The Higher Glory
Scripture Reading — Philippians 2:9-11
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name.
We’ve been talking about having the mindset of Christ and following his example of humility. When it comes to humility, no one can be humbler than Christ, who gave up his own life so that all who call on his name can be saved to have new life forever. And because Jesus did that, God also raised him from the grave and “exalted him to the highest place.”
He started out as the Son of God in heaven, and then he willingly became a suffering servant who swooped down to the lowest of depths by dying on a cross for our sake. Then God reversed it all and swung Jesus upward to rule in heaven over everything.
The words Paul uses to describe this position have to do with the power of the highest name: “God . . . gave him the name that is above every name.” And what is that name? It is Jesus (meaning “Savior”), and it is Christ (meaning “Anointed One”). Jesus Christ is the Lord, the sovereign ruler, over all things.
His name is so glorious that the day will come when every knee will bow to honor him, and every tongue will sing songs to “acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord.”
Jesus Christ, who died and rose again, is Lord of the cosmos. All glory be to him forever and ever!
Dear God, help us to bow our knees and confess with our mouths the truth about Jesus’ cosmic glory. Make us witnesses of this splendid gospel truth. Amen.
About the author — Scott Hoezee
Scott Hoezee is an ordained minister in the Christian Reformed Church who served two congregations before joining the faculty at Calvin Theological Seminary in 2005 as the director of its Center for Excellence in Preaching. He is the author of numerous books, reviews, and articles, and he is a cohost of the radio program Groundwork, a sister-program of Today devotional. He is married to Rosemary Apol, and they have two adult children and a Boston terrier named Chester.
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