Sermon Tone Analysis

Philippians 2:9-11.

"The King has Come"

Philippians 2:9-11.

9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

(ESV)

Isaac Watts is often called the father of English hymnody.

He wrote Joy to the World in 1719, as a celebration of Christ's second coming, not his first advent.

Nevertheless, it has become one of the best-loved Christmas songs in the world, which is fitting since Christ's first coming in the incarnation and second coming to consummate his kingdom are parts of the same eschatological event.

Watts asserted, "In these last days of the gospel we are brought almost within sight of the kingdom of our Lord; yet we are very much unacquainted with the songs of the New Jerusalem, and unpracticed in the work of praise" (Works, 1813, vol.

9: 127).

Singing Joy to the World in celebration of the incarnation helps keep us from a merely sentimental celebration because it directs us toward Christ's gospel mission.

(Joy to the World - Christmas and the Second Coming | Prince on Preaching (davidprince.com)

Philippians 2 is structured as a hymn, with the central truth reflected in this epistle and the entire New Testament, on the exalted sovereign lordship of Christ.

Paul begins Philippians by proclaiming himself and Timothy to be "bond-servants of ... the Lord Jesus Christ" (Phil.

1:1-2), and he ends section by declaring that one day "every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" (Phil.

2:11).

In the last days, only the exalted Son of God, Jesus Christ, will be worthy to take the scroll from His Father's right hand and open it (Rev.

5:1-7).

This scroll, which might be called the title deed to the universe, delineates Christ's rightful inheritance of all creation, which He made and over which He will rule throughout all eternity (cf.

Rev. 11:15).

This self-contained unit of Christian hymnody, (is) in praise of the church's Lord, who becomes such as he is acknowledged by all cosmic powers as their rightful ruler (Hawthorne, G. F. (2004).

Philippians (Vol.

43, p. 132).

Word, Incorporated.)

Responding to the reality of the Gospel kingship of Jesus Christ in Philippians 2, means living our lives in obedience to the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus.

Advent drove our thinking to the promised consummation of Christ's Kingdom.

As we now live in the overlap of the ages we must preach the gospel of the Kingdom as far as the curse is found.

The humble, incarnate Savior has been exalted as the almighty and sovereign Lord.

Because of that, believers have the assurance that their ultimate redemption is certain and that their place in heaven is secured forever.

Christ is properly to be obeyed as divine Lord, to be honored and worshiped throughout all time and eternity.

As Paul wrote this from Prison, to the Philippians who faced hardship from the state, this suffering community that has been repeatedly reminded of Christ's preeminent role in everything-both present and future-here is the necessary concluding word.

Believers in Christ are both "already" and "not yet."

Already they know and own him as Lord of all; not yet have they seen all things made subject to him.

Here, then, they are reminded of who, and whose, they are: glad followers of him who is King of kings and Lord of lords, before whom at God's final wrap-up every knee shall bow to pay him the homage due his name (Fee, G. D. (1999).

Philippians (Vol.

11, p. 98).

IVP Academic.).

Since the King has Come and is coming again, the Apostle Paul presents four aspects of the Father's exaltation of the Son: 1) The source (Philippians 2:9a), 2) The title (Philippians 2:9b), 3) The response (Philippians 2:10-11a), and 4) The purpose (Philippians 2:11b).

Through the Coming of Christ, we see His Kingship through:

1) The Source of Christ's Exaltation (Philippians 2:9a)

Philippians 2:9a.

Therefore, God has highly exalted him (and bestowed on him the name that is above every name) (ESV)

Therefore/For this reason refers back to Jesus' humiliation described in verses 5-8. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Christ's exaltation was "the joy set before Him" for which He willingly endured the cross, despised the shame, suffered the hostility of sinners, and was seated "at the right hand of the throne of God" (Heb.

12:2-3).

The way to exaltation is always through humiliation.

If that principle was true for the Son of God, how much more is it true for His followers?

Therefore, Paul draws the preceding narrative to its proper conclusion.

Although he explicitly mentions neither the resurrection nor the ascension, these two realities are presupposed by what he does say (Fee, G. D. (1995).

Paul's Letter to the Philippians (p.

220).

Wm.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)

Christ now is Highly exalted, which translates the compound verb huperupsoō, composed of huper (over) and hupsoō (to lift, or raise up).

God lifted up His beloved Son in the most magnificent way possible.

It involved four steps upward: His resurrection, His ascension, His coronation, and His intercession.

First, Jesus was resurrected from the dead (Mk.

16:6; Acts 2:32, 5:30, 13:33-39, ; Rom. 1:4; Eph.

1:20).

The second aspect of the Father's exaltation of Jesus was His ascension (Jn.

20:17; Acts 1:9; cf.

John 14:2; 16:7; Heb.

4:14;1 Tim.

3:16).

The third aspect of Jesus' exaltation was His coronation.

Having ascended, Jesus "is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven" (1 Peter 3:22).(cf.

Mt. 28:18; Acts 5:31, Acts 7:55-56; cf.

Heb.

2:9; 10:12).

From heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ forever reigns "far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come," because the Father "put all things in subjection under His feet" (Eph.

1:21-22; cf.

4:10; Pss.

2:8; 89:27; 1 Peter 3:22; Jude 25).

The fourth and final aspect of Jesus' exaltation is His honored position of High Priest, from which He continually intercedes for believers.

Christ, who died and was raised for us and "who is at the right hand of God ... also intercedes for us" (Rom.

8:34; cf.

v. 26).

William Hendriksen cogently describes Jesus' coronation in the following comment: "He who stood condemned in relation to the divine law (because of the sin of (His People) which rested on him) has exchanged this penal for the righteous relation to the law.

He who was poor has become rich.

He who was rejected has been accepted (Rev.

12:5, 10).

He who learned obedience has entered upon the actual administration of the power and authority committed to him.

As king, having by his death, resurrection, and ascension achieved and displayed his triumph over his enemies, he now holds in his hands the reins of the universe, and rules all things in the interest of his church (Eph.

1:22, 23).

As prophet he through his Spirit leads his own in all the truth.

And as priest (High-priest according to the order of Melchizedek) he, on the basis of his accomplished atonement, not only intercedes but actually lives forever to make intercession for those who draw near to God through him (Heb.

7:25)".

(Hendrikson, William.

New Testament Commentary: Exposition of Philippians [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1962], 114.)

Please turn to John 17

For the most part, Jesus' exaltation involved the restoration of what He had eternally possessed before His incarnation.

In some ways Jesus received even more in His exaltation than He had surrendered in His incarnation.

He was not, of course, any more divine or perfect.

It was not possible for Him to be further elevated in any way as far as His essential nature and being are concerned.

But because of His perfect redemptive work, the Father bestowed on the Son even more rights, privileges, honors, and responsibilities than He had before.

The exaltation was therefore more than merely a reversal of the Incarnation.

It was the Father's giving the Son honor and tribute He could receive only after His redemptive sacrifice, which He made in obedience to the Father's will.

As Christ was preparing to return unto the perfect fellowship in the presence of the Spirit and Father, in John 17 He prayed:

John 17:1-5.

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, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.

3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

(ESV)

* In a way completely incomprehensible to the human mind, Jesus Christ not only became the God-man in the incarnation but also will forever continue to be that.

As High Priest, He continually intercedes for all those He saves.

Because a priest must represent both God and humanity, He could not have been believers' High Priest apart from His deigning to become a man (Heb.

2:18; 4:15; 9:28; 1 Peter 2:24).

Quote: (Christmas, 1 & 2nd Comings)

In considering the glorification of Christ then, how can we compare His first from His second coming?

The first time he came, he came veiled in the form of a child.

The next time he comes, and we believe it will be soon, he will come unveiled, and it will be abundantly and immediately clear to all the world just who he really is.