Exaltation

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9–11, KJV)

I heard a story about a young pastor, fresh out of seminary. He went to preach his first sermon. He thought he had the right education. He had mastered his Hebrew and Greek courses. His education in the Bible was extraordinary. He had excelled in every way in the seminary.

The young pastor prepared for days to present that first message from the word of God. He was confident that the message would dazzle everyone in the church, that it would move mountains.

That morning, he stepped into the pulpit with his head held high, filled with self-confidence, and proud. However, as he preached the sermon, he realized that he had lost the congregation, it was written on their faces. He finished the sermon and came down from the pulpit dejected, with his head held low. He felt a failure.

After the service an older man came up to the young preacher to give him a word of exhortation. He stated, “Young man, if you went up into the pulpit the way you came down from it, you would have come down the way you went up.” Think about this for a second. The old man had hit the nail on the head. His exhortation was biblical. Jesus stated it this way, “For every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” (Luke 14:11, ASV)

The previous verses presented the humility of Jesus. He humbled Himself even to die on the cross for our sake. Paul continued that thought by stating that because Jesus humbled Himself, God highly exalted Him to the highest of position over all. He indicated that a day would come when every intelligent being everywhere would bow before Jesus and confess Him as Lord.

Now, while we are not Jesus and will not be the one to whom every intelligent being will bow someday, there is a truth here for us. Jesus did say that everyone who humbles themselves will be exalted. This is a fact that has importance for this life and all eternity.

First, only the humble person will be able to recognize their own sinful condition, the truth of a coming judgment, and then trust in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross for eternal life. Second, like the story of the young preacher, only those who are humble will be able to trust, not in their own abilities, but the power of God’s grace working in them to accomplish much.

Let us fight against the proudful urges of the flesh and the world system, and humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God.