The Name Above All Names Is Jesus

MARCH 30, 2022 STUDY NOTES PHILIPPIANS 2:9-11 BIBLE TEACHER: CLIFTON JONES THE NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES IS JESUS Php 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: In Philippians 2:9 we find that there is “a name which is above every name” “Wherefore” turns our attention to the previous verse, Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. The man who humbled himself and died on the cross is JESUS, which is why we are told, GOD ALSO HATH HIGHLY EXALTED HIM In the original language, this is the only time “hath highly exalted” is found in the N.T. But the explanation of the exaltation of Jesus is often found in scripture Many verses tell us why Jesus was exalted and given the name above every name The original is making a strong point, Jesus has been exalted beyond measure Jesus has been exalted to the highest place, the ultimate supreme state of majesty Paul searched for a word to express the state of the glorious exaltation of Jesus To understand what scripture is telling us we must begin with the truth of the death of Jesus Paul said that Jesus was “obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” Liberal theologians deny that Jesus died on the cross, attempting to deny His resurrection We must accept the death and resurrection of Jesus in-order to be saved, Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. It is true, Jesus died and was raised “from the dead,” the truth that we must believe to be saved We can be saved because Jesus paid the penalty of our sin by dying on the cross We can be saved because Jesus is alive “from the dead,” He lives to gives us a new spiritual life To understand the exaltation of Jesus we must understand His resurrection from the dead Read and study the first sermon preached after the beginning of the Church Age in Acts 2:14-41 Peter tells us that he is talking about “Jesus of Nazareth,” Act 2:22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: God proved to the world, in many different ways who Jesus was, He was the Messiah, the Savior Peter states the truth of the death of Jesus, Act 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: The reason He was crucified is because He was the Messiah, “slain” means “to put to death” Because Jesus was the Messiah death could not claim Him, Act 2:24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. God raised Jesus from the dead, which is known as the resurrection, Act 2:32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. (There were many witnesses, 1 Cor. 15:1-11) Peter states the fact of the exaltation of Jesus, Act 2:33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. Then Peter said, Act 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. (He is exalted) Peter preached it again, Act 5:30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Act 5:31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. Paul said it this way in Philippians 2:9, “God hath highly exalted Him” Scripture often gives us the evidence of the exaltation of Jesus by stating His present position We know where Jesus is today and why He is there, the price of redemption had been paid in full, Heb 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (He is exalted) Jesus is exalted to the “right hand of God,” the place of supreme honor, power, and authority The day is coming when all of creation will recognize and honor Jesus as the “Majesty on High” He has already “obtained a more excellent name,” Heb 1:4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. “Being made” identifies with the “Incarnation,” Jesus took upon Himself flesh (Philippians 2:7) The Person and Work of Jesus Christ in the flesh is that which is “so much better” Hebrews 1:4 is the first of 13 times that we find the word “better” in the book of Hebrews Because of Jesus we have a “Better Salvation” with “Better Blessings” Jesus is “better,” and His life is “better” for us, Jesus is “better than the angels” Jesus is of higher rank and status than the angels, Jesus is “much superior” to the angels “Angels” are an order of heavenly beings created by God, they serve God and minister to man They are superior to man in power and intelligence, but Jesus is superior to the angels Jesus came to the earth to do something for man that angels could not do, Heb 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. Jesus became man in-order to go to the cross for the sins of man Because of His fulfilled ministry upon earth, He has inherited “a more excellent name” AND GIVEN HIM A NAME WHICH IS ABOVE EVERY NAME God has bestowed upon “Him” a gift, the word “given” is the word meaning “graced” God has “graced Him with “a name,” God has willingly and graciously given Him “a name” In the original there is an emphasis upon “name,” it is “the Name” It is “the Name” which is above every name, no other name compares to “His Name” No other name will ever be of the office, rank, dignity, or worth of “His Name” “His Name” surpasses every name in every way, so, what is “His Name?” THE NAME OF JESUS Php 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; “That” expresses the purpose of God giving the name above every name In scripture names represent the total person and sums up all that a person is in character This verse refers to a particular name, there is only one such name that is above every name Literally the Greek reads “in” the name of Jesus, all that is stated is because of His name That which was graciously bestowed was not “a” name, but “the Name” We must remember why His name is “Jesus,” Mat 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. The name Jesus presents Him as the Savior and presents Him as the One sacrificed for our sins, Mat 27:37 And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. The sign was meant to ridicule and mock Jesus, but it was a revelation of the truth of Jesus His resurrection revealed who He was, women came to the tomb where Jesus was buried Listen to what the angel told them, Mat 28:5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. Yes, Jesus was crucified, Yes, Jesus died, Yes, Jesus arose from the dead, Mat 28:6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. His name is Jesus, that is why He died on the cross, arose from the dead, and ascended to Heaven And “this same Jesus” is coming again, Act 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. And when Jesus returns, EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW “Every” means that there will be no exception, no place of existence is exempt from bowing Bowing the knee in the name of Jesus will be an act of recognition, reverence, and respect Never before has “every knee” bowed in the name of Jesus, but the time will come Even those who bowed their knee and mocked Him will bow in His name, Mat 27:29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! They will recognize Jesus and bow in His name, Rev 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. Paul names three locations that will bow in the name of Jesus: heaven, earth, under the earth OF “things” IN HEAVEN All of those who are in Heaven, who is in Heaven beside God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit? The Holy Angels, how many will that be? Rev 5:11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; (Add it up) The saved of all ages who die before the return of Jesus, Php 1:23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, (physical death) and to be with Christ; which is far better: AND “things” IN EARTH The lost who will still be living on earth when Jesus returns will bow, they will first of all mourn, Mat 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. At the return of Jesus, the saved will be gathered and caught up to be with Jesus, Mat 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Which is known as the rapture, 1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. All of creation will likely be involved in reverence unto Jesus, Rom 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. Creation will once again be what it was in the beginning before the “Fall of man,” Gen 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Scripture is not teaching a universal salvation of all people, that ultimately all will be saved But that the day will come when all will-confess that Jesus is Lord, Rom 14:11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. The lost living on earth will bow the knee, all of the lost of all ages will bow the knee AND “things” UNDER THE EARTH Those under the earth are those who refused to confess Jesus unto salvation before they died The spirit of the lost departs from their body at the time of death and enters-into “Hades” “Hades” is the unseen world, the world beyond death “Hades” is the temporary realm of the dead where the lost await their final judgment It is the place where the lost go after death to await the Great White Throne Judgment Following the “Great White Throne” judgment they will be delivered to “Hell” “Hell,” as we talk of, is actually known as the “Lake of Fire” (Revelation 20:11-15) The Lake of Fire is the eternal or permanent place of punishment for the lost The realm of fallen angels, also known as demons, is “under the earth” The skeptics, pagans, heathens, blasphemers, unbelievers, atheists, agnostics will all bow the knee They will all know beyond any doubt that “Jesus is Lord” JESUS IS LORD Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. “Every” means that there will be no exception, “every tongue will confess” Here the word “tongue” refers to speaking, every known language will speak of Jesus They will “confess,” which means they will make a public declaration to a truth That truth is, “that Jesus Christ is Lord,” which the saved have already confessed, Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. The lost will confess that Jesus is Lord, but it will not be a confession unto salvation To “confess” means to speak the same thing, or to agree with someone else The lost will agree with God and those who are saved, “Jesus Christ is Lord” But their eternal spiritual state will not change, Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. “Jesus” is the earthly name given unto Christ when He became flesh “Christ” is His title, Jesus is the “Christ,” Joh 20:30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: Joh 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. “Lord” identifies His majesty, authority, honor, and sovereignty, Act 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. All will one day agree with the truth that “Jesus Christ is Lord,” the redeemed will proclaim it, Rev 4:10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Rev 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. And so will all who are lost and all of the fallen angels And it will all be TO THE GLORY OF GOD THE FATHER CONCLUSION Today is the day to willingly bow unto Jesus and to worship Him with your tongue Today is the day to accept and follow Him as Lord, but your confession must be real, Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. If you don’t confess Jesus today, the day will come when you will, but it will be too late “Jesus” is the name above every name, His name is wonderful, His name must be preached In Acts 4, the Sanhedrin Court commanded Peter and John to no longer speak the name of Jesus They threatened them, the Supreme Court of Israel told them not to speak or teach in Jesus’ name How did Peter and John respond? How would we respond today if the United States Supreme Court threatened us the same way? Study Acts 4:11-22 for Sunday, it is a good lesson for us today