May 24 2026

Sunday May 24

“Therefore, God Has Highly Exalted Him”

Philippians 2:9-11

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 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, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Welcome to Pastor's Chat today. For several days now, we have followed Jesus down the staircase of humility in Philippians 2. He laid aside His heavenly glory. He became a servant. He became fully man. He humbled Himself and obeyed unto death—even the death of the cross.

But now everything changes in verse 9, and it begins with one powerful word: Therefore. “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name.” Because of Christ’s humility and obedience, God the Father responded. “Therefore, God has highly exalted Him”. The world rejected Jesus, but the Father exalted Him. Men mocked Jesus, but the Father crowned Him. Men nailed Him to a cross, but the Father raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand in glory. The resurrection and ascension were heaven’s declaration that Jesus Christ is Lord.

The phrase “highly exalted” means super-exalted or exalted to the highest place. In Ephesians 1:20–21, Paul wrote that “God seated Christ at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion”. No one is higher than Jesus. No one is greater than Jesus. No one will ever dethrone Jesus. Heaven is moving toward one great conclusion, and that is the complete triumph of Jesus Christ.

I will never forget Adrian Rogers saying one time, “Everyone is asking, what is this world coming to?” Then he said, “I’ll tell you what this world’s coming to. It’s coming to Jesus. Because one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

This exaltation of Jesus includes His resurrection, His ascension, His heavenly reign, and His future visible kingdom. The One who wore the crown of thorns will one day wear many crowns. Revelation 19:16 says Jesus is, “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”

Then Paul continues: “and given Him a name which is above every name.” What is that name? Some believe it might refer to the name Jesus, but most likely Paul is speaking about the title Lord. In verse 11, every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord. The word Lord is incredibly important. In the Hebrew Old Testament, LORD—with all capital letters—was the title used for Yahweh, the covenant name of God. So here in the New Testament, Paul is declaring that Jesus Christ shares fully in the divine authority and glory of God Himself.

This is astonishing because, in the Roman Empire, Caesar claimed to be lord, but Christians boldly proclaimed, “Jesus is Lord.” That confession often cost them their freedom, their possessions, and even their lives. Still today, declaring Jesus as Lord is radical. Because if Jesus is Lord, He has authority over our lives. He determines truth. He deserves obedience. He deserves worship. He deserves first place in our lives.

Many people want Jesus as Savior, but not as Lord. They want forgiveness without surrender. They want heaven without holiness. They want salvation without submission. But the gospel calls us to bow before Christ as Lord. Remember Romans 10:9 says, “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.” The resurrection proves His Lordship.

Notice something beautiful here: God exalted Jesus after Jesus humbled Himself. This is the principle throughout Scripture. James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” 1 Peter 5:6 says, “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.” We also know that we live in a world obsessed with self-promotion. But God’s kingdom works differently. The way up is down. The way to greatness is servanthood. The pathway to honor is humility.

We see in the Old Testament that when people humbled themselves—like Joseph, David, and Moses—God exalted them. Jesus went to the cross before ascending to the throne. Today, maybe you feel overlooked. You might feel forgotten or misunderstood, or faithfully serving without recognition. Remember, God sees humble obedience, and your humility is never wasted. God knows how to exalt His servants in His perfect time and in His perfect way.

Our responsibility is not self-promotion. Our responsibility is faithful obedience. One day every wrong will be made right when Christ reigns over all. Today, worship Jesus not only as Savior, but as your Lord. Ask yourself: Is there any area of my life resisting His authority? Have I surrendered my plans, my future, and my ambitions to Him? Am I living for my kingdom or His? The exalted Christ deserves complete surrender.

Let’s pray together. Father, thank You for exalting Your Son, Jesus Christ. We worship Him today as Lord of all. Forgive us for the areas where we have resisted His authority. Help us to walk in humility and faithful obedience, trusting You to lift us up in Your perfect time. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

God bless you and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!