Caesar is Lord.

And the early Christians wouldn't do it. So we can't do that because Jesus is Lord. Caesar is not Lord. Jesus, this resurrected one, he is Lord. And they lost their lives for that. But they also believe that that Lord was resurrected and they would be resurrected too and they could take death now because they knew a day was coming when they'd be raised along with him or they'd be raised like him in a body that was immortal but they could not say Caesar is Lord because Jesus was Lord what does that mean by exalting Jesus God expects you to reorient reorient your entire life to Christ's agenda that means you going to be a different person at work That means you going to be a different person at home You going to be a different husband You going to be a different kind of wife You going to be a different kind of child if you claim to be a different person at work That means you going to be a different person at home You going to be a different husband You going to be a different kind of wife You going to be a different kind of child if you claim Jesus as Lord because you submitting to what He says.

What He says overrides everything else. He is your Lord, and you will live the way He says. That's what it means. And someday when Jesus returns, that future day, every knee will bow before him someday every single tongue every single person that has ever existed in this world every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord the whole world will recognize that Jesus is what he claimed to be he may have been misunderstood and insulted and betrayed in the days of his life on earth but in that last day when he reaches the zenith of his exaltation every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord he will be recognized as the true and the living God for this is the confession of salvation that comes from God turn for a moment to Isaiah 45 Isaiah 45 verses 22 verse 22 turn to me and be saved all the ends of the earth for I am God and there is no other by myself I have sworn from my mouth that has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return to me every knee shall bow every tongue shall swear allegiance only in the Lord it shall be said of me our righteousness and strength to him shall come to him shall come and be ashamed all who are in sense against him in the Lord all the offspring of Israel shall be justified and shall glory now do you notice to me every knee shall bow and every tongue shall swear allegiance do you see that the apostle Paul is making a reference to that here who is saying these words God himself and what is God saying through the apostle Paul he saying you know how I said every knees is going to bow to me every knee is going to bow to Jesus What do you think that says What do you think that says about Jesus?

And you know what? Our text says, and God will be glorified in it. Now, I hope you've seen Jesus today in all his glory, exalted by God to the place of highest honor if you're trusting him today that is you have said to yourself you've said to god i am a sinner i am under your judgment i look to jesus he took the judgment in my place i'm my hopes in him i'm just going to trust in him and god says then he is your lord and you are saved if you're trusting him today then he is your god and your savior but if you are today not believing antagonistic or even indifferent to him then he is also lord but he is also judge the jesus who rose from the dead and is seated at the right hand of god is this day offering mercy but on that day that we hear that we see here every tongue will confess i want you to think of this with me every single one of you here right now every one of you will someday bow before Jesus and confess that He is Lord.

Every one of us. As sure as you're looking at me, you will be looking at Jesus. And if your entire life you have neglected Him, rejected Him, you have not confessed Him as Lord, on that very day, you will bow before Him and you will confess that He is Lord. Sure as I'm standing here, that is what's going to happen. For those who have already bowed and confessed, that will be a delightful duty.

But for those who refuse now to bow and confess, that will be a day of damning terror. Which would you have? Which would you have? Here is Jesus seated on the throne This very day he offers you mercy He says you don have to face Me that way I extending to you mercy And while the day is here, there is mercy. While we live, there is mercy. But if you reject His mercy now, you will confess Him as Lord.

If you don't confess Him as Lord now, you surely will that day. But it will be a terror. You do not have to die. you do not have to wait and face him as your judge because he invites you to come to him he's inviting you now he has the authority to judge but he also has the ability and the willingness to save which will you have which will you have this Jesus has been exalted the resurrection says here he is exalted to the highest place respond to him respond to him today don't wait Father oh how we can glory in the resurrection of Jesus because by that resurrection he showed that he is the one who can save and by the resurrection he is the one who says I will save Father help us to see him as a Lord who even pleads with us why will you turn away why will you not come and find this free salvation free the lord helps us to realize that he is lord to which we give our allegiance and our obedience and that in trusting him there is life and that this one who's been resurrection resurrected has conquered death so in believing in him we no longer fear death no longer fear death because he has vanquished it thank you for such a mighty savior now God I would pray that all who are here would look to him in hope thank you for your word that explains to us the meaning of Jesus' resurrection we pray this in his name amen Thank you.