THURSDAY 10th
Philippians 2:1-11
NIV (v9-11) – ‘Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’
ESV (vv9-11) – ‘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.’
The heading in the ESV that I use has for these first eleven verses in chapter 2, ‘Christ’s example of humility’, Paul is teaching from the example of the Lord Jesus Christ what humility truly is. He says have the same mind, the same love that Christ exhibited, don’t do anything to put yourself up on a pedestal, but rather out of humility think of others as being more important than yourself, and don’t selfishly think of only yourselves but think of others, consider their needs – be like Jesus. This is one of the reasons why society does not want Jesus and the message about Jesus because it stands in stark contrast to what fallen humanity is like, fallen humanity is self-centred, egocentric, and selfish. See the message of the Cross calls us to die to self, to love others and to consider one another. The devil would rather see us be self, self and even more self, satisfying our own inner desires, satisfying the lust of the eyes and the desires of the flesh.
Christ is our great example, we see it in the gospel of John where he girds a towel and stoops down to wash the disciple’s feet, but here in Philippians 2 we are reminded that he stooped down from the heavenly realm to earth, he could have remained in that place of holding tight to the position of equality with God, but no, he emptied himself, I like what the Amplified version says here in the Zondervan Edition, ‘he emptied himself [without renouncing or diminishing His deity, but only temporarily giving up the outward expression of divine equality and His rightful dignity] by assuming the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men [He being completely human but was without sin, being fully God and fully man]. (Philippians 2:7-8 AMP) And he humbled himself further, not just in stooping to wash the feet of his disciples, but by being obedient to his Fathers will and submitting to death, even death on a Cross. He did not have to do it, he could have remained in heaven at his Father’s side, enjoying glory, but no, instead of thinking of himself he was thinking of you and me. That is humility, as Paul puts it in verse 3 ‘. . . but in humility count others as more significant than yourselves.’
As a result of his humility it leads to those great verses that we love which are our text for today, starting with the word ‘therefore’. That is because of what happened before, something follows on, and the ‘what happened before’, was Jesus’ humility and humbling of himself which led to the ‘what happened after’, his glorious exaltation. He stooped to earth, he stooped to the Cross, he stooped to the grave, but resulting from his obedience was triumphant resurrection a conquering victory, and a glorious ascension and Jesus is back where he belongs, at his Father’s side, exalted with a name which is above every name, not just Jesus Christ, but Lord, so that every knee should bow in heaven and upon earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
This is a sobering thought ‘that every knee should bow . . . and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord . . .’ It speaks of a future day when ultimately everyone will be found standing in the presence of Jesus, yes, everyone! Regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnicity, sex and RELIGION, that is religious or non-religious, using the three categories that we often use, whether theist, agnostic or atheist, there is one thing for sure denying the existence of God does not make him non-existent, he is still there and the atheistic person will suddenly realise the error of his way, the religious person will suddenly realise the error of relying on good works, the agnostic will suddenly realise the error of not making up ones mind, those going down the road to destruction will suddenly realise there was another road, a road that led to life everlasting, and everyone along with those of us who already believe and declare it will have to utter from their lips while bowing the knee before him, ‘Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.’ But then it will be too late, for now, today is the day of salvation, and if you are an unbeliever reading this, why not today, hear his voice and respond as he calls you to come to him for salvation.
And for those of us who believe, how about realising afresh the challenge not only of the gospel call, but the ringing out of the gospel, for we are charged with the responsibility of pointing people to Jesus, before it is too late, that they may bow the knee in time and confess in time, willingly now, rather than under compulsion in that day that is coming.