We are to exalt the name of Jesus. This daily devotional looks at how God wants us to do that.
Nuggets
- Because Jesus was obedient to God, God exalted Him.
- The same honor given to God should be given to Jesus.
Devotions in the In Jesus’ Name series
We are looking at Wilkinson’s sermon entitled Doing All in the Name of Christ. We imitate Jesus when we do things in His name.
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This one seems a little funny to me. We are to exalt Jesus in Jesus’ name.
Well, this is how we learn. Let’s work through it.
Let's Put It into Context #1
Here is a running list of nuggets for the series.
God Has Exalted Jesus
“And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 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” (Phil. 2: 8-10 ESV)
Because Jesus was obedient to God, God exalted Him.
Jesus became a Man to save mankind. We’re not talking a fake man. Jesus was 100% Man.
The difference between Jesus and us was that Jesus was perfect. Jesus committed no sin. Sin is not believing that Jesus is our Savior to save us from our actions by humans that disobey God and break one of His reasonable, holy, and righteous laws and commandments, goes against a purpose He has for us, or follows Satan’s promptings.
- Holy means to be set apart — because of our devotion to God — to become perfect, and morally pure while possessing all virtues.
- Perfection means we reach a state of maturity because the combination of the spiritual graces form, when all are present, spiritual wholeness or completeness — holy, sanctified, and righteous.
- Spiritual graces are worldly morals that have been submitted to God to further His kingdom instead of enhancing this world.
- Sanctified means to be set free from sin.
- Righteous means we are free from sin because we are following God’s moral laws.
- Pure means not being sinful or having the stain of sin.
- Virtues are standards of moral excellence.
- Perfection means we reach a state of maturity because the combination of the spiritual graces form, when all are present, spiritual wholeness or completeness — holy, sanctified, and righteous.
Glossary
Jesus had to be like us in order to pay the penalty for our sins. He couldn’t have been God and paid the penalty because God doesn’t sin.
Jesus humbled Himself to exalt God.
In Jesus’ humility, He looked to obey God in all things.
Vaughan made an important observation. He wrote, “The most beautiful feature about Christ’s humiliation was that it was never prominent, but always self-forgetful.”
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That means Jesus wasn’t proud of being humble. He was truly humble.
Obedience wasn’t about Jesus giving up His address or His spiritual body with its hip spiritual hairstyle.
It was about giving up His life.
God had a plan for restoring us to Himself. But it needed a blood sacrifice to be accomplished.
Jesus planned to die all along.
And not just any death. It was death on a cruel, humiliating, painful cross.
All this Jesus did voluntarily.
No, Jesus did nothing to earn this horrible death. We did. Our sin made this type of death necessary.
But we couldn’t — and can’t — save ourselves. Only the Perfect Son of God could save us.
What Jesus showed us was self-denial. He didn’t look to gain in His own right. He looked to further God’s cause.
Because of Jesus’ obedience, God rewarded Him. God, as head of the Trinity, sealed Jesus’ authority.
“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Mt. 28: 18 ESV).
All Jesus did was done to glorify God. In turn, God glorified Him. “When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you’” (Jn. 17: 1 ESV).
But we have to exalt Jesus, also. We have to bow before Him.
Andrews felt that we can’t just exalt Jesus with our souls. We have to bend the knee, also.
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Let’s think about that. We can’t just know Jesus in our heads. We have to know Jesus in our souls.
But it is more than just knowing Jesus at the heart level. We have to submit with all of our beings.
We Are to Exalt Jesus
“that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him” (Jn. 5: 23)
The same honor given to God should be given to Jesus.
We see the hierarchy of the Trinity. The Trinity is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, three distinct Persons within one indivisible Divine nature.
They may be three different Persons, but they share the same attributes. We had a long series detailing the attributes of God. He is
- A spirit
- Transcendent
- Mysterious
- Incomprehensible
- Omnipotent
- Omniscient
- Omnipresent
- Eternal
- Self-existent
- Unchangeable
- Sovereign
- Pure
- Unified
- Jealous
- Wrathful
- Glorious and beautiful
- Perfect
- Holy
- Just
- Righteous
- Faithful
- True
- Loving
- Gracious
- Compassionate
- Merciful
- Forgiving
- Providence and caring
- Goodness
To read a devotion in the Finding Our Center series, click on the button below.
Remember, Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” (Jn. 10: 30 ESV). That means Jesus is also Creator and Provider.
God built all the glory around Jesus’ accomplishment of the Plan of Salvation. Jesus only honors God because He does nothing on His own.
Making the Connections
Jesus deserves our exhalation. He is King of kings and Lord of lords.
How Do We Apply This?
- Imitate Jesus’ love by being devoted and humble.
- Honor God in our homes.
- Train our children to honor God’s name, word, and ordinances.
- Seek God
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Searching for and Seeking God
Hearing His Word (Rom. 10: 17).
Reading His Word (Rev. 1: 3).
Praying to Him (Heb. 4: 16).
Studying His Word (Ac. 17: 11).
Meditating on His Word (Ps. 1: 1-2).
Memorizing His Word (Ps. 119: 11).
Father God. We praise You for being Sovereign God. Thank You for sending Jesus as our Savior and Redeemer. We exalt Him because You have given Him glory and honor. Amen.
What do you think?
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