Christ Above All
Bible Reading: Philippians 2:9-16
Philippians 2:9-11, “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Election season is upon us. Roll out the political ads, yard signs, debates, and endless appeals for funds. As divided as our country now is, be prepared for a lot of name calling and finger pointing. We’ll all be glad when it’s over. Do your research. Vote for those God-fearing folks who possess humility, integrity, compassion, and wisdom. Our country surely needs some of that, if its not too late to reverse the tide of all the ills that have befallen us. There’s never been a time in America like that in which we now live—the degree of lawlessness, corruption and injustice is unprecedented! Illegal drugs and suspicious folks are pouring across our southern border. Our economy is a house of cards, with some even now warning of big troubles that lie ahead. Ongoing or pending wars add to the uncertainty, with even the threat of possible nuclear conflict. Our country is in big trouble!
But a political season is a good time to remind ourselves of some important truths. We believers in Christ are citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20). Like those men and women of faith before us, our hearts look to “a better country, that is, a heavenly one” (Hebrews 11:16). Indeed, in that, we are a part of a “kingdom that cannot be shaken” (Hebrews 12:28). Kings and Kingdoms will all pass away, but in Jesus Christ we’ve an eternal King who will reign forevermore.
God is sovereign over the affairs of this world. As the hymn says, “Though the wrong, seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.” He “works all things according to the counsel of his will (Ephesians 1:11).” Those earthly leaders who pridefully dismiss God’s relevance and work to gleefully wield their power forget that they are mere pawns on God’s chessboard. “He who sits in the heavens laughs” (Psalm 2:4). It is God who captains this ship of history and there is no one and nothing that can work to deter or deviate it from arriving at its foreordained destiny.
And where is this ship headed? You know, earthly leaders are sometimes good and sometimes bad, but none are perfect. They’ve come and gone over the course of history, all here for a short while and none of them deserving of worship—though some have demanded it. There’s only one who is worthy of that, and that’s the Lord Jesus Himself.
There will come a day when every knee will bow to Him and every tongue will confess Him to be Lord! In every realm of existence, they will—in heaven, on earth, and under the earth—or, as some have said in the “celestial, terrestrial, and infernal.” It’ll matter not whether you be rich or poor or man or woman or young or old. It’ll matter not if you are a president or a CEO or the wealthiest person on earth. There’ll be no election to decide the matter. And it’ll matter not if you are a Republican, a Democrat, or an Independent, or even to which nation you’ve belonged. In fact, it’ll matter not your tribe or language or people or nation. There will come a day when you, and every other person who has ever lived on this planet, will bow the knee to Jesus Christ and confess Him to be Lord!
And He is worthy! He is worthy because He created all things, including you. All things have been created by Him, through Him, and for Him (Colossians 1:16). He is worthy because of who He is—perfect in all His ways (Isaiah 9:6-7; Hebrews 7:26)! All wise, all loving, and all powerful! So great was His love for us that He left His Father’s throne above, and emptied Himself of all but love, that He might die on a cross for our sins—that we might be saved (Philippians 2:5-8; 2 Corinthians 8:9; 1 Timothy 1:15)!
The long war against God will one day come to an end. The Lord Jesus has already triumphed through His death and resurrection (Colossians 2:15). And there will come a day when He will return and “judge the world in righteousness” (Acts 17:31). And on that day, all will be brought into complete submission to Him. You wonder where things are headed in this world? That is where!
Now what does this mean to you? If you have not yet trusted in Jesus, then you’ve some soul searching to do. You will bow the knee to Jesus Christ one day. The question is, will you do that in adoration and gratitude as one of His own, or will you be compelled to do that, as a vanquished foe (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10). Isaiah 45:22-23 speaks to this: “Turn to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God and there is no other. I have sworn to Myself, the word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back. That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.”
For those of us who know Jesus, it’s good to remind ourselves of these things. The One who once super humbled Himself to the point of death, even death on a cross, will be super exalted above all. There will come a day when you’ll be in a perfect place where righteousness dwells, and you’ll worship a perfect leader, even the Lord Jesus who loved you and delivered Himself up for you! That will be glory for you and for me! And that’s where our hope lies!
HE IS LORD
Emptied of His glory
God became a man
To walk on earth in
Ridicule and shame
A Ruler yet a Servant
A Shepherd yet a Lamb
A Man of Sorrows agony and pain
Humbled and rejected
Beaten and despised
Upon the cross the
Son of God was slain
Just like a lamb to slaughter
A sinless sacrifice
But by His death His loss became our gain
Satan’s forces crumbled
Like a mighty wall
The stone that held Him
In was rolled aside
The Prince of Life in glory
Was lifted over all
Now earth and heaven echoes with the cry
Chorus:
He is Lord He is Lord
He is risen from the dead
And He is Lord
Ev’ry knee shall bow
Ev’ry tongue confess
That Jesus Christ is Lord
LookingtoJesus 