******phillipians 2:10-11

All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name!

(Philippians 2:10–11)

This hymn was written in 1779 by Edward Perronet. Perronet was an itinerant Methodist preacher and a close friend of the Wesleys. This hymn appeared first in Gospel Magazine in April of 1780 under the title “On the Resurrection: The Lord is King.” The original poem had eight verses. The verses appearing in our hymnal today represent the first, fifth, and eighth verses of the original. The fourth verse of our current version was written by a Baptist minister in 1787.

The truths that come from this hymn are woven throughout the Bible. Because of Jesus’ obedience and humility, God has highly exalted Him as King. One day, we will see the exalted King and hail the power of Jesus’ name.

Paul announced the ultimate power and universal profession of Jesus Christ. The worship, reverence, and confession of the Lordship of Jesus Christ can be seen in this passage. This passage reveals some absolutes concerning the hailing of Jesus’ name.

I. The power of His name. (vs. 10)

“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow”

In verse 10, we see the absolute power of the name of Jesus. God has given Him a name that is above all names. His name is altogether lovely, wonderful, powerful, and marvelous. It is the sweetest name I know.

In the beginning of this chapter, Paul is discussing the humility of Jesus, but he now moves to the honor of the Lord Jesus. His honor is found in His name. This does not just refer to the name of Jesus, but to the person behind the name. Paul is saying that at the person of Jesus Christ every knee should bow.

The Bible states this as an absolute fact—every knee will bow before Jesus. Bow (kampto) means to bend or bow, and is used of worshippers who bend in honor of one in religious veneration.

Paul is not teaching that every person will ultimately be saved. He is teaching that one day every knee of every person will be planted before the Savior when they appear before God. Those who rejected and ridiculed, those who mocked and misused, those who cursed and condemned, and those who snickered and sneered at the name of Jesus will all bow before King Jesus. The Bible clearly teaches that after a person dies they can no longer be saved. We only have opportunity to receive Jesus as long as we are still alive. Every knee will bow, but when we bow determines where we will ultimately go. Warren Wiersbe wrote, “To bow before Him now means salvation; to bow before Him at the judgment means condemnation.”

Make no mistake about, we will bow down before King Jesus. Jesus is in a position of ultimate power and He has a possession of ultimate prominence. Isaiah 45:23 states, “I have sworn by Myself; the word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath.” It is the power of His name that will bring subjection to all.

Paul describes three groups who will bow before King Jesus.

(A.) Heavenly beings will bow. (vs. 10a)

“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven”

The word of God teaches us that heavenly beings will bow before Jesus. In heaven (epouranios) means “what pertains to or is in heaven.” Those heavenly beings are both the angels that worship God and do His bidding, and the saints who have gone on before. All in heaven will bow and worship Jesus Christ.

In Revelation chapter 5, John saw the lamb that was slain. The Lamb took the scroll that no one could take and opened it. Revelation 5:11–14 tells us, “Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!’ And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: ‘Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!’ Then the four living creatures said, ‘Amen!’ and the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.”

Paul teaches the church that heavenly beings will bow. All of heaven will come under the authority of His name. Angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim, thrones, dominions, principalities and powers will all bow before the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul is making a very strong point here. Those who are stronger, smarter, and have more majesty will bow before God. All of heaven’s beings will bow before Jesus.

All hail the pow’r of Jesus’ name!

Let angels prostrate fall.

Bring forth the royal diadem

and crown Him Lord of all.

Bring forth the royal diadem

and crown Him Lord of all.

What a scene it will be at the throne where the Lamb of God is seated! Jesus will be exalted above all.

All of heaven’s beings will worship the King!

Not only will heavenly beings bow, but verse 10 also teaches us that:

(B.) Human beings will bow. (vs. 10b)

“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth”

The power of Jesus’ name will cause every knee on earth to bow before Him. Every knee of every person that has ever lived will bow before King Jesus.

A pastor friend of mine told me of the time he was witnessing to a teenager. This was some years ago before the Internet. This young man was hooked on pornography magazines and movies. The pastor shared the gospel with the young man, telling him how Jesus loved him and died on the cross for his sins. The young man said to the pastor’s surprise, “I’ve spent years building my reputation and I will not bow before anybody.” This sixteen-year-old boy was very mistaken.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego were thrown into the fiery furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar because they would not bow down before the image made by man and worship. Nebuchadnezzar became very angry and had these three men brought before him. He gave them each a chance to fall down and worship when they heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre. In Daniel 3:16–18, the three men answered King Nebuchadnezzar, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” These men did not bow before man-made gods, but before the Son of God.

Every knee will bow before King Jesus. Presidents and politicians will bow. Princes and potentates will bow. Kings and queens will bow. Movie and sports stars will bow. Farmers and fishermen will bow. Bankers and billionaires will bow. Lawyers and liars will bow. Doctors and dentists will bow. The poor and the proud will bow. The wealthy and the weak will bow. The preachers and the prostitutes will bow. Mothers and maids will bow. Fathers and fornicators will bow. Adulterers and adulteresses will bow. Priests and pilots will bow. Criminals and children will bow. Soldiers and sinners will bow. Drug addicts and drunkards will bow. Every person who has ever lived will one day bow before Jesus. Whether you like it or not, you will one day bow your knees in submission and recognition of who He is.

All hail the power of Jesus’ name,

Let angels prostrate fall.

Bring forth the royal diadem,

And crown Him Lord of all.

Let every kindred, every tribe,

On this terrestrial ball,

To Him all majesty ascribe,

And crown Him Lord of all.

One day, every knee of every person will bow and ascribe all majesty to King Jesus. It is not a question of whether you will bow, but when you will bow.

The Bible teaches us that heavenly beings will bow, human beings will bow, and we also see that:

(C.) Hell’s beings will bow. (vs. 10c)

“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth”

“Of those under the earth” has reference to the place of the dead. Those who die apart from Jesus Christ go to a place the Bible calls “hell.” Hell is translated from the Hebrew word Sheol. Sheol is the abode of the dead. It was thought to be deep within the earth. It is described as a place of dust, gloom and darkness.

A part of hell’s beings are those humans that have died in a lost condition. All of hell will come and appear before Jesus and bow before Him. Revelation 20:11–15 tells us, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

All of hell will bow before the King. Satan and his demons—those who have roamed the earth tempting, possessing and oppressing will come and bow before Jesus. All the demons that have been locked in prison, reserved for the coming judgment, will be brought before the Lord of glory and bow before Jesus.

John Phillips writes, “God has given us the right to decide whether or not we will own the Lord Jesus as Savior; but God has given no one the right to decide whether or not he will own Jesus Christ as Lord Hell will be populated by hosts of lost people who eternally own Him as Lord. The supreme irony and the endless gnawing torment of the lake of fire will be that they could have known Him as both Savior and Lord.”

The Bible teaches us in verse 10 that heavenly beings, human beings will bow, and hell’s beings will all bow before Jesus. Sam Gordon wrote, “At the appropriate moment all the good angels and the redeemed from all the ages will bow before Him, every inhabitant living on planet earth will bow, and all those under the earth, including all those populating hell together with the fallen angels will be required to bow before the Lord of glory.”

What a great and powerful Savior we serve! What a great and powerful Name He has!

In verse 10, we’ve seen the Power of His name. In verse 11, we see:

II. The proclamation of His nature. (vs. 11)

“And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Paul moves from bowing before His name to the confessing of His nature. His name is intrinsically connected to His nature. They cannot be separated at all.

English scholar Ian Coffey put it well, “In New Testament times a name not only distinguished someone from another person, it revealed something of their nature. In raising Jesus to His right hand God conferred on Him His own name of Lord (Yahweh or Jehovah), the personal name God revealed Himself through in the Old Testament.”

Jesus is God, and not only will every knee will bow before Him as God, but every tongue will confess that He is God. Let’s look at this confession Paul teaches about.

(A.) The realm of the confession. (v. 11a)

“And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord”

The realm of the confession is found in the words “every tongue.” There will not be one left out. All people from all time will confess that Jesus is Lord.

Tongue (glossa) is used here to represent a language. Every person of every language will bow and confess. Every human and spiritual being will declare Jesus’ lordship. This is an all-encompassing confession. Every dialect of people will come before King Jesus.

Max Anders wrote, “In God’s heavenly precincts, in humanity’s earthly home, and in the devil’s domain below the earth, every tongue will worship Jesus for who He is: The Lord, the Sovereign of the universe.”

Paul says, “that every tongue should confess.” Paul is not saying that it would be better for us to confess, but that we will one day confess. This is not a divine suggestion. Jesus has been highly exalted and given the name that is above every name so that all will bow and confess that He is Lord.

Confess (exomologeo) refers to an open, public declaration, or to profess and acknowledge openly. When you confess Jesus here on earth and believe on Him, you will be saved. Romans 10:9–10 declares, “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” The Lord’s desire is that we confess Him here and be saved, but nonetheless, we all will confess that He is Lord.

The Bible says that we should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. We live in a world that is politically correct and ashamed of the name of Jesus. God has given Him a glorious name. Yet, what do we do with His name? We mock His name, take His name in vain, abuse His name, deny His name and are ashamed of His name. We live in a world today where you can mention God without too much flack, but when you call on the name of Jesus, you are ridiculed, ostracized, reprimanded, demoted, and persecuted—all because of the glorious name of Jesus! It is high time that the church takes a stand for Jesus and is proud to be called by His glorious name. We are called Christians because we belong to Jesus.

Our Savior’s name has five letters, but in the entertainment industry, it fares far worse than any four-letter expression of profanity. In recounting an incident from his hit TV series, “Home Improvement,” Tim Allen talked about a sad decision concerning a Christmas episode. His character, the blundering tool man who always used too much electricity or octane, was making a manger on the roof. As usual, he used “more power” and accidentally launched the baby Jesus into Wilson’s yard. The authorities over the show were fine with the gag, but they wouldn’t let him mention Jesus. They said, “Oh, it’s okay, it could be anybody in that manger. But you can’t mention baby Jesus.”

Tim Allen noted, “When you work in this business, you find out you can mention anything but Christ.”

We live in that type of world! The Bible teaches us that we are not only to confess Jesus Christ, but we are to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.

Jesus is called “Lord” some 747 times in the New Testament. He is God of all gods and Lord of all lords. The term, Lord (Kurios), denotes a master, a supreme authority or a sovereign ruler.

In Roman culture, there were many gods and Caesar was hailed and sacrificed to as deity. During the first and second centuries, the Caesars would demand that all bow and confess that Caesar is Lord. Many Christians gave their lives and were killed by the Roman authorities because they would not deny their Lord Jesus Christ. Christians would not submit and could not be made to confess that Caesar is Lord.

On February 22, 156, the church at Smyrna sent a letter to the church at Phrygia in Asia Minor. The church of Smyrna told how their former pastor, Polycarp, would not confess Caesar as Lord and was burned alive at the stake. Polycarp had been arrested on a Sabbath. Herod, the chief of police, and Nicetes, his father, rode to meet Polycarp. They took him into their carriage and sitting next to him urged him by saying, “What is wrong with saying ‘Lord!’ and ‘Caesar!’ and sacrificing, and the rest of it, and thereby saving your life? Swear and I will release you! Curse Christ!”

Polycarp answered, “Eighty-six years have I served Him, and He has never done me any harm. How could I blaspheme my King and Savior?”

The proconsul threatened to throw Polycarp into the fire. He replied, “You threaten me with a fire that bums but for an hour and goes out after a short time, for you do not know the fire of the coming judgment and of eternal punishment for the godless. Why do you wait? Bring on whatever you will.”

Because Polycarp would not confess that Caesar was lord, they burned him alive that same day!

Many did confess Caesar as Lord, some against their will and some willingly, yet others could not be forced to make this false confession. In stark contrast, one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. Jimmy Draper wrote, “To call Jesus Lord is the most difficult thing, humanly speaking, that we can do. To call Him Lord means to deny ourselves, to turn loose of our own strength and sufficiency and obey Him without question.”

All will recognize the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In verse 11, we’ve seen the realm of the confession. Next, we see:

(B.) The result of the confession. (vs. 11b)

“And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

God will be glorified totally and completely on the day when every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord. God’s glory should be the end result of all that we do. That is why we should always seek to bring glory to Jesus, because that in turn brings glory to God. John MacArthur wrote, “To proclaim the sovereign lordship of His Son is the greatest glory that can be given to God the Father. Men therefore are not called to worship God through Jesus, but to worship Jesus as God.”

God gets the glory when men and women confess Jesus here on earth and are saved. God will get all the glory on that day when every person that has ever lived confesses that Jesus is Lord. John Phillips said, “God the Father will be seen, in the light of the Lord’s person, passion, and position, to be infinitely and eternally worthy of universal and unceasing praise.”

As the hymn writer says,

O that with yonder sacred throng

We at His feet may fall!

We’ll join the everlasting song,

And crown Him Lord of all.

Have you crowned Him Lord of all? Do you know Jesus as Lord and Savior? We can confess Jesus as Lord and Savior today and be saved, or we will confess Him as Lord one day and be condemned.

Would you repent of your sins today and receive God’s gift of eternal life?

Christian, would you begin to live each day hailing the power of Jesus name?

Would you begin to bow before Him in humble adoration and total submission?

God calls for us to hail the power of Jesus’ name!

Amazing Grace