Biblical Creeds: Exaltation
Scripture:
Philippians 2:6-11 (ESV)
6 who, though he was
in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself,
by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in
human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even
death on a cross. 9 Therefore
God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every
name, 10 so that at
the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the
earth, 11 and every
tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Devotion:
The final creed/hymn we will examine
is found early in the letter to the Philippians. Theologians have described it
as a hymn of kenosis, a term that means self-emptying. This hymn was likely a
familiar part of the early Christian liturgy, and its inclusion in Paul's
letter to the Philippians would have carried significant weight for his
audience. The structure of the original Greek is what suggests to us that this
was not a continuation of the prose narrative but rather a hymn. One
commentator said, “In recent years, the section of Paul’s letter covered by
these verses has been treated as a Christological hymn. The evidence for this
is found in the stately and solemn ring of the words and the way in which the
sentences are constructed. The words are obviously carefully chosen, with the
result that, when the verses are read aloud, the stress falls in such a way as
to give a rhythmical cadence to the lines. When the text is written in the form
of poetry, this fact is more easily appreciated.” [1]
This turns our discussion to what
Paul is trying to tell his audience and us about Jesus as Christ. Paul stresses
that Jesus was in every way God. However, our Lord did not act toward us as God
but instead became a lowly servant. He gave up His eternal glory in heaven to
become a mortal. This sacrifice, this act of selflessness, is what we should be
deeply grateful for. In our current time, where our concept of God has been
degraded, we must remember the immense gulf that must exist between an eternal
and completely holy God and our finite, sinful selves. God in Christ experienced
the full range of human existence except sin. He was tempted in the wilderness and
likely at other times during His life, but he never gave in to that temptation.
Christ, though sinless, suffered the
death reserved for sinful humans—even a humiliating death on the cross. But
this was not the end. Because of this, the Father raised Him on the third day,
and He is now exalted in heaven. This victory over death, this triumph, should
fill us with hope. He will remain in this state for all eternity. All things in
heaven and on earth will eventually bow to Him either willingly or unwillingly.
All humanity will say together that Jesus is Lord. Because of Christ’s eternal
nature, we can follow Him wholeheartedly.
Prayer:
Father in heaven, we give you all
the thanks, praise, and glory because of your eternal plan for our redemption. We
have been saved by the blood of Jesus. God calls all of us, each and everyone,
to be obedient to your eternal Son. This call, this invitation, should inspire
us to live our lives in His footsteps. May we sing this hymn of praise with the
first audience there in Philippi and rejoice in the death and resurrection of
our Lord, Jesus Christ. May this hymn of praise resound throughout the universe
in praise and adoration of our risen Savior. Amen.
[1]
Martin, Ralph P. 1987. Philippians: An
Introduction and Commentary. Vol. 11. Tyndale New Testament
Commentaries. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
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