by Bruce Reeves
Synopsis: There could be no more explicit affirmation of the divinity of Jesus Christ as Lord and King than Philippians 2:9-11, a beautiful Scripture that declares His exalted status: “God bestowed on Him a name which is above every name.”
For this reason also, God 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 (Phil. 2:9-11, NASB).
The gospel story of salvation portrays Jesus in His creative power, divine humility, sacrificial offering, priestly compassion, glorious reign, and righteous judgment. We must come to see the fullness of Jesus Christ as our Lord, King, Savior, High Priest, and Judge. It is not merely a theological question that we are pursuing in this theme, but the transformation of our hearts and lives through a robust and rich understanding of Jesus Christ (Rom. 12:1-2; 2 Cor. 3:18; 2 Pet. 1: 3-4).
In a world that boasts of its pluralism, diversity, and subjectivism, Jesus Christ continues to shine as "the light of the world" (John 8:12), "the bread of life" (John 6:48), "the living water" (John 4:10), "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6), "the good Shepherd" (John 10:14), "the true vine" (John 15:1), "the Lamb of God" (John 1:29), and the "Son of God" (John 1:34). First-century Christians lived in a society that was much like our culture today. The gospel's message is a counter-cultural declaration of the Christ who convicts, challenges, and leads us to spiritual restoration (John 16:7-14). Before we can preach the conditions and blessings of salvation, we must proclaim Jesus Christ in all of His grace, power, and truth (John 1:14-18).
As the apostle Paul encouraged believers in Philippi to "have the mind of Christ" (Phil. 2:5), we see God's heart on full display in the life of His Son. As One Who was, is, and always will be truly God, Christ revealed the faithful love of YHWH. In His incarnation, Jesus was not acting out of step with the nature of God; rather, He was demonstrating the essence of the perfections of His Father (John 1:18; 14:9; Heb. 1:3). The psalmist praises God's love and concern for His creation, "Who is like the Lord our God, who is enthroned on high, who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap. . ." (Ps. 113:5-7). Our generosity and grace toward brethren in Christ are grounded in our understanding of Jesus's sacrifice, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake, He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich" (2 Cor. 8:9).
Thus, the apostle highlights Christ's great sacrifice when he writes, "Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross" (Phil. 2:6-8).
God has recognized and vindicated Jesus's self-humbling as the display of true divinity. Thus, the acknowledgment and worship of Jesus as Lord is the only right response to our Savior. Paul praises Jesus as Lord, saying, "For this reason also, God 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" (Phil. 2:9-11).
It is difficult to read these verses and not see Isaiah 40-55 as the biblical prism through which Paul viewed the suffering Servant of this poem. In fact, Philippians 2:9-11 and Isaiah 45:23 are integrated quite beautifully by the inspired fabric of Scripture. God says through Isaiah, "Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself, the word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance" (Isa. 45:22-23). Paul uses similar language but identifies Jesus Christ with Isaiah's usage of YHWH when he writes, "So that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow. . . and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:10-11). There could be no more explicit affirmation of the divinity of Jesus Christ as Lord and King than this beautiful section of Scripture.
Jesus's exaltation fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming of the Messianic King (Ps. 2:1-12; Acts 13:33-36; Dan. 7:13-14; Acts 2:29-36). He has all authority as Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). Some seem to think that we can magnify Jesus while minimizing the need for having Scriptural authority in our worship, work, and activity as God's people, yet nothing could be further from the truth. In Matthew 8:5-13, we read of a Gentile centurion who desperately wished to help his sick servant. He had full confidence in Christ's powerful word to heal (Matt. 8:8). He explained that he had trusted in Jesus because he knew how authority worked (Matt. 8:9). When Jesus commended him, He said, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel" (Matt. 8:10). To preach the exalted Christ is to declare His authority, and to declare His authority is to preach faith in Christ (Col. 3:17)! Our victorious King is our gracious Liberator and sacrificial Savior—His name is above every name!
To speak of God's name is not merely to refer to a designation but to identify the sum of the Lord's attributes, the perfection of His character, faithfulness, sovereignty, love, and holiness. Moses wrote, "For I proclaim the name of the Lord; ascribe the greatness to our God! The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness without injustice, righteous and upright is He" (Deut. 32:3-4). The parallelism of Isaiah helps us understand the true meaning of the name of the Lord as an expression of the identity of God: "Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely on His God" (Isa. 50:10). To trust in His name is to rely on who God is in His steadfast love and power. Thus, when the New Testament speaks of the name of Christ, it is speaking of His person, power, authority, and faithfulness (Acts 2:38; 4:12; 10:48; Col. 3:17). The apostles were sent to baptize men and women into a covenant relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit by resting on the authority of Jesus Christ (Matt. 28:18-19; Acts 2:38). This does not speak of a baptismal formula; it speaks of relationship, fellowship, and communion with God. The Jesus that offered Himself for us has been exalted "far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but the age to come. . ." (Eph. 1: 21).
As we consider "Jesus: The Name Above Every Name," Tyler Sams explores the New Testament's presentation of Jesus Christ as our divine Creator, and Shawn Chancellor helps us see the revelation of God's heart in the incarnation of Christ as the Messianic Servant. Jeff Wilson leads us into a deeper appreciation for Jesus as the great sacrificial Lamb of God who came to take away the sin of the world. Dan King guides us in consideration of the greatness of our compassionate High Priest in Hebrews. Shane Carrington helps us see Christ as conquering King in the book of Matthew, and Robert Harkrider points our minds toward Jesus as the righteous Judge in Revelation. Let us come to know Jesus in all of His fullness, beauty, and power!
