Joyful Living Devotional - Day 20
Day 20 – The Exaltation of Christ
Philippians 2:9-11 (NLT) 9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names,10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
As we focus on the Book of Philippians, we see that Paul’s emphasis is on the joy of the Lord. The first chapter focuses on the joy of living and even dying for Christ. Whether living or dying, our victory is secured. Therefore, joy should be the constant attitude. We have joy because we are living for Christ Jesus. Paul then shifts their attention from the joy of living and even dying for Jesus to the joy of having Jesus as our model for humility so that we are able to serve one another in humility and love.
The Hymn of Christ shows both Christ’s humility and His exaltation. Paul, in writing to the Philippians, uses the highest possible model, namely Jesus. Because Jesus humbled Himself, the Father exalted Him once and for all to the highest place of honor! Jesus is forever exalted. In essence, when we worship Christ, we are not exalting Him; we are acknowledging that He is forever the exalted Christ. Christ is exalted through His resurrection, ascension, and glorification!
“20-21 That power is the same divine power which was demonstrated in Christ when he raised him from the dead and gave him the place of supreme honour in Heaven—a place that is infinitely superior to any conceivable command, authority, power or control, and which carries with it a name far beyond any name that could ever be used in this world or the world to come. 22-23 God has placed everything under the power of Christ and has set him up as head of everything for the Church. for the Church is his body, and in that body lives fully the one who fills the whole wide universe.” Ephesians 1:20-23 (PHILLIPS)
He was given the Name above every name. This is not merely an inference about a specific title Jesus received, it signifies His complete and ultimate authority over all creation, both now in this world and in the world to come. Jesus is forever exalted over all things for all time. Therefore, there is only one correct response to the mention of His Name. That is to bow the knee and confess that He is Lord of all! Jesus is Lord! The word is “kurios” in Greek. This word began as a term meaning "master" or "owner," and in ordinary conversation it served as a sign of respect, like "sir." It also became the official title of the Roman emperors, thereby calling Caesar “Lord”. When Jewish scholars translated the Hebrew Bible into Greek, known as the Septuagint, they substituted YHWH with the Hebrew word Adonai (Lord). When translated into Greek, Adonai became kurios. Paul is ascribing the highest title possible to Jesus. Jesus is supreme over all, and there is none above Him. He is Master and Owner of the whole wide universe. He is God!
Christ Jesus is and will forever be the greatest example and model of humility. Our knees bow, and our tongues confess, because we recognize that Christ Jesus is Lord of all, including every single one of us. So why would we exalt ourselves over others rather than humble ourselves? Why not serve Christ together in unity with a Christ-like attitude of humility and leave the exaltation to God alone? Jesus said: “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 14:11 (ESV)
“One of the worst things sin did for man was to make him selfish, for selfishness cannot love.”
– Andy Murray
Humility helps us see others and ourselves as we should. Paul gives us the greatest picture of humility, not only to look at and marvel at but also to follow as an example. Jesus is the reason we love, serve, give, prefer, bless, honor, and work together in harmony. Jesus is the reason we get along, because Jesus in me gets along with Jesus in you. Christ is not divided, neither should we be.
We must all wear the garments of humility. To wear something is to choose to put it on. So what will you be wearing? The garment of selfishness and self-interest? The garment of pride and boasting? The garment of selfish ambition and bitter jealousy? Or will you be clothing yourself with the apron of humility and service, just as Jesus did?
1 Peter 5:5 (GNT) In the same way, you younger people must submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you must put on the apron of humility, to serve one another; for the scripture says, “God resists the proud, but shows favor to the humble.”
“The victorious Christian neither exalts nor downgrades himself. His interests have shifted from self to Christ.”
– A.W. Tozer
Prayer:
Pray the Prayer that Paul prayed in Colossians 1:9-14 (NIV):
Philippians 2:9-11 (NLT) 9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names,10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
As we focus on the Book of Philippians, we see that Paul’s emphasis is on the joy of the Lord. The first chapter focuses on the joy of living and even dying for Christ. Whether living or dying, our victory is secured. Therefore, joy should be the constant attitude. We have joy because we are living for Christ Jesus. Paul then shifts their attention from the joy of living and even dying for Jesus to the joy of having Jesus as our model for humility so that we are able to serve one another in humility and love.
The Hymn of Christ shows both Christ’s humility and His exaltation. Paul, in writing to the Philippians, uses the highest possible model, namely Jesus. Because Jesus humbled Himself, the Father exalted Him once and for all to the highest place of honor! Jesus is forever exalted. In essence, when we worship Christ, we are not exalting Him; we are acknowledging that He is forever the exalted Christ. Christ is exalted through His resurrection, ascension, and glorification!
“20-21 That power is the same divine power which was demonstrated in Christ when he raised him from the dead and gave him the place of supreme honour in Heaven—a place that is infinitely superior to any conceivable command, authority, power or control, and which carries with it a name far beyond any name that could ever be used in this world or the world to come. 22-23 God has placed everything under the power of Christ and has set him up as head of everything for the Church. for the Church is his body, and in that body lives fully the one who fills the whole wide universe.” Ephesians 1:20-23 (PHILLIPS)
He was given the Name above every name. This is not merely an inference about a specific title Jesus received, it signifies His complete and ultimate authority over all creation, both now in this world and in the world to come. Jesus is forever exalted over all things for all time. Therefore, there is only one correct response to the mention of His Name. That is to bow the knee and confess that He is Lord of all! Jesus is Lord! The word is “kurios” in Greek. This word began as a term meaning "master" or "owner," and in ordinary conversation it served as a sign of respect, like "sir." It also became the official title of the Roman emperors, thereby calling Caesar “Lord”. When Jewish scholars translated the Hebrew Bible into Greek, known as the Septuagint, they substituted YHWH with the Hebrew word Adonai (Lord). When translated into Greek, Adonai became kurios. Paul is ascribing the highest title possible to Jesus. Jesus is supreme over all, and there is none above Him. He is Master and Owner of the whole wide universe. He is God!
Christ Jesus is and will forever be the greatest example and model of humility. Our knees bow, and our tongues confess, because we recognize that Christ Jesus is Lord of all, including every single one of us. So why would we exalt ourselves over others rather than humble ourselves? Why not serve Christ together in unity with a Christ-like attitude of humility and leave the exaltation to God alone? Jesus said: “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 14:11 (ESV)
“One of the worst things sin did for man was to make him selfish, for selfishness cannot love.”
– Andy Murray
Humility helps us see others and ourselves as we should. Paul gives us the greatest picture of humility, not only to look at and marvel at but also to follow as an example. Jesus is the reason we love, serve, give, prefer, bless, honor, and work together in harmony. Jesus is the reason we get along, because Jesus in me gets along with Jesus in you. Christ is not divided, neither should we be.
We must all wear the garments of humility. To wear something is to choose to put it on. So what will you be wearing? The garment of selfishness and self-interest? The garment of pride and boasting? The garment of selfish ambition and bitter jealousy? Or will you be clothing yourself with the apron of humility and service, just as Jesus did?
1 Peter 5:5 (GNT) In the same way, you younger people must submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you must put on the apron of humility, to serve one another; for the scripture says, “God resists the proud, but shows favor to the humble.”
“The victorious Christian neither exalts nor downgrades himself. His interests have shifted from self to Christ.”
– A.W. Tozer
Prayer:
Pray the Prayer that Paul prayed in Colossians 1:9-14 (NIV):
- “9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
Posted in Joyful Living Devotional