The Apostles' Creed (part eight)

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 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 (Philippians 2:9-11).

Today we pick up where we left off a week ago. Last week, we looked at Christ’s humiliation—today we will consider His exaltation.

God exalted him to the highest place. God promoted Jesus, elevated Him to a position of honor and authority second only to His own. Remember when Joseph saved Egypt from disaster by interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams? Pharaoh subsequently rewarded him by making Joseph second in command of that ancient nation. Joseph was authorized to act as the king’s agent, and Jesus is authorized to act as God’s agent.

And gave him the name that is above every name. What’s so special about a name? In the Bible, a name is more than just a way to tell the kids apart—a name is often a job description as well. Christ is known by many names—Prophet, Priest, King; Son of Man, Mighty God, Prince of Peace. But when Mary became pregnant, an angel spoke to her fiancé, revealing the most precious name of all: "…Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:20-21). Jesus means ‘Savior’, the most wonderful name possible for we who need saving from our sins. ‘Jesus’ is a title as much as it is a name—it describes both who He is and what He does.

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. When Pharaoh introduced Joseph as his second in command, he demanded that all the citizens drop to their knees and bow as a gesture of respect. Now that God the Father has elevated His Son, He demands the same kind of respect from every human being. When the name Jesus is mentioned, our response ought to be one of total respect and submission.

Jesus did not acquire His position or title automatically. To become Jesus Christ the Lord, He had to first go through humiliation and then be exalted. Last week we examined the humiliation in detail: "Conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried." Today we will look closely at His exaltation: "He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead."

"He descended into hell." This is the first step up from the humiliating darkness of the grave. At first blush, going to hell doesn’t seem like a good thing. But Jesus did not go to hell to suffer; we know that all our sins were paid for on the cross because right before He died, Jesus spoke weary words of triumph: it is finished (John 19:30). In 1st Peter chapter three, we are told the true reason that Jesus entered hell—He went to preach to its inhabitants.

When Jesus died on Calvary the devil must have laughed, thinking he had finally beaten the Son of God. But he certainly didn’t laugh for very long. As soon as Jesus had paid the price for our sins, He went to the devil with a message that He wanted to deliver personally: "You’re defeated; your reign of terror is over." Like a general who has won the war, Jesus went directly to the capital of the enemy and stripped them of their weapons. The devil may still try to cause problems, but Jesus has deprived him of his only real power. Satan is always trying to convince God that because we are sinners, hell is the only place we belong. With our sins now forgiven by Jesus, Satan has no legitimate claim on us—his terrifying power to condemn has been removed.

"The third day He rose again from the dead." By sundown on Good Friday, it sure looked as if death had won the victory. Jesus was dead and buried. Gloom shrouded Jerusalem, and His followers went into hiding. The despair in their hearts was given voice by Cleopas: we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel (Luke 24:41). But that hope now seemed as dead as Jesus was.

Although they knew the Old Testament prophecies about the Savior, they had forgotten God’s promise—that the Messiah’s body would not remain in the grave long enough to experience decay (Psalm 16:10). Although Jesus had told them several times that He would rise alive again on the third day after His death, there was no glimmer of hope in their hearts. And so it was that angels had to explain what had happened: He is not here; he has risen, just as he said (Matthew 28:60). Mary Magdalene clung to Him. Thomas touched His wounded hands and side. The disciples ate with Him. Over 500 believers saw Him at the same time. Jesus returned to us alive, showing that He has conquered death. Because of Jesus, not only are we rescued from the devil’s clutches, not even death can hold us!

"He ascended into heaven." Jesus spent more than a month comforting His disciples and preparing them to spread the Good News about the resurrection. On the 40th day, our Lord took the little group out to the Mount of Olives. There He spoke to them one final time and gave them a solemn promise: surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20). Then Jesus blessed them, and as He was doing this He was taken bodily up into the sky and returned to His Father’s side in heaven. Jesus went home, His earthly career over. Back on the night when Jesus was born on earth, the hosts of heaven sang for joy—can you imagine the enthusiastic response when Jesus arrived home? On top of that, the saints must have joined in cheering His victory! But most wonderful of all, picture the reunion of Jesus with His Father. Do you remember what it was like to come home after being away for a long time? Imagine if you can how Jesus must have felt, returning home after all He’d gone through. Do you remember the pride shining in your parents’ eyes when you accomplished something big, like getting confirmed or graduating? That pride could not begin to reflect the pride in God’s eyes as He gazed lovingly at His Son. Jesus returned to the joyous praise of the angels, the beaming smiles of the saints, and the warm approval of His Father.

But this was still not the full extent of His exaltation. "He sits at the right hand of God the Father." As Joseph became the right-hand man for the king of Egypt, so Jesus is now at the right hand of God, ruling over everything. Even though Christ has ascended into heaven, He is still at work here on earth, working with us and for us. As Christ, the Anointed One of God, He functions as our Prophet, Priest and King.

As Prophet, He still proclaims the word of God—just not in person as He once did in Palestine. Now He speaks through the Bible and everyone who uses the Bible to instruct others—parents and grandparents, teachers and pastors.

As Priest, He still takes the needs of His people to God. St. John writes, if anybody commits sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One (1 John 2:1). What a comfort it is to know that whenever we break God’s Law, Jesus as right at the Father’s side saying, "Father, forgive them—I have already paid for their sins."

As King, He rules the entire world, taking particular care of His Church. Our Master promised that hell would never succeed in crushing Christianity. The leaders among both the Jews and the Gentiles tried to destroy Christ, but He is still alive. They lied about him, beat Him and crucified Him, but they could not put an end to Him. The same is true of the Church He leads.

Since our church is loyal to Jesus and the Scriptures, we are bound to be faced with enemies. Jesus said, If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first (John 15:18). In our country, the dangers come both from without and within. Although our Constitution guarantees religious liberty, atheists constantly fight to keep Christians quiet and the Bible closed. When believers speak out against sin, they are dismissed as ‘intolerant’ and ‘unloving’; some are even prosecuted for allegedly committing a ‘hate crime.’ But even more dangerous are the enemies who wear vestments and preach distortions and lies from the pulpit. Some deny that the Bible is God’s Word, perfect and complete. Even though St. Paul says that the Scriptures are the foundation of our faith, even though St. Peter says that every word was written under the direction of the Holy Spirit, some are willing to disregard passages that do not agree with their modern sensibilities. Reducing the Bible from the Word of God to nothing more than a handbook for living is the most dangerous enemy of the church today.

In spite of how bad things look, we should not fear for the Church. Since Christ shed His blood for the Church, will He not continue to take care of it? If the powers of hell cannot overcome what the Carpenter has built, surely it cannot be torn down by social activists or false teachers. Our task is to keep on sharing the truth which makes people free, and leave the rest to our Lord. Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father. All is in His hands; all is well.

We are still waiting for the final stage of our Master’s exaltation. "He shall come to judge the living and the dead." When the king returns, He will judge both those who are alive at that time as well as everyone who has died. The apostle Paul says, the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

On that day our Lord will be fully exalted. He will finally be accorded all the honor that He is due. This time He will not come as He did to Bethlehem—weak, poor, and unnoticed—but as the Mighty One in all His power and glory. Jesus said, When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory (Matthew 25:31). During His years on earth, people told lies about Him, insulted Him, rejected Him. Many still do—more than two thirds of today’s population have nothing to do with Christ. Some refuse to admit that they have done wrong; they don’t believe that they need a Savior. Others resent Jesus for claiming to be the only means to enter God’s kingdom; they want the freedom to enter paradise by their own path. And many just don’t believe in anything that cannot be seen or touched; for them, religion is only a fantasy of the mind.

But a time is coming when no one will be able to deny the truth about Jesus. Our Lord will return suddenly, catching the world by surprise. Peter tells us that all the stuff we love—sporty cars, cutting edge electronics, and fancy homes—will be consumed by purifying fire. There will be no more presidents or congressmen or judges. There will be no more governing boards or chief executive officers. There will be only one kingdom and one throne, and Christ the Lamb of God will be seated upon it. Then every knee [shall] 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. Everyone—even the devil and his followers—will bow in submission. The vanquished as well as the victors will say He is KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS (Revelation 19:16).

On that day, we who have been faithful will be exalted too. We shall shine like stars forever (Philippians 2:15). Jesus calls us His brothers and sisters (Matthew 12:48), and the undisputed King of All will welcome us as members of His royal family.