Phil 2:9-11 "Exalt Christ"

I would invite you to please start making your way to Philippians chapter two, as that is where we will be at for today.

Philippians chapter two, and we are gonna be in verses nine through 11 for this morning, which we'll be transitioning into this afternoon here shortly.

Philippians chapter two, verses nine through 11.

Let's go ahead before you read this text, as we normally and typically do, let us pray and prepare our minds for what

God has prepared for us today, what God has commanded and taught us today. Let's pray. God, I would ask,

Lord, that we would be thankful towards your son today. Lord, that we would recognize

Christ, his name, his essence, his being, his actions, his victory, that we mourn his death, but celebrate his resurrection today,

Lord, that this text would cut deep into our souls and that it would renew our inner being, our soul,

Lord, that we would sing a mightier song to you that our children would know more clearly of who you are,

Lord, that our grandchildren would see individuals, loved ones that love you.

Lord, help this text encourage us this week and be glorified through the reading and the teaching of your text today.

We say this in your name, amen. Philippians chapter two, verses nine through 11 today.

Let us read this text. Therefore, God also highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is

Lord to the glory of God the Father. That is our text today.

Let's read to verses 15 to understand where this text is taking us. So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, so that you will be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.

We are going to be looking at verses nine through 11 today. Let us pray again before we start examining this text.

God, Lord, I would ask that you would open hearts, open eyes, help ears understand what this text has,

Lord. I would ask, Lord, that you would bless even my tongue to utter this text correctly in the understanding, the interpretation of this text in a way that would glorify you.

Lord, help keep our minds focused on you today. Help us glorify you.

Lord, help us be thankful and just show gratitude towards what you have done for us,

Lord. Let us marvel in awe over what you have here for us, Lord. Let us not leave this room thinking little of you,

Lord, but help us leave this room thinking in awe and wanting to know more. Lord, quench our thirst for you today.

Help our cups run over in your goodness. And Lord, help us exalt your name in our own lives, in our families, in our church, in our work, in everything that we do,

Lord. And we say this name in the name that has been bestowed upon him, the name that is above every name, and that is the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

So before we look here at verse nine, just to reemphasize the context in our minds on what is going on in this text, this is being written by Paul to the church of Philippi, Philippi, Philippi, different ways to pronounce it, but he's writing this letter to this church while he himself is in prison, while he himself is in chains, while he himself is in suffering.

And he's writing this letter to this church, and what have we seen so far as the context of what this chapter is teaching this local church?

Humility, right? That's what we've been seeing over and over and over again. Have this type of thinking in you, the same type of attitude that was in Christ Jesus, have this type of thinking in yourself that you regard one another as more important than yourself because he who existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but he emptied himself, taking the form of a bond slave, being obedient to the point of death, even death upon a cross.

This is a humility that's being spoken about in here. And so through Christ's humility, we're going to see what the outcome of these things are today.

We looked last week in verses eight, here in verse eight, let me read this.

Being found in the appearance of man, he humbled himself by being obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

So last week we examined this life and death of Christ, this life and death of Christ.

And so now we have a transition in the text that takes place. We have the outcome, the what took place after that gruesome and terrible death.

Let's look here in verse nine. Therefore, therefore, this is interesting to think about, because of what

Christ has done in his humility and his perfect life and his death, his atoning death for you and I, therefore,

God also highly exalted him.

Because Christ was humbled before, because Christ was obedient, because Christ was made in the form of a slave, because Christ has died upon a cross,

God has done something for him and to him and through him that Christ has now been exalted, that his name has been exalted here.

This text, this Greek word highly exalted, what does this word mean? It means to bestow honor or status far beyond what is usually in magnitude of degree, conceived in a terms of lifting something to an uncommonly high position.

That's what this word highly exalted means. We see that this language of being elevated and us recognizing him as this high name, as we ought to do, only again makes sense in the status of we recognizing him as this tender shoot, this appearance that has been marred beyond all appearances that by looking at Christ, there was no glorious stature when we first saw him, that when he died and he bore our wounds, there was nothing that wanted to draw our eyes towards him, that it was not a thing that was glorious to look at when we first look at Jesus.

When we first have been, when the atheist and the unbeliever thinks of Jesus, they think of him as this defeated human being, but now our hearts and our minds see him as something far, far greater than that.

We see him exalted as we ought to see him. Therefore, God has also highly exalted him, that his name, his being, his essence has been lifted up and we now see him for who he is.

This is very, when I was in middle school, I still remember learning this in music and I would maybe turn to Rick to ask him if this is true, but from my understanding is that you can get to a certain point in music that you can't get any louder, right?

You play it as loud as you possibly can and that note has now met its match. You can't get it any louder.

Well, in order to make something sound louder than what it already is, you drop the note before it.

You drop it down to silence. You have a pause in the music so that everybody's ears get adjusted down low and then you give it back up to its high note, right?

You see this take place in heavy metal or whatever type of music it is that if they wanna make something louder than what the loudness already has had, you have a low point in the note.

You have a low point in the music and that's what brings about this high music note and that's what we have here in this text that God who is deserving of all glory, praise and honor, here he is made low and he hears crucify.

He receives the wounds for you and I. He receives that thorny crown. He receives all this terribleness and now

Christ is again has this high. He's been exalted back to the status where he's receiving honor and glory and praise.

Therefore, God also highly exalted him and this is marvelous to think about that here we have

God also exalted him highly and bestowed on him the name which is above every name.

This name of Jesus, Jesus in Greek, this name of Yahweh will save.

That is what this Greek name means. Yah saves, Jesus.

I wanna read a couple of texts where Jesus' name is mentioned for us just to help remind us of what

Jesus' name means and some of the interactions that take place because this name

Jesus was given to Jesus when? Well, at his birth, when Jesus was born, right?

He was named Jesus. Matthew 1 .21, she will bear a son and you shall call his name

Jesus. And now we have the definition of Jesus here in this text. Matthew 1 .21, it says, you shall call his name

Jesus for he will save his people from their sins.

Yahweh will save Jesus. Yahweh will save his people.

This name was given to Jesus there at the birth. And then here in John 19, again, we're looking at just three examples of Jesus' name that's used in the multitude of times that it is used in the

New Testament. John 19 .19, it says, and Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross.

It was written, Jesus, the Nazarene, the king of the

Jews. Jesus, the

Nazarene, the king of the Jews. Acts 2 .21,

another example of where Jesus' name is used or is implied in this text.

Acts 2 .21, and it will be that everyone who calls on the name of the

Lord will be saved. So we see in this text at the beginning of Jesus' life,

Jesus, he will save his people. And then at the end of his life, before he is crucified, Jesus, the

Nazarene, Jesus, the one who will save his people from the sins, who is from Nazareth, the king of the

Jews. And now in Acts post -resurrection, post -exaltation to the right hand of the

Father, we have now Peter saying and using this quotation, and it will be that everyone who calls upon that name of Jesus Christ will be saved.

This name, Jesus, Yezus, has been highly exalted.

It is the greatest name. It is the name that is above every name. The name

Jesus means Yahweh saves. Now, it's really interesting today, if you go and ask anybody in the world, it seems like, you can go up and ask, have you ever heard of the name

Jesus before? I do this all the time in evangelism. Have you ever heard of an individual named

Jesus? And almost everyone says, yeah, absolutely. His name is more famous than any other name there is.

You ask somebody, who is Jesus? They undoubtedly almost always will say, I do know who

Jesus is. There's only been one encounter that I had somebody genuinely say, no,

I haven't. What is that? It was these three refugee boys in twin once doing evangelism and they had no clue.

They were wearing Jordan stuff and they knew who Michael Jordan was, but they genuinely told me they had no clue, no understanding, never heard of Jesus Christ before.

But by and large, you go to your neighbor today and what's the most famous name that you can ask them?

Who is Braden? Who is Rick? Who is Carl? Who is Emily? And they might not know who you're talking about, but if you say, who is

Jesus? They'll say, oh, I know Jesus. That's a name

I've heard before. But this is where I think it gets a little sad because that's usually typically where their knowledge of who

Jesus ends. They might have some obscure understanding of, oh yeah, he gave sight to the blind or oh yes, he did this miracle or oh yes, he died on a cross, but they don't understand that he who existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but he emptied himself.

They don't understand that. They don't know that this Jesus said, unless you believe

I am, you shall die in your sins. They don't know him as the Yahweh in flesh.

They think of him as this good man, this teacher or this prophetic fulfillment or something along those lines, but they don't know him as what?

Their savior. They don't know him as the Lord of lords. They don't know him as king of kings.

They don't know him as these things. This name that has been highly exalted and bestowed upon Jesus, this being that died for us, the name that is above all names, does your neighbor recognize him as such is where I'm going with this.

The next question is, do you recognize him as this? Does people in your workplace, do people in your home, do people in your neighborhood know the

Jesus that you preach and yet you confess and believe in? I would imagine that the angels in heaven are singing glorious things about Jesus right now presently, that if you were in heaven, you couldn't go a second without hearing the praises of Jesus being sung.

And that's because his name is above every other name there possibly is, that he is to be exalted and known.

Is that a present reality for us? Is that a present reality for us today? Does everything that we do in our life, is it surrounded and focused on wanting to exalt the name of Jesus?

Tell people about who he is, that everything we do and the humility that we show towards our neighbor and our church, is it for the purpose to exalt

Jesus's name? And we ultimately always fell at this. Do you and your marriage exalt

Jesus? Do you and your family exalt the name of Jesus? Do you and church, this is an important one because where are we at right now?

We are the local body of Christ right here in Hagerman. Do you and your church seek to exalt

Jesus? Do you exalt his name here in church? Do you exalt his name in your personal life?

Or does your answer look a lot like the world's answer? Yeah, I know

Jesus. Is it more leaning on that kind of an answer or is it more leaning on the answer of Jesus is

Lord and that his name is exalted continually forever? I'm worried and concerned that we as in our sin nature end up falling more towards the yeah,

I know him. Yeah, it's this almost meaningless thing to us to use this name that is exalted above all other names,

Jesus Christ. Let's look here in verse nine and read it again. Therefore, God also highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name.

And now let's look here in verse 10, what it says. So that at the name of Jesus, this is so important to think about this here, church.

So at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth.

This is a very interesting thing that Paul is using in here. It's already been clearly seen in verse six that Paul has expressed that Jesus Christ is

God, that he existed in the form of God. This text in verse 10 is a clear demonstration that Paul is confessing

Jesus as God. You might say how, Brayden, I don't see how that could be.

Listen, so that at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow. And in verse 11, we have another quotation so that every tongue will confess.

So we have two quotations in this text that take place. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess.

Where is that quoting from in this text? It's quoting from Isaiah chapter 45 verses 21 through chapter 46 verse one.

I wanted to have us turn there and see this because this is so, so important.

Isaiah 45 verses 21, please turn there if you can. Isaiah chapter 45 verse 21, and we'll read all the way to chapter 46 verse one.

It's not that long of a text, but please turn in Isaiah chapter 45. And as you're turning your way there, as a reminder,

Isaiah 43 all the way to Isaiah 47 is a text that I go to with any

LDS individual or Jehovah Witness or anybody that denies there being one God and also that denies

Jesus as being God. And the reason why is Isaiah 43 all the way to Isaiah 47, there's a continual theme that takes place and that there is only one

God, there's none before nor after, that God knows no other God like himself, that there is only one being

God, this one being Yahweh. That's the context that's taking place here in Isaiah chapter 45.

So look at this, this is truly marvelous and awe to think about this.

Isaiah 45 verse 21, let's read this. Declare and draw near with your case.

Indeed, let them consult together. Who has made this heard from old? And I wanna pause here and just help us think about this.

Earlier in the text, God has already spoken through the prophet Isaiah in this way that the way that you can see that God is so much different than any idol, any carven image out there, any false god and false idol is

God is almost posing a sarcastic question. Which one of the gods that you worship, Babylon, which one of these gods has ever told you what tomorrow is going to bring?

Which God has ever told you in years to come what's going to take place? Who has declared it before it has happened is

God's question in here. God's sovereignty, his predestination, his foreknowledge is a testament to what?

Him being the only being, the only God that could do such.

It's what separates him from the false idols. It's truly miraculous in this text.

Indeed, let them consult together. Who has made this heard from old? It's what separates him from these false idols.

Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, Yahweh? Or in your text it might say, is it not

I, the Lord? Is it not I, Yahweh, that has done this? And there is no other

God besides me, a righteous God and a

Savior. There is none except me.

Is Jesus Christ our Savior? Is not God the one that says,

I am the only Savior? There is none other than I. Right there, that should cue us into saying

Jesus Christ is God in flesh. But it does not end there.

For I'm God and there is no other, verse 23. I have sworn by myself, the word has gone forth from my mouth in righteousness and I will not turn back.

That to whom? That to me, this is

Yahweh speaking in this text. I wanna read this again. That to me, every knee will bow and every tongue will swear allegiance or every tongue will confess.

They will say of me, only in Yahweh are righteousness and strength.

What does the name of Jesus mean again? Yahweh saves. They will say of me, only in Yahweh are righteousness and strength.

Or your translation might say, only in the Lord are righteousness and strength. That word Lord is this word

Yahweh here. Man will come to me and all who are angry at him will be put to shame.

In Yahweh, all the seed of Israel will be justified and will boast.

So how is one justified? How can one boast that they are saved?

It's by being in Yahweh. Immediately your mind should be thinking, well how does the

New Testament talk about this? Being in Christ, being the body of Christ is how you are saved. That he dies for you on the cross, that he rises again on the third day and that through this, him being your representative, that you are saved by him being your propitiation.

You are saved by being in Yahweh, you are saved.

That he is your salvation and your salvation and no one else. In Yahweh, all the seed of Israel will be justified and will boast.

Now listen to this next text. This is something else that's contextually important for us. Chapter 46 verse one, when this was first written, there is no chapter break or verse division.

This is all one text for us to read. So let us look here. Bell has bowed down. This is false gods that Isaiah is prophesying about.

Bell has bowed down, Nebo stoops over. Their images are on the beasts of the cattle.

The things that you carry are burdensome, a load for a weary beast.

What is this prophesying about? The day when Cyrus will come in and conquer Babylon and Nebo, the gods of Babylonia, when they are conquered, all these false images literally are falling over and they're being carried out of the town by cattle.

That's what is recorded for us happening. This is what it's prophesying about. That Bell and Nebo stoop over.

I'm gonna read, stay in Isaiah 45 for just a moment, but Philippians chapter two, verse 10.

So that at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow.

Isaiah 45 verse 23, I have sworn by myself, the word has gone forth from my mouth in righteousness and I will not turn back.

That to me, every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.

They will say of me only in Yahweh are righteousness and strength. Man will come to him.

So let's pause and think about this. The knee that is bowing, what does that language, what does that saying mean?

What does that mean for us? There's two types of people, two types of things that are going on here in Isaiah 45 where Paul is quoting from and pulling this concept for here in Philippians chapter two.

Every knee bowing, there's an eschatological view that has used this verse and this isn't the only verse that they use so I don't want to outright say that this is wrong, but you cannot look at Philippians chapter two and say that every knee that is bowing is one of salvation, that all the world will be saved.

That's not what that text is saying. A lot of people will think that the knee bowing means salvation.

That's not what it is saying in here. Paul is quoting from a text where there's two types of people.

Man will come to me and all who were angry at him will be put to shame.

You either bow your knee because you've been conquered in salvation or you bow your knee because you have the wrath of God being poured out upon you in judgment.

Why do I say that? All will bow their knee and all who were angry at him will be put to shame and all men that will come to him will be justified and will boast.

The ones that come to him in happiness and joy and being drawn and converted will be justified and their boast will be

Yahweh. Those that don't come to him and those that are angry at him, they will be put to shame and the example that's given to us about the knee being bowed is the false gods of Babylon.

Bel, he will stoop over and bow his knee. Nebo, he will be conquered and he will bow his knee.

All of Babylon that will reject and hate God's people here in Isaiah 45, they will bow their knee in judgment to God.

But to the ones that seek after Yahweh, to the ones that love him, the ones that adore him, their confession will be only in Yahweh our righteousness and strength.

In Yahweh, all the seed of Israel will be justified and will boast. Acts 4, chapter 4, verse 12, and there is salvation in no one else for there is no name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.

You see in the New Testament that there is only one name that has salvation and that is Jesus Christ.

And in the Old Testament, it says that there's only one name, Yahweh. Do you not see that Paul is arguing for what?

That Jesus Christ is Yahweh in flesh. That the way that Yahweh is going to save us is that it's through the name of Jesus, through the work of Jesus that we will be saved.

What Paul has done is he's taken a text that is explicitly about Yahweh and both those that seek him for righteousness and those that hate him, they bow their knee to him.

He now applies that to what name? That at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow.

Those that are in heaven, those that are on the earth, and those that are under the earth.

Let's go back to Philippians chapter two and think about this for a moment. There's some different thinking about what that meaning, that saying is.

Those that are in the heaven and on earth and under the earth, what is that getting at? Well, if you're in heaven and you have died, you could say that you're justified, that you had faith in Jesus that you were saved, right?

So those that are saved, they bow their knee to God. Those that are on the earth, those that are on the earth consist of both justified and unjustified people, right?

That's true even today. Well, if you are justified, I hope you raise your hand and say,

I bow the knee, right? I bow the knee to Jesus, my savior. I am saved by him.

He's my only righteousness. He's my only strength. In him alone I boast, right? Well, today there's people that are angry at him, right?

There's people that sin against him, that hate him, that do not seek him. And what does Isaiah 45 say about them?

They will be put to shame. So today all people on earth will bow the knee again.

Let me be clear in that. You either bow the knee in salvation or you bow the knee in judgment.

Every knee bows, every knee bows. Or those that are under the earth.

In my opinion, when I read this, because it's already talked about those that are in heaven, those that are on earth, those that are under the earth is speaking about those that have died without Christ, those that are unjustified is what

I'm saying that's taking place in this text. That's what I think is taking place. Because it said those in heaven, those that are on earth, those that are living right now, and then those that have died and are not in heaven, those people are under the earth.

They have their knee been bowed to God in shame.

That is what they have bowed their knee to. I think you see this again, just not trying to chase too many rabbits here as we need to get through these things.

But you even see in the example of Lazarus and the rich man, Lazarus is pleading with God, send somebody to tell my brothers, send somebody, send somebody from the dead to tell my brothers about you, because I don't like what

I'm in. He's bowing his knee to God in that sense. He is put to shame. Those that are gnashing the teeth, those that are weeping in hell for eternity, they are bowing the knee to God in shame.

That's what they are doing. So we could say today, whether an individual likes it or not, whether you believe in God or not, they are bowing the knee in some way or in some sense.

So at that point, we can say, so that in the name of Jesus, every knee will bow.

Let's look at verse 11. And again, there's so much that we can talk about in here.

I was wanting to go to Matthew 25, verses 31 through 34. Again, in that text, you have

Jesus gathering all peoples to himself, and he separates the sheep. He puts the sheep on his right side.

He puts the goats on his left, and he says to the sheep, come to, it says in that text, then the king will say to those on his right, come you who are blessed by my father, inherit the kingdom which has been prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

So before creation takes place, God had prepared a place for his sheep to be.

And then to the lions on his left, he says, depart from me, and to the place that was prepared for the devil and his angels.

Let's look here at verse 11. And in that, every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is

Lord. This is again, quoting from Isaiah 45, as we saw earlier with some additional commentary being given by Paul in an inspired way that's only magnifying the truths they're taught in Isaiah 45.

But the point that I want you to see is that this text is a text that magnifies

Jesus's deity. Think about if this,

I'm gonna use somebody else for the example. Let's say Lydia, for example. Would you not think it's blasphemous to say, at the name of Lydia, all knees will bow.

Would you not say that that is blasphemous? No, that's a title that can only be applied to God according to Isaiah 45.

Why do we not say it's blasphemous to Jesus when it says, at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow.

The reason it's not blasphemous is because Jesus is Yahweh.

It's not violated the text. It's not blasphemous. Jesus is Yahweh. Again, what has this whole text been leading up to?

That God became flesh in humility. He is still existing as God.

He, through humility, has died for us. And now, after his resurrection, his name, his being, has been exalted.

And we worship this being God. And that at his name, Jesus, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess.

Now, again, Matthew 25, verse 37, it says, then the righteous will answer him.

Listen to this. I thought this was remarkable. So Matthew 25, where it talks about the sheep and the goats being separated, he says that the sheep will say this, then the righteous will answer him, saying,

Lord, when did we see you hunger and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?

We're not reading this whole text, for that is another day that we should go through Matthew 25. But then also see this.

On the topic of every tongue will confess Jesus Christ is Lord. Matthew 25, verses 44 through 46 is speaking about the goats and what they will say.

Then they themselves also will answer, saying, Lord, when did we see you hunger, or thirsty, or estranged, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of you?

Then he, Jesus, will answer them, saying, truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.

And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

Both groups have bowed their knee, both groups have confessed him as Lord. One is justified because they have found their life in Yahweh, the only name that gives life, and the other one has been angry at him, and they have been put to shame.

Both groups have done these things. So this is a true text. Every knee will bow, every tongue will confess

Jesus as Lord. Jesus is Lord whether people like it or not.

Jesus is Lord of Lord, not depending upon the people that confess it to be true. Jesus is Lord regardless.

Jesus sits today at the right hand of the Father, living as Lord, living as King.

The question then is, do the hearts of those that are living, do you either boast in him or do you boast about yourself?

Do you recognize him as your substitution or do you seek your own works?

Do you acknowledge what he has done on your behalf or do you seek out your own fig leaves to cover yourself?

Do you see him as an atonement for your sins or do you see him not needed for your sins?

Not everyone, everyone will confess him as Lord. Everyone will bow his knee to him, but not everyone sees him as their salvation.

Only those that are his sheep. Acts 4, 11 through 12, we will end in this text.

He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief cornerstone.

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven which has been given among men by which we must be saved.

Verse 10 again here in Philippians 2, so that at the name of Jesus, Yahweh saves.

Every knee will bow of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth. And that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is

Lord to the glory of God, the Father. Brothers and sisters,

I would ask you today, if you are not actively in your life, bowing the knee and confessing

Jesus is Lord in a way that magnifies your salvation, you have only in Yahweh that you ought to do these things so that you can glorify

God. What was the question today for the catechism for the children? How are you gonna glorify

God and enjoy Him forever? The way that you do that is by bowing your knee and confessing

Jesus is Lord. That is how you glorify God. And that can look like a lot of different things in our own personal lives, but you must bow the knee.

Others should see it, they should recognize it because guess what? Those that don't seek Him for salvation, they too are bowing the knee in shame.

So tell them about Jesus the Christ so that God will be glorified. Let us pray.

Lord God, I thank you for this text. I thank you for that stone, Lord, the chief cornerstone of our salvation.

Lord, I thank you for your righteousness. I thank you for your strength.

Lord, I thank you for each one of the knees that are in this room. Lord, I thank you that we will bow our knee to you and we recognize you as Lord, but we also recognize you as our shepherd, as our atonement, as our salvation.

That for us, when we say who Jesus Christ is, it's not just this meaningless thing, but that you have saved us, that we have a relationship with you,

Lord. God, I would ask that through all that we do as a church, that that would be our end, would be to glorify you and to enjoy you forever,

Lord. God, we say these things in your name. Yahweh saves you, Jesus Christ.

Amen. Brothers and sisters, please stand with me as we sing our final song today.