FRIDAY January 31st
Today, we will continue to consider the truth that Jesus is superior, as we read from Hebrews 1 in the previous devotion, he is superior to the angels, first because he is the Son of God, secondly, he has a superior name, third because he is worthy of worship, fourthly because he is exalted and seated upon the throne, fifthly because he is eternal, sixthly because he is Creator and seventhly because he is God.
Now in making this list, it is not a complete list, but it takes us to Philippians 2:9-11, ‘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.’
Jesus has always been superior, that is he has never been anything less than superior, because he has always, that is he has eternally been and forever will be the Son of God, but if I can put it this way, there was something about his incarnation, his suffering, his death, his resurrection, his ascension and his exaltation that rubber stamped it. It declares to all of heaven, to all upon the earth and under the earth, to principalities and powers and spiritual forces, and even if they will be determined to deny it now, the day is coming when they will have to accept it, that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
In other words, if the angels may have thought differently, and we know that the devil wishes differently, and mankind definitely thinks differently, God through the exaltation of Jesus has made it resoundingly clear that Jesus is far above all, he is exalted to the highest place, he has been given the name which is above all other names and he has been given an eternal throne.
As the Son of God he is unique, in that his name is the only name whereby men and women can be saved, his sacrifice is the one and only acceptable sacrifice that can atone for the sins of the world, he is the only door or gate into heaven, he is the only way, he is the only one who has lived in such a way that he could present himself as the sacrifice, become the Saviour and be exalted as the superior one.
This is my Jesus, and the very thought of him, as I consider who he is, what he has done, what he is doing as he blesses me here on earth while at the same time is preparing a place for me in heaven with sweetness fills my breast.
Now the word superior leads me to the next word that I want to use and is linked to the verses from Philippians 2, and we will come to that in the next devotion.