universal confession

Philippians 2:9-11

"9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name:

10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

We have marvelled at Jesus Christ’s obedience, obedience unto death, even the death of the cross. And we often cannot be obedient even in small ways. Many of us struggle with “Attend worship regularly.”

These verses from Philippians remind us that Jesus Christ is the supreme model of humility and selfless service for believers to emulate in their relationships with one another and with God.

Yesterday we asked, “What are you called to do? Will you do it?” In today’s verses we read the answer: “Confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” And we can look inside ourselves to answer whether we do it or not.

God the Father responded to the Son’s obedience by highly exalting Him to the highest place and bestowing upon Him a name above every name. This name is identified as Lord (Kyrios), a title equivalent to the divine name Yahweh, signifying Jesus’ supreme authority and sovereignty over all creation.

The theological implications of this exaltation include:

Universal submission: every knee, of beings in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, will bow at the name of Jesus.

Universal confession: every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Divine glory: the ultimate purpose of this universal acknowledgment is the glory of God the Father.

Scholars interpret this passage as a declaration that Jesus shares in the divine identity and authority previously attributed to God alone in the Old Testament. While some view the “every knee” language as a future eschatological reality in which all beings acknowledge Christ’s lordship (whether willingly or in judgment), the text primarily serves to establish Christ’s supreme position as the vindicated ruler over all existence, worthy of our worship and praise every day.

Amen!