Welcome to the Westminster Pulpit, an extension of the worship ministry at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Please contact us for permission before reproducing this message in any format, and may this sermon nurture your life in a meaningful way as we proclaim our Savior. It's my privilege to introduce our preacher for tonight, Pastor Jeff Catone. Jeff has been a church planter in our Presbytery, planting a PCA church in Chambersburg that, when did you guys particularize, two years ago, three years? Four years ago now. See, we have time flies. Four years ago, he came, a sister church in the Presbytery, and after meeting Jeff first, I think at some of our missions conferences, maybe as a church planter, Jeff's become a good friend in the Presbytery, and we're delighted to have him as he comes and brings God's Word to us tonight. Thanks, it's a pleasure to be here and worship with you all this evening. Please turn in your Bibles to Philippians chapter two. I'm gonna read from Philippians chapter two, verses five through 11. We'll focus mostly on verses nine through 11 and what we'll look at this evening, but I'm gonna read all of verses five through 11. Philippians chapter two. 5 through 11, this is the word of God. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Jesus Christ, who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage. Rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant. being made in human likeness and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Years ago, my wife and I had the opportunity to take a trip out to California. We flew out there, rented a car, and road tripped around the various locations out there, camped out in some of the parks there. One of the places we went was Yosemite National Park. And if you know anything about Yosemite, you just know that it is just breathtakingly beautiful. and my experience in Yosemite my recollection is this that you hike and you turn around and you see the most beautiful view but then you hike a little further and you turn around and you see an even more beautiful view such that just when you think you've reached the highest, most majestic and beautiful vista that you can't possibly imagine reaching a higher point with a more beautiful view, rest assured if you hike a little further, you will. And such that what you thought was breathtaking and awe-inspiring before has now been sort of dwarfed by the new heights that you see. And this I think is a small picture of what we need to think of when we think about the exaltation of Jesus. Jesus who has been exalted to the highest place. and been given the name that is above every name. His glory, his honor, his authority confirmed and declared and revealed in his exaltation is more majestic and beautiful than we can know and dwarfs all other heights. And in meditating on his exaltation, I hope and pray that we will see anew His incomparable glory and beauty and worship Him. We're gonna look at these verses in Philippians chapter two, a beautiful section of scripture. We're gonna consider three things, the why of the exaltation of Jesus, the what of the exaltation of Jesus, and the so what of the exaltation of Jesus. And so first, the why of the exaltation of Jesus is signaled by the first word in verse nine, therefore, or for this reason, in other words, the preceding verses account for the reason for and the basis of God's exalting of Jesus. And the previous verses have been tracing out the trajectory of Jesus from the highest place to the lowest place to the highest place. Verse five through eight are summarized as in this way, Christ humbled himself. Verses nine through 11, God exalted him. Christ humbled himself from the highest place to the lowest place. God exalted him from the lowest place to the highest place. And the relationship between these two realities is that because Christ humbled himself, therefore, God exalted him because Christ humbled himself to the lowest place. Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place. The exaltation then is the father's declaration of his delight in his son, particularly in light of his son's humbling of himself. when you think something is just awesome, when you think something is of great value, when you deeply love something, when it's a source of great pride to you, you want to hold it up for all to see, right? In fact, you can sometimes tell what someone loves by what they hold up for all to see. And you know, parents, I think, understand this. That's why our walls are covered with artwork that only a parent could love. That's why the fridge is covered with schoolwork boasting of any and every academic attainment. That's why living room shelves are overflowing with pictures of kids growing through the years. You can tell what someone loves by what they lift up for all to see. So what, or who, Does God supremely love and value? It's the one whom he lifts up for all to see, his son, Jesus Christ. Verse nine, therefore God exalted him and therefore signals that what has come before is the primary reason here in view for God's exaltation of him and what came before is the self-emptying, self-humbling love of Jesus in which out of obedience to his heavenly father and out of love for his people whom he came to save, he gave of himself in the most radical, way. And doing that because he had, in the words of verse 5, he had a certain mindset, a particular mindset that he, though he was in the form of God, though he was in very nature God, though he was equal to God, how did he live out that equality with God. How did he live out that being in the nature, the very nature of God? He did it not as a self-seeking, self-serving person, but as someone who did not consider his equality with God a thing to be used to his own advantage. You know, we might think that someone with such an identity, someone with such a status, someone with such a position would use that status to his own advantage, to give himself all the advantages that he deserved and to exempt himself from all the disadvantages which he did not deserve, but he did not. He did not insist upon his rights and privileges as the one who is equal with God and use them to his own advantage, but he laid them aside and so he emptied himself and humbled himself. even to the point of death on a cross, giving himself for our gain, sacrificing him for our salvation. And to that, God said, yes, that's right. It's God's affirmation of the mindset that Jesus had in this life, in his giving of himself, in obedience to his father, and in love for his people. And so God lifts him up for all to see. There isn't a greater contrast and seeming incompatibility in the whole universe than where those verses begin and where they end, where it begins, being in very nature God, and where it ends, death on a cross. across in that day to those people hearing those words wasn't the bejeweled charm that it is nowadays. It was utter unmentionable horror of which there was no greater symbol of pain, of shame, of accursedness. And the idea of the one who is in very nature God dying on a cross is offense and folly to the world's way of thinking, but it's the wisdom and power of God for our salvation. And so God exalted him because Jesus' life of self-giving, self-humbling, self-emptying love displayed that he truly had the nature of God who is love. And God's response to that. is to lift up His Son for all to see. The exaltation of Jesus is the Father's acceptance of Jesus' saving work on the cross. It's the Father's vindication of all that Jesus claimed about Himself and His divine identity and divine purpose. And it's the Father's declaration of delight in the Son who obeyed and loved to the uttermost. the one who most humbled himself is most highly exalted. This shouldn't surprise us. After all, Jesus himself promised us that those who exalt themselves will be humbled, that those who humble themselves will be exalted. And if Jesus, being in very nature God, humbled himself to the lowest place, entrusting himself to God that God would lift him up. How much more should we humble ourselves? The broader context of these verses is, I believe, one of paradigm and example. such that without denying the utter uniqueness and saving power of Jesus' life, his death and resurrection for our salvation, nevertheless, Jesus' life is presented as paradigmatic in that it gives the shape for the lives of all who follow after him, calling them, calling us to follow in his example. And so this is not only the God's declaration of delight in his son's mindset of self-emptying and self-humbling, but his commendation of that mindset to us who follow after that humble one. Self-emptying, self-humbling, self-giving love for the sake of others rather than self-asserting, self-seeking, self-promoting, grasping at the expense of others. That is the way of the Christian life. That is central to the Christian life because that was central to the life of the Savior. Humbling ourselves and trusting that God will exalt us. Lift us up. Jesus' life was suffering and then glory. And he calls us to follow him first through sufferings. and then into glory, sufferings now in this life and in the next life, an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So when we follow in the way of Jesus, for the sake of Jesus, by faith in Jesus, the path of humility, and humiliation, the path of shame and scorn and rejection. And when the shame and humiliation of cross bearing, of taking up our cross and following Him brings us to our lowest, when the cost of obedience is highest, when we find ourselves walking through the darkest valleys in this life, we don't despair. We don't lose heart, we don't give up, but we fix our eyes on Jesus, whom God exalted, and we remember that just as suffering wasn't the end of Jesus' story, so it isn't the end of all who follow after Him. We follow Him on the path of suffering, and entrust ourselves to Him that He will raise us up into glory. That's His promise to us. And we know that even now, even in the midst of present sufferings, Jesus is reigning on the throne. So that's the why of the exaltation, the what of the exaltation. of Christ is summed up with two verbs in these verses, exalted and gave. And so we've seen in the previous verses that are the reason for God's exalting of Jesus. Jesus humbled himself, he emptied himself. And now we see what God does. God exalted him and God gave him. So first God exalted him, highly exalted him, to the highest possible place. When God exalted Jesus, He didn't just exalt Him a little bit, but to the status and position of incomparable glory, of absolute majesty, and of unlimited authority. The place to which as he declared at his resurrection to his disciples, all authority on heaven and on earth has been given to me. And just as there was no lower place in his emptying and humbling of himself to the point of death on our cross, so there is no higher place There's no higher place of glory and authority than that which Jesus now occupies by virtue of his exaltation. Jesus humbled himself so God exalted him to the highest place of honor and glory. Jesus is in that highest place now. His time of humiliation now decisively brought to an end, no longer suffering. or humiliated but glorified and vindicated, not dead but alive, resurrected from death in victory over sin and death, ascended into heaven in glory, and seated ruling now and forevermore at the right hand of God the Father, with all power and authority, and one day coming again to judge the living and the dead. God exalted him to the highest place, and second, God gave him, God gave him the name above all names. that name which in the passage in these verses is sort of held off in dramatic suspense until the very end and then placed in an emphatic position there where we read, God gave him the name that is above every name, that verse 10, at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord. Jesus Christ is Lord. The name above all names that Jesus has been given is Lord. That's the name that every tongue will confess Jesus is. Jesus is Lord. And that's the reason that at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow because Jesus is Lord. to the Philippians who are receiving this letter, it would be lost on them that Caesar was worshiped as Lord. But they're given this hope, this reality, that it's not Caesar on the throne. And it's not Caesar's kingdom that's everlasting. And let's remember that, let's believe that. Let's put our hope in that reality when we look around and feel anxious about the state of our world, or when the world rages against us as the people of God, or when we're tempted to put our hope in this world or make our home in this world. Let's remember that Jesus is on the throne, that He is the true eternal King. His kingdom alone is eternal and unshakable, and we cannot be shaken because we belong to Him. He rules over all. He rules over us for our good. He protects us, defends us, and will conquer all His and our enemies. Jesus not Caesar who sat on a throne for a short time, but Jesus, the one who was crucified on a cross. He rules now and forever over all, and he is worthy of all worship. and obedience. But the name Lord doesn't just mean that Jesus is above the kings and rulers of this world. Lord is the stand-in for God's personal but divine name Yahweh in the Old Testament, which in the Old Testament that was the name above all names. The name that was so holy that it wasn't spoken, but was substituted with the Greek and the Hebrew and the Greek words for Lord, the very same word when we read here, Jesus Christ is Lord. Jesus is given the name above all names that belongs to God alone, God's very own personal name. Jesus is not just a God among gods. Jesus is not just a mere political rival. to Caesar that he is the one and only true and living God, the God for whom absolute authority and power was intrinsic to his divine identity, the God who alone was to be worshiped and who was a jealous God and would not share his worship with anything else in all of creation, the one who alone could give life and strength and salvation to his people, Jesus. is given the name of that God. Jesus shares all those things. Jesus is given the name that belonged to God alone because Jesus is God and Jesus is to be worshiped as God, possessing all the authority and power and glory of God. And these verses here, when we read of every knee bowing and every tongue confessing, These are referenced to passage of the Old Testament, Isaiah 45, verses 22 through 25, where God says this, turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth, for I am God and there is no other. Before me, every knee will bow. By me, every tongue will swear. They will say of me, in the Lord alone, our deliverance and strength. Do you hear that? In this passage in Isaiah, God says, before me, every knee will bow. By me, every tongue will swear. In Philippians 2, we read that at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess. In Isaiah, we read that it's the Lord alone who is deliverance and strength. And in Philippians, we read that Jesus is Lord. Jesus is the Lord in whom deliverance and strength and salvation is found. And so the question for us is, have you found salvation in Jesus, who is the Lord? This is the so what of the exaltation. What is our response to this? And the future endpoint that the exaltation looks towards and that these verses point to is a day when there will be a universal acknowledgement of Jesus' lordship. Jesus is presently reigning right now. One day he will come again to judge the living and the dead, and he will be universally acknowledged in that day as Lord. Every knee will bow, every tongue will confess. Everyone we read in heaven and on earth and under the earth, well, there's nowhere else. And so there's no one anywhere who will not in the end acknowledge Jesus' lordship. But we know that this acknowledgement won't be all from glad and willing redeemed hearts in expressions of glad and willing worship. This won't all be the confession of faith which results from the Holy Spirit's conviction and conversion in a life. But some of this acknowledgement will be the confession of concession from the unrepentant heart in unavoidable acknowledgement in the face of terrible judgment from which the mountains falling on you can't bring any refuge. Some will confess this unto everlasting life and glory. And some will acknowledge it unto everlasting death and shame. So what about you? Have you looked to Jesus, worshiped Him as the exalted Lord, found salvation in Him, bowed your life to Him, and given Him the throne of your life? Now is the time to willingly bow and gladly acknowledge. And if you have, then this is a call to worship Him who alone is worthy of our worship. has been exalted to the highest place. There is no one higher, no one greater to worship. And it's Him we are made to worship and find our strength and life and delight in worshiping. It's a call to us to worship. It's a call to us to obedience, to His authority by obeying all of His commands as an expression of our love and devotion to Him. It's a call to evangelism, to proclaim Jesus to a lost world who will face the judge on that day when he comes. But if you haven't confessed Christ as Lord, this is a call to repentance. to bow your knee, to confess with your tongue, to submit your life, submit your heart to Him. The time for repentance is now, but that time does not extend forever. Human history and personal experience abundantly confirms what Scripture tells us, that we are not very good rulers of our own lives. but there is one who is a good and loving and wise and righteous and faithful king who can rule our lives for our good and for his glory. And so the call is to take yourself off the throne of your life and give that space to the one who deserves it and who is more capable than you or I to occupy it. and occupies it with goodness and faithfulness and righteousness and love. This is a king. We can entrust and entrust ourselves and our lives to and in whom we find life and joy and blessing and peace. Will you bow your life before Jesus, the true and exalted King of glory? Let's pray. Our Father, we thank you for Jesus, who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage, but rather he made himself nothing. He humbled himself. He became obedient even to death on our cross. We thank you for his love for us, for his dying for us for our sins in our place, for his satisfying your wrath against sinners, for his reconciling of us to you, for his giving us of eternal life, for his being raised to the right hand of God and ruling now and forever. Help us to see his glory, help us to see his authority, help us to see that he is Lord, to bow our lives before him. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. The Westminster Pulpit is courtesy of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. You are welcome to worship with us on Sunday mornings at 8 or 11 a.m. To learn more or have questions about the gift of salvation through Christ Jesus our Savior, contact us at westpca.com. Thank you, and may Christ be glorified through this ministry, the Westminster Pulpit.