“Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Philippians 2:9-11 NLT
One of the most amazing things about Jesus is the fact that there are two aspects to his being which can be seen by his incarnation. Through his life and ministry we are introduced, in a concrete way, to the second person of the Trinity, and therefore the Trinity itself. Paul adds clarity to that dynamicness by giving us an important sequence of events. Many believe that Jesus is Lord of creation because he is God. Here we see that Jesus earned his status and accolade by being man. This status of being Lord, is different than being God. In fact, it is a diminished status as its context is to the “Glory of God the father.” Essentially Paul is stating that Jesus is worthy of being called the best of, and therefore leader of, creation. And this is because of how he accomplished God’s will and brought about his Father’s glory. This is not because Jesus was God. Verses earlier, Paul notes that Jesus set aside his deity to participate in God’s plans to save men. Therefore, when Christ is lifted up, we can be lifted up as well. We are not lifted to godhood (neither was Jesus) but rather full and glorious reflections of God’s glory. Many Christian’s miss that these verses offer us a picture of our intended future in Christ. This is simultaneously a message of respect and honor for what Christ accomplished as a man, as well as a rally cry for us to join him in the blessings of God’s response to those who live submissively to his glory.
JOSH McGARY. COM 