Alright, verse 9, Philippians
2, Wherefore, now that gives us a turning point here, something
good is coming to follow. Wherefore God also hath exalted
him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at
the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven,
and in earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the
Father. Now later we will bring in Isaiah
chapter 53 and verse 12 because of its likeness under this present
passage of scripture. I also want to tell you that
we'll make a little trip around through Luke chapter 24 in beginning
and making ready for our study of the evening. There is an interesting
series of events to read in Luke chapter 24 that will serve as
our lead-in into our passage and study of the evening. in Philippians 2. And it concerns
the interaction in Luke chapter 24 between the newly resurrected
Lord Jesus Christ and those two dejected and perhaps disillusioned
disciples on Emmaus Road. And as they traveled along, the
Lord joined in struck up a conversation with them. He said, why are y'all
down in the mouth? And they said, well, you must
be a stranger. You must not have heard what's
going on here lately. And he, drawing it out of them,
said, what things? And they expressed their concerns
to the Lord, not knowing who He was except that their hearts
burned within them while this man, the Lord Jesus Christ, talked
to them and opened unto them the Scripture. And they spake
to our Lord of one Jesus, a prophet mighty in word, and indeed, they
say, the one they trusted would redeem Israel. They had hoped
that this would be the one that would redeem Israel, but they
said to our Lord, alas, our leaders and our rulers have taken Him
and have delivered Him up to be crucified. And they say, you
know, it's been three days now, and some saw the empty tomb. They told us about seeing the
empty tomb. Angels were there who said that
He was not there, but that He had arisen. During the course
of that conversation, the Lord gently chides them in verse 25,
and verse 26, and also he corrects them in Luke chapter 24, they
knew the scriptures spoke of a glorious and wonderful, powerful
Messiah. They knew that the scriptures
told of one who would rule and who would reign, and who would
have a mighty and a glorious kingdom, and be a glorious Redeemer. They held from the Scripture,
therefore, some expectation that one would put down all of the
enemies of God and establish righteousness over all of the
earth. And they speak then as if the
death of the Lord had dashed to pieces their hopes that they
had had in Him. Even the claims of living again
after three days had seemed to prove futile to these two Emmaus
disciples since they said He's not been seen, He's not been
heard of during this time. one said, they had a one-sided
view of the Messiah. They overlooked part of what
Scripture said about Messiah and about Christ. Their eyes
were holden. They were like many Jews at that
time in that they did not see that the suffering and the death
of the Messiah must precede His great and glorious reign and
kingdom. Thus in Luke 24 and 26, the Lord
tells him, based upon the scripture, look, it behooved Christ. It was necessary. The scriptural
order is this, for Christ to suffer first. and to die, and
then to enter into His glory. He would lay in a grave before
He would sit upon the throne. He would see the agony of the
cross before He entered into that glory that He had with the
Father before the world ever began. In other words, He tells
them that the way to great glory was by the way of death upon
the cross. He would be cut off, Isaiah said,
out of the land of the living and then He would be exalted
very high to the right hand of God. He would purge our sins
first by the shedding of His blood before He ascended yonder
to sit at the right hand of God, Hebrews chapter 1. In other words,
it was the cross before the crown. It was humiliation and death
before high honor. It was indeed suffering before
the great and high exaltation of Him should come. By the way,
for what it is worth, this is the same order that is followed
by the children of God. In Acts 14 and verse 22, we must,
through much tribulation, enter into the kingdom of God. Then
rest assured, as Paul said in Romans 8 and verse 18, the sufferings
of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the
glory that shall be revealed in the days to come. Now, as
with Christ, so is it also with the saints that death is the
door to everlasting glory. As Israel endured the wilderness
before they were brought into the rest of the land of Canaan. Now with that in mind, coming
to Philippians chapter 2 and verse 9 and following, Paul follows
the very same order, that after the Lord had suffered the death
and the agony of the cross, He then was exalted unto highest
glory. His humiliation went from equality
and equal with God to the cross and to the grave. So his exaltation
went from lying up in a seal tomb to sitting under at the
right hand of God with a name that no man could name. Now we
see the word wherefore in verse 9 of chapter 2 of Ephesians,
which could also be therefore, wherefore or therefore. Now this gives it a definite
connection to what has just been said concerning his humiliation
and me thinks Paul's admonition in verses 1 through 5 relates
to both the Lord's humiliation and also to his exaltation. The word wherefore in the scripture
can have the meaning or this meaning on which account. We might think of it in that
light, or our own account of which thing, or as a consequence,
or through which thing, as we might use the word consequently,
as a result of what has gone before. Then we see the word
also, kahi, God also. When the word also is used, it
usually goes before that thing that is to be stressed, which
is, God highly exalted him. And this might raise the question
in our thoughts and in our mind, is this exaltation as a natural
consequence? Is it a fulfillment of the Scripture
and of the prophecy? Or is it a reward that is bestowed
upon our Savior? for his obedience? Is it as the
fulfillment of a promise that God promised Christ that in yielding
himself up he would be not left in the grave but exalted again? Or must we say that perhaps it
could be a combination of all these things that we have just
mentioned? Now, I said there is a similar
type of statement to this found in Isaiah's great prophecy, chapter
53, and it is verse 12. It is a part of the closing proclamation
of Jehovah regarding His great servant. And verse 12 reads like
this, Isaiah 53, Therefore, we have that again, Therefore will
I divide him a portion with the great, he shall divide the spoiled
with the strong, because he has poured out his soul unto death
and was numbered with the transgressors, and bear the sin of many, and
made intercession for the transgressor. And please notice two words in
this verse, Isaiah 53 and verse 12. There are two words here
that turn the phrase for us. Number one is the word, therefore. And the second word to notice
is because. Therefore, because. Therefore,
is a preface that tells us how the one that Jehovah calls in
verse 11, my righteous servant, shall be rewarded or shall be
exalted, if you prefer, which is the first part of verse 12.
And I'm quoting now from the NIV version, quote, Therefore,
I will give him a portion among the great, and he shall divide
the spoils with the strong." Isaiah is describing a portion
of the result or the reward from the death of the servant of Jehovah. He was made in the form of a
servant, as we saw this morning. Isaiah uses a common metaphor
found in secular life again and again. And that is of a king
who has gone out to war, or a great warrior who has gone out to meet
the enemy. And they have triumphed over
their enemy, given them a great defeat. They come home in a triumphal
procession through the city, bearing the spoils of their victory
that they have taken from those they defeated. One commentary
expressed it like this, received with great plump and splendor,
unquote, as the conquering warrior comes back home. Now the idea
is that Christ has triumphed over all of the wicked and the
wicked one. He has at Calvary bruised the
serpent's head as stated in Genesis chapter 3. He has condemned sin
in the flesh as stated in Romans chapter 8 and verse 3. He has
put away sin by the sacrifice of himself as stated in Hebrews
9 verse 26 through verse 28. Thus the prophet of God said,
because, and then he gives the ground upon which this righteous
servant of Jehovah is exalted. What Paul calls submitting to
the death of the cross, Isaiah describes as pouring out his
soul unto death. What an expressive picture is
that in our mind. We also notice that Isaiah and
Paul invert the order of our Lord's work. Isaiah mentions
the exaltation first in Isaiah 53 and verse 12. Paul mentions
his humiliation first. in Philippians chapter 2. But
there is no disagreement between them, as both wrote under the
inspiration of the Spirit of the Lord. And both agree Christ
gave Himself to a very painful and a shameful death and then
was raised up out of the grave, highly exalted to a place of
honor and sovereignty. Now if we go back to Philippians
2 and 9, wherefore God did also highly exalt him. Let's consider the exaltation
as to when and where it began, and when and where It was completed. Let me suggest to you that there
are at least two aspects that lead to the full exaltation of
our Lord. Number one, of course, the resurrection. Number two, the bodily ascension
of our Lord from earth into heaven. He must be alive again and he
must ascend into heaven. Just as he must assume a body
and die to complete his humiliation, so he must receive life again
from the dead and be completed with his exaltation into heaven
itself. So consider, if we might, these
two things to begin His exaltation. Number one, the resurrection
of the body of Jesus Christ out of the grave. This is the first
part, but it is a necessary part of the exaltation, for His body
must not be swallowed up in the grave. It must not, and it did
not, see corruption. The resurrection has deep theological
implications. It is something more than just
for Easter. It has deeply rooted theological
implications, such as Romans 4 and verse 25, raised for our
justification. Romans 1 and verse 4, by it he
was declared to be the son of God with power by the resurrection
from the dead. By his resurrection, he was demonstrated,
manifested that he was indeed the son of God. Let us not forget
that the resurrected body of the Lord was, as one theologian,
Louis Borkhoff, wrote this, with new qualities." Just think on
that just for a moment. This resurrected body endowed
with new qualities. Well, what were they and what
do they consist? In that, after the resurrection,
our Lord would suddenly appear and leave again the same way. He would appear in His resurrected
body in a room where the disciples were met, the windows and the
doors being shut. John 20, 19 and 20, 26. Then He would vanish out of their
sight like He did from the two on Emmaus Road in Luke 24 and
verse 31. He vanished out of their sight
and they saw Him no more. He became invisible, as it were,
vanished into thin air from having been walking along with them.
Now these things he did not do before his resurrection out of
the grave, but he did after as the first step to his exaltation
as to His body. Secondly, we notice the bodily
ascension of Christ into heaven, Mark 16 and 19. Mark closes his gospel with a
very short account of the ascension. Luke does too, 24 and 51. And you have the fuller account
of it in Acts chapter 1, verses 9 through verse 11. But the fact
is Christ went up bodily. He ascended bodily into heaven. And it is reasonable that at
some point in the ascension of our Lord that there occurred
the glorification of the humanity or the human nature of our Lord. For He did not drop off. He did
not leave it behind. He did not leave it in the world.
It was the Puritan Owen who wrote, all perfections whereof human
nature is capable to belong unto the Lord Christ in his glorified
state, unquote. We have strong scripture testimony. that the Lord did indeed ascend
into heaven. The angels, for example, in Acts
1 and verse 11 said, He has been taken up from you into heaven
and shall so come in like manner. In Hebrews 1 and the third verse,
He purged our sins by the right hand of God and sit down upon
the right hand of God." Psalms 110 and verse 1, the Lord said
unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand until I make thine
enemies thy footstool. Paul said in Colossians 3 and
verse 1, Christ sits at the right hand of God. He said in Romans
8 in verse 34, who is even having risen at the right hand of God. And of course there are more.
Consider, Christ is said to sit down on the right hand of the
Father, Psalm 110 and verse 1. Who is gone into heaven and is
on the right hand of God, 1 Peter 3 and verse 20. He raised Him
from the dead, set Him at His own right hand, Ephesians 1 and
verse 20. Again, that passage in Hebrews
1, And three, the right hand where He sits is a place of honor,
of dignity, and of power. In Philippians 2 and 9, God has
highly exalted Him, first in bringing Him into heaven, and
yet there is more to His exaltation than being brought into heaven,
more than the glory and the joy of the celestial beauties that
are there, for He has a mediatorial sovereignty invested in him. He is a mediatorial sovereign. Listen to what the Apostle Peter
told the Jews on the day of Pentecost. It is in Acts chapter 2 and verse
36. that all the house of Israel
know assuredly, that God had made that same Jesus, whom ye
crucified, both Lord and Christ. He is exalted as Lord and as
Christ. What is this but the one they
had wickedly crucified and put to death upon the cross? had
not only been raised from the dead, not only lived again, but
actually was gone into heaven to sit down on the right hand
of God. The heavens had received him
until the time of restitution. He had been made both Lord and
Christ, invested with a sovereign lordship, having all power, in
heaven and in earth invested in him. God not only brought
him up out of death, overturning their evil desire to put him
to death, but God had actually, after bringing him alive again
from the dead, had elevated him and given Him ruling and judging
power and authority. See the reaction of the Jews,
therefore, to the apostles' declaration that Jesus is Lord. In Acts 2,
in verse 37, when they heard that, they were pricked in their
heart. They were stung. They were cut
deep, cut to the quick, cut to the heart. connected with Philippians
2 and verse 9, and given him a name that is above every name. Peter in Acts 2 and verse 36
uses the word kurios, Lord, one who has supreme power. and authority, a controller,
one who oversees, one who has authority, and joins with it
Christ, the Anointed One. To the Jew, there was only one
name that was to be regarded above every name that could possibly
be named. To the Jew, there was one and
only one who had such a high honor attached unto it. That
caused F.F. Bruce in his commentary on the
book of Acts to write these words, quote, that the ineffable Christ
The ineffable name of the God of Israel is that name that Israel
held in such esteem. Ineffable means indescribable
or unspeakable, not to be uttered beyond comprehension or beyond
saying. It is said that the name Lord,
the name Yahweh, was regarded as so sacred among the Jews that
they would not pronounce it, that they would not even say
it. And when the scribes sat down
to write, and they wrote the cross and came to that great
name of Yahweh, then they lay aside their pen washed their
hands before they took them up to write on again. So holy and
so revered was the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel. Now be that as it may, it is
clear that Peter and the other apostles directly applied that
name to the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in the highest
sense of the word, in the fullness of its meaning. Yet not that
He first became Lord after the resurrection or the ascension,
but that God decreed the Son to be a sovereign Lord over all,
after he had humbled himself unto death. And following his
resurrection and ascension, the Lord God did make him then what
James A. Alexander called, quote, a mediatorial
sovereign, unquote. This is what so stung the Jews
on the day of Pentecost, that God had raised up the one they
crucified. the one they rejected and put
upon the cross, that God had completely overturned and frustrated
their success in putting the Lord to death, that God had undergone
or had undone what they had done. God had raised up the one that
He calls My Beloved Son, not just revered, but made the same
one their judge as well, that this man you kill is alive, he's
been exalted, and he is the judge. One of the best types of this
in the Old Testament is the treatment of Joseph by his very own brothers. You have the account of it in
Genesis 37 through verse 50. How they hated him. How they
sold him away into slavery. And they thought they were done
with him once and for all. Never have to see him or put
up with him again. They thought that they would
never be in his presence again. Never have to hear him again.
Never have to hear him claim that the family would bow down
to him, that he would be the one that they would bow down
unto. He wore that distinguishing coat
made by the Father, and when they saw it, it raised their
detestation to another level. If you remember how the story
goes, Joseph was falsely accused and was cast down into the dungeon
by Potiphar in the land of Egypt. But because of his gift in interpreting
dreams, He found favor in the eyes of Pharaoh. Not only did
Pharaoh free him from the prison, but he exalted Joseph to be the
prime minister over all the land of Egypt. He exalted Joseph to
have great authority and he gave him the keys to the storehouse
where all of the bread was stored. And the king's elevation of Joseph
is given and it is quite exquisite in Genesis 41 verse 37 through
verse 44. So there in verse 40 we read,
Joseph was given the oversight of Pharaoh's house and his word
would rule the people And he would be the highest in authority
in all of the land with the exception of Pharaoh himself. Verse 41,
if you turn there, Joseph was set over all the land of Egypt. Verse 42, Pharaoh arrayed Joseph
with those things that were commensurate or corresponded with the dignity
of the office that he had been invested with and advanced to. And in verse 43, Joseph rode
in the chariot next in line behind the king of the land. And as
Joseph went by, Pharaoh, the king, commanded that men bow
the knee, bow the knee. As Joseph came and went among
them, they were to bow their knee unto Joseph, for he had
been declared ruler over all the land of Egypt. And then verse
44, everyone was subject unto Joseph. Every action was subject
to His approval. To emphasize that, the writer
said, don't lift a hand or a foot without the consent of the authority
of Joseph. But let's go back to the original
text in Philippians 2, 9 through 11. There, as John Eady wrote,
it is the doctrine of Scripture that Jesus, in dying the death
of the cross, in being made sin, in giving up his life, quote,
had won for himself eternal renown, unquote. Had won for himself
eternal renown. In that verse 9, he's given a
name above every name, or again in Ephesians 1 and 21, puts it
far above every name that is name. A name in this sense would
include the idea of honor and renown. the character and the
majesty of the power of the person. It is a name worthy of unlimited
homage that everyone should reverence and homage that great name. As
stated in verse 10, at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
for owing to the greatness of His person, at His name there
must be universal submission. And as Paul very clearly states,
no kind of creatures are exempt. even the elect angels, the glorified
saints, or spirits of the saints, and even the unrepentant. This need not be used as a proof
text that all will ultimately bow to Christ and be saved. No,
just that He has sovereign authority over all, that Jesus has power
over all flesh. John 17, 2 and 3, Thou hast given
Him power over all flesh, that He might give eternal life to
as many as the Father has given unto Him. He is Sovereign Lord. And, oh sinner, the question
is not, what will you do with Jesus? The question is, what
will Jesus do with you? He holds the key to death and
to hell, Revelation 1.18. He has authority to save and to them. Now the exalted
Jesus in His glorified humanity at the right hand of God is given
dominion over the whole creation and will be every person's judge. He who once mockingly was given
a crown of thorns now is crowned with absolute sovereignty and
power. The hands once nailed to the
cross and bleeding now wield the scepter of unrestricted dominion
and sovereignty. As Paul says, He is Lord of all. Now we close by reminding ourselves
how irreverently, irreverently Our generation is toward the
Lord Jesus Christ. The wickedness, the mockery,
the blaspheming, the taking his name in vain, comedians making
him the butt of their jokes and using his holy name in connection
with their depravity, and preachers among the worst offenders, not
preaching him as he is indeed a sovereign lord, but as a pitiful
beggar, seeking someone to open their heart unto Him that He
might come in. What advantage do the saints
have? Because the Lord Jesus is exalted to the right hand
and in the presence of God. In Him we have an intercessor,
Romans 8. In Him we have an advocate, 1
John 4, 1 and 2. We have an Advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous. In Him we have a Great High Priest
within the veil who is entered in by His own blood. Our Great High Priest is in the
Most Holy. He is in the very presence of
God Himself. The head of the church He is,
having entered in by His own blood and God exalting Him. Now Isaiah and Paul agree. because
He suffered so greatly, yielded Himself up, gave Himself to the
death of the cross. Therefore, He will divide the
spoiled with the strong. He will conquer many, overthrow
them, and have the spoils that He has taken from them. Our Lord
is exalted to a sovereign Lordship. Oh, I wish we could get that
in our day. I wish our minions could understand
the Lordship of Christ, that God has made Him Lord in Christ,
has put all things in His hand, has given all judgment over to
Him, will someday judge the world by that man whom He has raised
again from the dead. Our Christ is not inactive in
heaven. He is there as our High Priest
interceding, advocating for us. He is acting the part of our
priest and of our surety and of our Savior and of our Redeemer,
our wonderful, exalted Lord to the right hand of God. How highly
has He been exalted. How lowly did He humble Himself. How deeply did He suffer. But
how high has He been exalted to be Lord forever and forever. He is sovereign Lord. Thank God
for that.