“God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name.” Phil 2:9.
We have before spoken of Christ’s humiliation; we shall now speak of his exaltation. Before you saw the Sun of Righteousness in the eclipse; now you shall see it coming out of the eclipse, and shining in its full glory. “God exalted him to the highest place;” “Above all exaltation.”
Question 28: What does Christ’s exaltation consist of?
Answer: In his rising from the dead, his ascending into heaven, and his sitting at the right hand of God the Father, etc.
In what sense has God exalted Christ?
Not in respect of his Godhead, for that cannot be exalted higher than it is: as in his humiliation, the Godhead was not lower; so in his exaltation, the Godhead is not higher: but Christ is exalted as Mediator, his human nature is exalted.
How many ways is Christ exalted?
Five ways. God has exalted Christ,
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In his titles.
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In his office.
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In his ascension.
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To his right-hand.
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In constituting him judge of the world.
I. God has exalted Christ in his TITLES.
[1] He is exalted to be a LORD. “The name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.” He is a Lord in respect of his sovereignty; he is Lord over angels and men. “All power is given to him.” Christ has three keys in his hand, the key of the grave, to open the graves of men at the resurrection; the key of heaven, to open the kingdom of heaven to whomever he will; the key of hell, to lock up the damned in that fiery prison. “I am the living one who died. Look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.” Revelation 1:18.
To this Lord all knees must bow. “That at the nameof Jesus every knee should bow.” Name is here put for person; to that holy Jesus, to the scepter of that divine person, every knee shall bow. Bowing is put for subjection. All must be subdued to him as sons or captives, submit to him as to the Lord or Judge. Psalm 2:12, “Kiss the Son” with a kiss of love and loyalty. We must not only cast ourselves into Christ’s arms to be saved by him—but we must cast ourselves at hisfeet to serve him.
[2] Christ is exalted to be a PRINCE. “At that time Michael the great prince who stands watch over your people will rise up.” Some think it was a created angel—but it was Christ the angel of the covenant. He is a great prince. “The prince of the kings of the earth.” Human kings hold their crowns by immediate tenure from him; his throne is above the stars, he has angels and archangels for his attendants. Thus he is exalted in his titles of honor.
II. God has exalted Christ in his OFFICE. God has honored him to be Salvator mundi—the Savior of the world. “Him has God exalted with his right hand, to be a prince and a Savior.” It was a great honor to Moses to be a temporal savior; but what is that, compared to the Savior of souls? “He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David.” Luke 1:69. He saves from sin, Matt 1:21; from wrath, I Thess 1:10. To save, is a flower belonging only to his crown. “Neither is there salvation in any other.” Acts 4:12. What an honor is this to Christ! How did it make heaven ring with the praises of the saints! They sing hallelujahs to Christ their Savior. “And they sang a new song—You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you redeemed men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.” Revelation 5:9.
III. God has exalted Christ in his ASCENSION; for if he is ascended, then he is exalted. The Scripture plainly says he ascended into heaven. Luke 24:51 and Eph 4:10. “Far above all heavens;” therefore above the skies. He is ascended into the highest part of the empyrean heaven, which Paul calls the third heaven. Concerning Christ’s ascension, two things may be observed:
[1] The MANNER of his ascension. When Christ ascended he blessed his disciples. “He lifted up his hands, and blessed them, and while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.” Luke 24:50, 51. He did not leave them houses and lands—but he left them his blessing.
He ascended as a conqueror, in a way of triumph. “You have led captivity captive.” He triumphed over sin, hell, and death; and his triumph is a believer’s triumph. He has conquered sin and hell for every believer.
[2] The FRUIT of Christ’s ascension. Hisascension to heaven causes the descension of the Holy Spirit into our hearts. “When he ascended up on high, he gave gifts to men.” Having ascended up in the clouds, as his triumphant chariot, he gives the gift of his Spirit to us; as a king at his coronation bestows gifts liberally on his favorites.
IV. God has exalted Christ to His right hand.”After the Lord had spoken to them, he was received up into heaven, and sat upon the right hand of God.” “He raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.” Ephesians 1:20-21.
What is meant by Christ sitting at God’s right hand?
God really has no right-hand or left; for being a Spirit, he is void of all bodily parts. This is a metaphor taken from the manner of kings, who were accustomed to advance their favorites next to their own persons, and set them at their right hand. Solomon caused a seat to be set for the queen his mother, and placed her at his right hand. So for Christ to sit at the right hand of God, is to be in the next place to God the Father in dignity and honor. The human nature of Christ, being personally united to the divine nature, is now set down on a royal throne in heaven, and adored even by angels!
By virtue of the personal union of Christ’s human nature with the divine, there is a communication of all that glory from the Deity of Christ of which his human nature is capable. Not that the manhood of Christ is advanced to an equality with the Godhead—but the divine nature being joined with the human, the human nature is wonderfully glorified, though not deified. Christ as mediator is filled with all majesty and honor, beyond the comprehension of the highest order of angels. In his humiliation he descended so low—that it was not fit to go lower; and in his exaltation he ascended so high—that it is not possible to go higher. In hisresurrection he was exalted above the grave; in his ascension he was exalted above the starry heavens; in his sitting at God’s right hand he was exalted far above the highest heavens, “Far above all heavens.”
V. God has exalted Christ in constituting him JUDGE of the whole world. “The Father has committed all judgement to the Son.” At the day of judgement Christ shall be exalted supereminently. “He shall come in the glory of his Father.” He shall wear the same embroidered robes of majesty as the Father; and he shall come with all his holy angels. Matt 25:31. He who was led to the bar with a band of soldiers, shall be attended to the bench with a guard of angels. Christ shall judge his judges, he shall judge Pilate who condemned him; kings must leave their thrones and come to his bar. And this is the highest court of judicature, from whence is no appeal.
Use one: Of INFORMATION.
(1.) See the different states of Christ—when he was on earth—and now that he is in heaven. Oh how is the scene altered! When he was on earth, he lay in a manger; now he sits on a throne! Then he was hated and scorned of men; now he is adored by angels! Then his name was reproached; now, “God has given him a name above every name.” Then he came in the form of a servant, and as a servant, stood with his bason and towel, and washed his disciples’ feet; now he is clad in his princes’ robes, and the kings of the earth cast their crowns before him. On earth he was a man of sorrows; now he is anointed with the oil of gladness. On earth was his crucifixion; now his coronation. Then his Father frowned upon him in desertion; now he has set him at his right hand. Before, he seemed to have no form or beauty in him; Isa 53:2; now he is in the brightness of his Father’s glory. Heb 1:3. Oh what a change is here! “Him has God highly exalted.”
(2.) Was Christ first humbled and then exalted? Hence learn, that the way to true honor is humility. “He who humbles himself shall be exalted.” The world looks upon humility as that which will make contemptible—but it is the sure way to honor. The way to rise is to fall; the way to ascend is to descend. Humility exalts us in the esteem of men, and it exalts us to a higher throne in heaven. “Whoever shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” He shall have a greater degree of glory in it.
(3.) Christ first suffered—and then was exalted. See here, that sufferings must go before glory. Many desire to be glorified with Christ—but they are not content to suffer for him. “If we suffer with him, we shall reign with him.” The wickedfirst reign—and then suffer; the godly first suffer—and then reign. There is no way to heaven—but through sufferings. There is no way to the crown—but by the cross. Jerusalem above is a pleasant city, streets of gold, gates of pearl; but we must travel through a dirty road to it, through many reproaches and sufferings. Acts 14:22. We must enter into glory as Christ did; who first suffered shame and death—and then was exaltedto sit at God’s right hand.
Use two: Of COMFORT.
(1.) Christ, being so highly exalted, has ennobled our nature, crowned it with glory, and lifted it above angels and archangels. Though, as man, he was made a little lower than the angels—yet as the human nature is united to the divine, and is at God’s right hand—so the human nature is above the angels. If God has so dignified our nature, what a shame is it that we should debase it! God has exalted the human nature above the angels, and the drunkard debases the human nature below the beasts!
(2.) Christ being exalted at God’s right hand, the key of government is laid upon his shoulders; he governs all the affairs of the world for his own glory. Do you think that when Christ is so highly advanced, and has all power in heaven and earth in his hand, he will not take care of his elect, and turn the most astonishing providences to the good of his church? In a clock, the wheels move contrary one to another—but all make the clock strike. Just so, Christ being at his Father’s right hand, will make the most contrary providences tend to the salvation of his church.
(3.) Christ being at God’s right hand, we may be assured he has now finished the work of man’s redemption. “This man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, forever sat down on the right hand of God.” If Christ had not fully expiated sin, and satisfied God’s law, he would not have sat down at God’s right hand—but had still lain in the grave; but now he is exalted to glory; which is an evident token that he has done and suffered all that was required of him, for working out our redemption.
(4.) Though Jesus Christ is so highly exalted in glory—yet he is not forgetful of us on earth. Some, when raised to places of honor, forget their friends; as the chief butler, when restored to his place at court, forgot poor Joseph in prison. But it is not so with Christ; though exalted to such glory in heaven, he is not unmindful of his saints on earth. Our high priest has all the names and needs of his people written upon his breast-plate. Are you tempted? Though Christ is in glory, he knows how to pity and support you. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.” Hebrews 4:15. Do you mourn for sin? Christ, though in a glorified state—hears your sighs, and bottles your tears!
(5.) Christ being exalted at God’s right hand is for the comfort of believers—that they will one day be exalted to that place of glory where he is! Christ’s exaltation is our exaltation. He has prayed for this. “Father, I will that all those, whom you have given me, be with me where I am.” “There are many rooms in my Father’s home, and I am going to prepare a place for you. If this were not so, I would tell you plainly. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” John 14:2-3. Christ is called the head, and the church is called the body. Eph 1:22, 23. The headbeing exalted to honor, the mystic body shall be exalted also. As surely as Christ is exalted far above all heavens—so surely will he instate believers in all that glory with which his human nature is adorned. “I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are.” John 17:22. As he here puts his grace upon the saints, so shortly will he put his glory upon them!
This is comfort for the poorest Christian. Perhaps you have scarcely a house to put your head in—yet you may look up to heaven, and say, “There is my house, there is my country; I have already taken possession of heaven in my head, Christ! He sits there, and it will not be long before I shall sit there with him; he is upon the throne of glory, and I have his word for it—I shall sit upon the throne with him” “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.” Revelation 3:21.
Use three: Of EXHORTATION. Has God highly exalted Christ? Let us labor to exalt him. Let us exalt, (1.) His person. (2.) His truths.
(1.) Let us exalt Christ in our hearts—believe, adore and love him! We cannot lift him up higher in heaven—but we may lif him higher in our hearts. Let us exalt him in our lips; let us praise him. Our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, our tongues must be the organs in these temples. By praising and commending Christ, we exalt him in the esteem of others. Let us exalt him in our lives, by living holy lives. This is true true religion—when men strive to live blameless lives. Not all the doxologies and prayers in the world so exalt Christ—as a holy life! It makes Christ renowned, and lifts him up indeed, when his followers walk worthy of him.
(2.) Let us exalt Christ’s truths. The nobles of Polonia, whenever the gospel is read—they lay their hands upon their swords, intimating by that they are ready to maintain the gospel with the hazard of their lives. Let us exalt Christ’s truths; maintain the truths of Christ—against error; maintain the doctrine of free grace—against merit; maintain the Deity of Christ—against Socinianism.
Truth is the most orient pearl in Christ’s crown. Let us contend for the truth, as one would for a large sum of money, that it should not be wrested out of his hand. Christ takes it to be exalting him—when we exalt his truths, wherein his glory is concerned.