Word of Salvation – Vol.42 No.11 – March 1997

 

The Name Which is Above Every Name

 

An Easter Sermon by Rev D Van Garderen

on Philippians 2:9-11

Scripture Reading: Philippians 2:6-11

 

Dear Congregation,

Without his bodily, physical resurrection from the dead, Jesus would soon have been forgotten.  Had his life and existence here on earth ended on the cross when he cried, 'It is finished!' – so would any future impact or ministry have been!

Why?  Well, even if devoted, sympathetic disciples remembered everything Jesus had said and done during his earthly ministry – and believed them – without the resurrection, it is all reduced to pious dreaming, wishful thinking.

The ministry of Jesus – everything he prophesied, promised and pointed to every one of his miracles – all of his suffering, anguish and humiliation – becomes pathetic if it all ends at the cross.

Stated even more strongly, the Lord's whole ministry, in spite of everything he ever said and did, is a monstrous fraud and a dismal failure if his death had marked the end.  I dare to say, Jesus would have been forgotten within a generation,

You see, it is what happened after his suffering and death that makes all the difference.  It is because of what happened after he died and had been buried that we can begin to understand and make sense of his earthly ministry and suffering.

What happened after Jesus died?  The New Testament eyewitnesses – and there were many – saw a risen Jesus who had come out of his grave.  They were one hundred percent, completely and totally convinced of this.  They personally saw and became convinced that, after Jesus' death and burial – three days later – on a Sunday morning – God raised him from the dead.  He arose – came back to life.

According to these eye-witnesses his resurrection was physical – in the body.  He was physically alive.  He could be touched.  He ate and drank.  He spoke to them.  He walked with them.  He taught them.

The death of Jesus can only be understood when you see and believe that he came back to life.  His grave is not the end – it stands empty with the rock rolled away.  'He is not here.  He has risen, just as he said.'  Jesus is alive!  Not just in the dreams and pious imagination of his followers – really, truly, objectively, physically alive!

His death is not the end – it is the beginning!  He lives!  He is being exalted.  It began on Easter Sunday with his resurrection; it went on with his ascension into heaven; it is a present reality right now as Jesus is at the right hand of God the Father, and it will come to its climax when Jesus returns and continues to reign for ever and ever.

I say it again.  The suffering, humiliation and accursed death of Jesus on a cross at Calvary was not the end at all.  Now his exaltation – his name being lifted and raised above every name has begun.  Now the climax of the song in Phil 2:6-11:

“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 confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." (Phil 2:9-11)

THEREFORE GOD EXALTED HIM

Note that the song of exaltation begins with the word 'therefore'.  He is exalted because of what he did here on earth.  He humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross!  Remember the reason?  It was only by freely, willingly making his life a sacrifice – only by shedding his blood like a lamb on the altar, it was only by the shedding of his blood and by dying, that Jesus could pay for - atone for – our sin.  His teaching could not save us.  His example cannot save us.  Even his miracles are powerless to save us.  Only his blood - his death!

Recall Isaiah 53:5-6 and 10 once more:

"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him and by his wounds we are all healed...  and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all... the LORD makes his life a guilt offering...!"

He has done it!  ‘THEREFORE' exalts Phil 2:9, ‘THEREFORE God exalted him to the highest place.'  In order to demonstrate that Jesus has by his sacrificial death healed us, paid for our iniquity, and made his life a guilt offering, God raised him on the third day!  See it?  The payment has been made!  Therefore God raised him.  He has done it!

But note how the song uses the strongest possible language.  It does not say, ‘God raised him to the highest place.'  Rather, ‘God exalted him.'  To 'exalt' means to lift up, to elevate, to promote - to put over and above.  God exalted Jesus.

No other person, no other work done on this earth, no other event has delighted and God as much as Jesus' obedience to death – even death on a cross.  From God's point of view, Jesus' sacrifice of himself for the sins of the world, is THE greatest, most wonderful and glorious sacrifice the universe has seen or will ever see.  Nothing in heaven, on earth or even under the earth compares with it!

Therefore God exalted him – raised and elevated his name, his glorious person and work!

How?

1.  Step one: By raising Jesus on the third day – just as Jesus had predicted.  See how God glorified and exalted his Son – he has risen!

2.  Step two: By taking him physically into heaven.

3.  Three: Right now Jesus is in heaven – at God's right hand – crowned with glory, honour and majesty!  All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him.  He is Lord!  He continues his priestly, prophetic and kingly work.  He intercedes, he guides through the Holy Spirit, He rules.

4.  The final step of his exaltation is still future: Jesus' return to establish the final fullness of God's kingdom here on earth – the death of Satan, sin and death!  A new heaven and new earth that will never pass away – and Jesus reigning over it for ever and ever!  He is exalted, exalted, exalted on high.  Jesus Christ is LORD!

No one has even begun to receive the glory and honour which God the Father has bestowed on his Son!  God truly has exalted him to the highest place.  What Jesus did whilst here on earth – his obedience to death, even death on a cross, has exalted, lifted and elevated him far and above all creatures in heaven, on earth and under the earth!  Jesus is LORD!  Jesus, name above all names!  King of kings and Lord of lords!

THE UNIVERSE EXALTS HIM

Not only has God the Father exalted his Son, but, as the hymn indicates, every knee shall bow, every tongue should confess Christ's name above every name.  Let creation take its lead from the LORD God himself!  Join God in exalting his Son!

The vision and dimensions used in this song have a grandeur and majesty that truly stirs your heart!

*  It invites you to picture heaven – God's dwelling place, the 'heavenlies' – where the legions of angels dwell in the presence of God – heaven, where God's saints are gathered around God's throne – a throng greater than our human imagination can conceive

Jesus is at the centre of this heavenly host.  Every heavenly being has seen what Jesus did whilst on earth – marvelled at his humiliation, watched in awe as Jesus freely and willingly humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!  They saw him do it!  God roared with heavenly delight and approval!

In heaven every knee bowed!  Every tongue shouted!  Jesus has done it!  Jesus is LORD!!!  The exaltation continues – now and forever more!  (Recall some of the glimpses of this which were revealed to the apostle John on the island of Patmos!)

* But see also the earth.  Recall that first Sunday when Jesus' exaltation first became visible on this planet.  Those who first heard are described as 'disbelieving with joy.'  Yes, by the end of the day the bowing of knees and the confessing of tongues began – a small group of faithfuls gathered behind lock and key in an obscure, upper room somewhere in Jerusalem.  A week later, Thomas' knee bowed and his tongued confessed, 'My Lord and My God!' (John 20:28).

- The disciples witnessed the ascension.  Ten days after that the sum total of bowing knees and confessing tongues – 120 souls – were gathered together.  Pentecost - the explosion began...  but every knee and every tongue on earth???

- How presumptuous this song of Philippians 2 seems when placed in its original New Testament context.  Yes, within a generation there were thousands of believers joining God the Father and the heavenly realms in exalting the name of Jesus...  but every knee and tongue?

- And today?  The work has continued from Pentecost till now.  Can you imagine how many tongues are busy confessing and how many knees bow?  Don't lose sight of the global dimensions of the gospel – ever!  There are millions who praise the Saviour and exalt him for his saving work!

- And yet??  Sense the urgency.  Sense the call and the challenge.  Sense the crisis!  Oh, that every knee would bow and every tongue here on earth would confess – now, soon!!  O God, help us to exalt and to call the world's knees to bow and tongues to confess.  What other hope is there?

* Under the earth.  Let the name be exalted in heaven, on earth and also by the forces actively opposed to God's saving work!  Even hell cannot escape the all-pervading, everywhere present reality of Jesus' work on earth!  The grave has been robbed of its victory.  Death has had its sting removed!  Sin no longer is the stronger!  Hell itself is captive led!  The days of sin, of death and its servants, of the arch-fiend Satan – the days are numbered!!

One thing seems sure, there will, on the final day, also be unwilling tongues confessing that Jesus is Lord, and unwilling knees bending.  Satan and his host will be crushed in defeat, bowed down and broken to arise no more.  There is ultimately but one LORD!  Hallelujah!

CONCLUDING COMMENTS

The significance of the resurrection is not just the announcement of Jesus' victory over sin and death - it is also the beginning of his exaltation – of his name being above every name!  He has done it!  He has, through his death, changed the face of the earth, of heaven and the furthermost corner of the universe – forever!

He is exalted – God the Father began it!

God proclaimed him LORD!!!

Heaven joins in...  So must we...  Let every tongue confess:

THAT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!

Amen.