Philippians 2: 9-11
Note: For the Summer we are reprinting some devotions that ran back when we were getting this site up and running. Hopefully this is new content to you, and we will get back into writing fresh devotions as our schedule allows.
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
My mentor used to always say, when you're reading the Bible and come across a therefore, you better see what it's there for. Haha. Sorry, enough Bible study humor. God put Jesus in the highest place in the Universe, that at His name everything would bow. Now a days we don't bow to anyone. We don't need to. Even the President of the US gets a handshake. But back in those days they understood what it meant to bow. Failure to bow before a King meant death. Basically Paul is saying that anyone who refuses to obey and accept Jesus is doomed.
So the question is why. Why did God give Jesus this high place? What was so special about Him? This goes back to that therefore. If you read the verses before this one, you'll see that Jesus made Himself nothing. This reminds me of Jesus' words when He said: "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." (Mark 9:35) Jesus made Himself last, became the servant (through dying for us) of everyone else, and therefore was pushed into this lofty position.
That's the way things operate in the Kingdom, so get to work making yourself last.
-Jeff-
