Philippians 2:8-11 says,...
Today's verses are Philippians 2:8-11, which read,
v.8 - Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
I love this verse because it marries the manager scene with the cross scene. It brings together the story from Christmas to Good Friday. Jesus as God came from heaven to earth and took on our likeness. He not only took on our likeness but also took on a humble state to be submissive to the salvation plan of God's grace. The salvation plan involved a blood sacrifice for sin and He followed through to be that sacrifice of death. The death He would endure was not just a natural death or an accidental death or a quick death but a death on the cross which was the most cruel and enduring death known at the time. The cross was the last way that you would want anyone to die and this was what Jesus endured as a physical man as He was obedient to God's will of the plan of salvation for us.
v.9-11 - For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
This act of Jesus brought upon Him from God an exaltation of His name. At the name of Jesus every knee will bow in reverence. He is Lord and all men and all creatures and all heavenly beings will bend the knee to He who did what He did. Beyond the bending of the knee is also the confession of the tongue of the truth about Jesus. Jesus is Lord. Jesus is the Christ. Jesus is God who came from God to be obedient to the will of the Father's grace plan for salvation so that God would be glorified. All will bow the knee to this fact and all will voice confession to this reality.
This bowing and confessing will be done by all. Not just those who are in the family of God because of the blood of the Lamb but also those who will do this as the demons did when they encountered Jesus. They knew who He was and even though they were against Him, they bowed to Him. All of creation, either for or against Jesus, will one day bow and confess before Him that He is Lord.
How will you bow and confess? Will you bow and confess in His victory over sin as a willing follower of Christ or will you bow and confess in defeat of sin as a follower of Satan? Will you bow and confess with tears of joys and worship or will you bow and confess with tears of sadness and regret?
We seem to like a "winner" in today's world, well, God gave us the "winner" in Jesus. He doesn't look like the typical "winner" because He left His heavenly home, His high position, to come to earth. He put on the form of man and came in our likeness to serve us God's salvation by giving up of His very life. He did this by enduring the most cruel preparation for the cross and then the cross itself. He was submissive to another for the glory of another and the interests of others. He made Himself nothing so others could receive something so precious and undeserved. This used to be the popular definition of a "winner" in our world but it isn't anymore. A "winner" was someone who sacrificed and served for the sake of others but today a "winner" seems to be someone who is known for their status and celebrity appeal while being served and flaunting all that they have that you don't have. God is saying that the original definition has not left even though we have re-defined it and all will bow and confess to Jesus as the "winner." Let's pray.
"Lord, may we look to You as our example of life. May Your very life define how we are to live and think and speak. As Satan paints a different picture of a way to live, may we reject it as substandard to the plan that gives all glory to You. May we bow in humble reverence with a heart full of love for You and confess with lips that speak Your words as more important than our own. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.8 - Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
I love this verse because it marries the manager scene with the cross scene. It brings together the story from Christmas to Good Friday. Jesus as God came from heaven to earth and took on our likeness. He not only took on our likeness but also took on a humble state to be submissive to the salvation plan of God's grace. The salvation plan involved a blood sacrifice for sin and He followed through to be that sacrifice of death. The death He would endure was not just a natural death or an accidental death or a quick death but a death on the cross which was the most cruel and enduring death known at the time. The cross was the last way that you would want anyone to die and this was what Jesus endured as a physical man as He was obedient to God's will of the plan of salvation for us.
v.9-11 - For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
This act of Jesus brought upon Him from God an exaltation of His name. At the name of Jesus every knee will bow in reverence. He is Lord and all men and all creatures and all heavenly beings will bend the knee to He who did what He did. Beyond the bending of the knee is also the confession of the tongue of the truth about Jesus. Jesus is Lord. Jesus is the Christ. Jesus is God who came from God to be obedient to the will of the Father's grace plan for salvation so that God would be glorified. All will bow the knee to this fact and all will voice confession to this reality.
This bowing and confessing will be done by all. Not just those who are in the family of God because of the blood of the Lamb but also those who will do this as the demons did when they encountered Jesus. They knew who He was and even though they were against Him, they bowed to Him. All of creation, either for or against Jesus, will one day bow and confess before Him that He is Lord.
How will you bow and confess? Will you bow and confess in His victory over sin as a willing follower of Christ or will you bow and confess in defeat of sin as a follower of Satan? Will you bow and confess with tears of joys and worship or will you bow and confess with tears of sadness and regret?
We seem to like a "winner" in today's world, well, God gave us the "winner" in Jesus. He doesn't look like the typical "winner" because He left His heavenly home, His high position, to come to earth. He put on the form of man and came in our likeness to serve us God's salvation by giving up of His very life. He did this by enduring the most cruel preparation for the cross and then the cross itself. He was submissive to another for the glory of another and the interests of others. He made Himself nothing so others could receive something so precious and undeserved. This used to be the popular definition of a "winner" in our world but it isn't anymore. A "winner" was someone who sacrificed and served for the sake of others but today a "winner" seems to be someone who is known for their status and celebrity appeal while being served and flaunting all that they have that you don't have. God is saying that the original definition has not left even though we have re-defined it and all will bow and confess to Jesus as the "winner." Let's pray.
"Lord, may we look to You as our example of life. May Your very life define how we are to live and think and speak. As Satan paints a different picture of a way to live, may we reject it as substandard to the plan that gives all glory to You. May we bow in humble reverence with a heart full of love for You and confess with lips that speak Your words as more important than our own. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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