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Philippians 2:9a

The love of God for His creation of mankind is revealed as we consider with Paul the progression of Christ
Jesus from the place of highest honor, to that of deepest shame - the death of the cross.

God was manifest in the flesh in order to die for His own creation - so that they might live through Him.
And those for whom He was dying were the very ones who put Him to death.

Lets read our passage once again, as we now continue with the exaltation of Jesus. Well just be
considering the first part of verse 9, today.

[Philippians 2:5-11]

Our therefore in verse 9 literally means, for which. For what Christ Jesus did, God - God the Father
here - has highly exalted Him.

What did Jesus do? He ratified the eternal covenant, through the shedding of His blood. He completed the
Fathers plan, to redeem mankind - to loose them from sin and death. He opened up the way for men to
become children of God - and so now the Father will have glorified sons for His kingdom; sons of the
Fathers love.

For this, the Father highly exalted Jesus. This means that He exalted Jesus to the highest possible degree.

Does this mean that the Father rewarded Jesus, for what He did? No, it doesnt. Paul would never have
meant that, because that might suggest that Christ Jesus did it for His own gain.

Paul has made the opposite clear - that Christ Jesus did not consider equality with God something to be
held onto for His own advantage. His actions were not for Himself, but for the sake of others.

Not only that, but with what could the Father reward Jesus? He is God, and even in coming to the earth as a
man, He never ceased being God. How do you reward God?

We do remember that Jesus prayed to the Father for the restoration of His glorious attributes, but that is not
an exaltation; that is simply the reinstatement of what He had before with the Father, before the world was
(Jn 17:5).

The exaltation of Jesus is not a reward, for what He did; it is the recognition of who He is, in what He did.

This was the Fathers way of vindicating Christ Jesus as His Servant - in emptying Himself of His glory; in
coming to earth as a mortal man; in humbling Himself to death. Jesus did this because it was fitting, to
fulfill all righteousness - that men might become the righteousness of God, in Him (2 Cor 5:21).

Now Jesus had fulfilled all righteousness. This was the manifestation of the Fathers love, poured out in
service to mankind; and for so perfectly reflecting that love, which serves others, the Father expressed His
divine approval of Jesus, in this exaltation of Him.

What was the beginning of this exaltation, of which Paul is speaking? It was the resurrection of Jesus from
the dead. This was foretold by the prophet Isaiah.
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Turn to Isaiah chapter 52. This is one of the four Servant Songs given to Isaiah (42:1-9, 49:1-13, 50:4-
11) - prophecies about Israels Messiah, who would be the Servant of Jehovah, coming to do His will.

The song starts here at the end of chapter 52, which summarizes the work of Messiah, then continues
through chapter 53, which gives details of that work. It begins with Jehovah speaking about His Servant.

First, Jehovah gives a preview from His eternal viewpoint - that the Servant will accomplish Jehovahs
purposes - to save mankind. Then Jehovah speaks of what will be required of the Servant, to accomplish
this.

[Isaiah 52:13-15]

v. 13 to deal prudently means to act with wisdom. Messiah would always exercise wisdom in His life,
through His obedience to the will of Jehovah.

We read that the Servant would be exalted, extolled, very high - three synonyms in the Hebrew for being
raised up.

Messiah would be obedient to death - the death of the cross - a lifting up by which He would be exalted.

But more, He would be extolled - He would be resurrected from the dead, in a glorified body.

But there would be more still - He would be very high - as Messiah ascended back to the right hand of God
in heaven, to the place of honor and glory.

So Jehovahs exaltation of His Servant actually begins with the crucifixion - He reveals the place of
deepest shame to be the source of greatest glory.

Now Isaiah prophesies of just how this would be accomplished.

v. 14 This verse speaks of the suffering that Messiah would endure, in order to accomplish Jehovahs
purposes. The words describe disfigurement beyond recognition, which also implies a great loss of blood.

52:15 The sprinkling of the nations invokes the imagery of the ceremonial Law, where the blood of the
sacrifice was sprinkled on the offerers as a ceremonial cleansing from sin.

The idea is that the abundant shedding of Messiahs blood would result in blood sufficient not just for
Israel, but for the Gentile nations - to genuinely cleanse the whole world from sin.

Jehovah speaks of the rulers of these Gentile nations rendered speechless by this - not having seen and
heard it first-hand, but having it recounted to them - how is that going to occur? Through the preaching of
the gospel.

Isaiahs prophecy was given over 500 years before Jesus actually came and fulfilled it, shedding His blood
on the cross.

Following the resurrection and ascension of Jesus back into heaven, the apostle Peter spoke to multitudes in
Jerusalem on Pentecost, giving them Gods perspective on what had transpired.
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Turn to Acts chapter 2. Jesus had ascended, returning to heaven. Ten days later, He poured out the Holy
Spirit on His Body of believers on earth. This was the anointing of the Body of Christ with power for their
ministry, to reconcile men to God. It was at this time that the Body of Christ received the spiritual graces -
the charismata - that the Spirit distributes to each one, as He wills (1 Cor 12:11).

These disciples all received from the Spirit the gift of tongues - the ability to speak in actual foreign
languages, unknown to them. And as they all began to speak, a crowd gathered - Jewish pilgrims, in
Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost - and they heard the disciples proclaiming in their native tongues the
wonderful works of God.

Peter addressed the Jews, explaining that what they were hearing - the speaking in tongues - was the
fulfillment of a prophecy of Joel - the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Lords servants - a sign to be
recognized, with words to be heeded.

Peter then boldly spoke to the crowd about Jesus. Well begin in verse 22.

[Acts 2:22-36]

v. 22-24 Notice that Peter first indicates that Jesus was a Man; He came in the likeness of men. But He
was a Man attested by God to you; what did Peter mean? Well, the you is the Jews.

Jesus was attested by God to the Jews - God showed His approval of Jesus, by working miracles, wonders,
and signs through Him. And the Jews witnessed these miraculous works; they would have known that
these works could only be done by the power of God.

Peter then reminds the Jews of their conduct, against Jesus. Who actually crucified Jesus? The Romans.
Thats why Peter uses the term, lawless hands - the Jews considered the Gentiles to be lawless, since they
did not have the Law of Moses. Roman soldiers took Jesus and crucified Him.

But Peter lays the responsibility here squarely on the Jews, as if they themselves had done the deed
themselves - because their rulers had orchestrated it; and all of the Jews in Jerusalem were complicit in
seeing it through, by their acquiescence to their rulers. God approved of Jesus, and they showed their
disapproval of Him - by putting Him to death.

Nonetheless, Peter shows that what they did was exactly what God had purposed. God foreknew that they
would put Jesus to death - the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world (Rev 13:8). The cross was the
place where God made Jesus the offering for sin (Is 53:10).

Does this in any way absolve the guilt of those who put Jesus to death? Not in the least. But Peter wishes
to show the sovereign hand of God, in the matter - in contrast to their lawless hands.

And it is the sovereign hand of God that overrules, as seen in verse 24. They put Jesus to death, but God
raised Him up - speaking of His resurrection. Peter clearly lays out this exaltation out of death to be a
vindication of Jesus, by God.

The Jews refused to receive Jesus as Gods Anointed One; by resurrecting Jesus, God was saying, He is
indeed My Anointed; the One whom I have sent.
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God raised Jesus, having loosed the pains of death. The word for pain in the Greek literally refers to
birth pangs. Peter was saying that Jesus labored on the cross, like a woman laboring to deliver a child.
What would be born, of Jesus labor? The sons, for Gods kingdom; a fruitful labor.

And when that labor had accomplished its purpose, God then loosed Jesus from the pains of death. Death
is portrayed here as being like cords, that hold a body fast, in the grave. God loosed those cords, releasing
Jesus from death, through His resurrection.

Notice that Peter says it was not possible that Jesus should be held by Death. Why not? One reason was
because He had eternal life in Himself (Jn 5:26); like the germ of life, within the seed coat of His mortal
body.

Death had no dominion over Jesus; Death simply served to release that Life within Him, changing His
earthly body into a glorified body of spirit life - in which Death has no part.

And there was a second reason why it was not possible for Jesus to be held by Death - which we see, as
Peter continues. He goes on to show that the resurrection of Jesus was a fulfillment of an OT psalm that
David wrote.

This is from Psalm 16, a messianic psalm; Peter is quoting the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the OT).
The psalm speaks of the Coming Messiah as He is pictured in the Levitical grain offering (Lev 2:1-16) - as
the Perfect Man. There was no leaven in the grain offering, which pictured the sinlessness of the Messiah -
in Him was no sin.

Lets read this portion that Peter quoted. In the psalm, the Messiah is speaking to the LORD, Jehovah.

v. 25 For Messiah to always see Jehovah before His face means that He is following whatever Jehovah
shows Him to do (Jn 5:19-20); He is always obedient to Jehovah.

Because of this, Jehovah is always at Messiahs right hand, meaning He is always there to help Him;
preserving Him, through His course, so that He is not moved from His obedience. The idea is that Messiah
entrusts Himself to Jehovah to keep Him - and so, He is kept.

v. 26 Messiah delights to do the will of Jehovah throughout His life. This gives Him confidence, even
when His flesh will rest in death. And then He states what that confidence is.

v. 27 In our day, Jesus has opened up heaven, and believing souls of spirit-life immediately go after death
to be with the Lord. But until Jesus came, when anyone died, their souls of spirit-life would reside in
Hades, while their dead bodies lay in the grave, corrupting. This was true for all men.

But Messiah was confident that Jehovah would not permit Him to remain, in that state - dead. And Jehovah
would not allow the body of Messiah to see corruption - why not? Because there was no sin in that body;
its sin that corrupts (Gal 6:8, Eph 4:22).

Without corruption, Death had no hold on the body of Messiah; and through the Life in that body, God
would raise Messiah up - spirit, soul and body - in glorified Life. The flesh of the sinless Messiah would
rest in the hope of resurrection.

v. 28 So Messiah would follow Jehovahs leading through death - through resurrection - into glorious Life,
back in Jehovahs presence - which alludes to the ascension.
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As Peter continues, he now tells his Jewish listeners how this was fulfilled, by Jesus.

v. 29 Peters first point is that David wrote this psalm, but that it wasnt about him; Davids body was still
in the grave, and it had corrupted; as that of all other men have.

v. 30-31 So what Peter is pointing out is that David knew who he was writing about, in this psalm - that it
was about the Messiah, the Son of David, who would one day rule and reign forever.

Now Peter connects this to Jesus.

v. 32 If God has raised up Jesus, in fulfillment of this psalm, it proves that He is the Messiah. And all the
eye-witnesses to the resurrected Jesus drive home Peters point.

But Peter is not done. Having shown how God exalted Jesus out of death, Peter goes on to show that Jesus
was even more highly exalted.

v. 33 So Jesus was more highly exalted, to the right hand of the Father. Peter had already made a
connection between the sign that the Jews have witnessed that day - the disciples speaking in tongues - with
the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, prophesied by Joel (2:16-18).

Now Peter is indicating that this outpouring of the Holy Spirit was done by Jesus - from heaven, to which
He has ascended - an ascension which was also eye-witnessed, by His disciples.

And Peter goes on to show that this is the fulfillment of another messianic psalm of David - Psalm 110 -
which he records, in part.

v. 34-35 So David is speaking first, in this psalm. We have two words translated Lord here. The LORD,
L-O-R-D, all uppercase letters, is Jehovah, in the Hebrew - the personal name of God. The other word
Lord, uppercase L, then lowercase o-r-d, is Adonai in the Hebrew, a title for God, that means Master.

What David was doing, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, was using two different Hebrew words for
God, to represent two different persons of the Godhead, in His psalm - Jehovah for God the Father, and
Adonai - for another person of the Godhead - who is Davids Adonai - Davids Master.

In a discussion with the scribes, Jesus indicated that Davids Master was the Christ - the Messiah (Lk
20:41-44). So David is prophesying that the Father said to Messiah, Sit at My right hand, till I make Your
enemies Your footstool.

Here was God the Father inviting Messiah in His ascension to sit at the place of honor in the heavenly
throne room. A person of high rank who puts someone on his right hand gives him equal honor with
himself and recognizes him as of equal dignity. By doing this, the Father showed Messiah to be His equal -
and therefore, Messiah to be God Himself - He is God the Son. Sitting is the position of rest; the Son is
resting in His finished work of redemption. Well discuss His enemies being made His footstool next week.

Peter has shown that the exaltation of Jesus by God in His resurrection and ascension was a specific and
clear fulfillment of OT prophecies concerning the Messiah - the Christ. This brings him to his concluding
point, to the Jews.
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v. 36 Notice carefully what Peter is saying. God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ. Through God
raising Jesus from the dead in fulfillment of the Scriptures, God proved Jesus to be the Anointed One of
Israel, the Savior of the World.

And through receiving Jesus back into heaven, and placing Him at His right hand in fulfillment of the
Scriptures, the Father made it clear that Jesus was also God. Therefore, Jesus is both Lord and Christ.

The One whom Israel rejected and crucified was no less than their Messiah - and their Lord. The Supreme
Court of heaven had overturned their conviction - through this glorious recognition of Jesus.

This would be the emphasis that Peter and the other apostles would continue to make, to the Jews in
Jerusalem - that God had vindicated Jesus, through His exaltation. In His longsuffering, God was giving
the Jews an extended opportunity to repent - and be saved from this perverse generation, of the nation Israel
(2:40).

Turn to Acts chapter 3. At the temple, Peter and John had healed a man who was lame from birth - and it
drew a crowd.

[Acts 3:11-15]

v. 11-12 Peter wants to be certain that the Jews who have gathered understand that he and John did not heal
the man, in their own power.

v. 13 the word for Servant here is equivalent to the word for bondservant from our passage in
Philippians 2; the Servant of Jehovah. This would cause the Jews to recall the Servant Songs of Isaiah -
particularly Isaiah 53, which prophesied of Messiah dying in the stead of His people - for their sin.

Once again, Peter is showing the contrast between how the Jews regarded Jesus, and how God regards
Him. Notice how Peter stresses the culpability of the Jews here - the Roman governor, Pilate, wanted to
release Jesus, but the Jews insisted that He be delivered up to death - crucified.

v. 14-15 the Holy One of Israel was a title for Messiah; the Just emphasizes His perfect righteousness.

Peter was reminding the Jews of their conduct, the day they put Jesus to death. It was the Feast of Passover
- and as a token of good will, the Roman governor traditionally released a prisoner of the peoples choice,
to them.

Pilate used this to try to free Jesus; but the people would have none of it. Instead, they asked for Barabbas -
an insurrectionist who had committed murder during an uprising in Jerusalem against the Roman
government (Mt 27:15-26).

Peter is pointing out the irony in this - that the Jews chose to have a murderer granted to them - one who
takes life - and they clamored to have Jesus crucified - the One who gives Life. In fact, Peter says they
killed Him - but God reversed their decision, through the resurrection.

Peter calls Jesus the Prince of life. The Greek word for APrince@, archegos, can mean a leader or author,
as well as a pioneer, one who opens up or blazes a trail. Peter was bringing out that Jesus is the author of
eternal life; the pioneer who opened up the way of salvation for the sons of men.
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So again we see God overturning the ruling of the Jews - by glorifying Jesus through His resurrection from
the dead.

Now turn to Acts chapter 5. Peter and the other apostles spoke similarly to the rulers of the Jews. The
apostles have been brought to trial before the Sanhedrin, who accuse them of violating their direct orders.

[Acts 5:25-32]

v. 25 This is humorous - the rulers had put the apostles in prison for teaching about Jesus, but an angel had
freed them, and now they were back in the temple - teaching about Jesus.

v. 26-28 The question that the high priest asks relates to what the council had previously commanded the
apostles - that they do not speak at all nor teach in the name (4:18) - of who? Of Jesus. But he wont even
say His name - in that day, one did not honor an enemy by naming him. The high priest points out that the
apostles are not obeying the council in this.

To bring one=s blood upon others is to hold them guilty of murdering the innocent. The high priest is
disturbed that part of the teaching of the apostles includes the fact that the Jewish rulers were responsible
for the death of Jesus.

Why would he be disturbed about that? Certainly not because of a guilty conscience. It concerned a great
fear of the council - for them to lose favor with the people, and therefore lose power over them. They
wanted the murder of Jesus to be strictly associated with the Roman governor - after all, Pilate had Jesus
put to death.

Well, Peter has several things to straighten out here - with the truth.

v. 29-32 First, Peter indicates why the apostles disobeyed the council - because the council was in conflict
with God Himself.

Not only that, but Peter then boldly points out that the rulers were indeed directly responsible - for nothing
less than the murder of Jesus - whom Peter names - and the rulers had murdered Jesus by the most heinous
form available to man - crucifixion.

Surely the rulers viewed crucifixion as poetic justice for Jesus, as their own Law said, cursed is everyone
who hangs on a tree (Gal 3:13, from Deut 21:23).

But as Paul would later write, Jesus became a curse for us (Gal 3:13) - by being our Sin Bearer. He took
the curse of death for us - so that we didnt have to. This was Gods justice - and in Jesus perfectly,
willingly satisfying it, God then raised Jesus up, and exalted Him, as Prince and Savior - as witnessed by
the apostles.

So what we see in the exaltation of Jesus is Gods exoneration of Him, before His enemies. But more than
that, this is a recognition of who He is - Prince and Savior; the archegos - the One who blazed the trail for
men to be saved.

The author to the Hebrews brings this out. Turn to Hebrews chapter 2. The author has been writing about
dominion - rule over the earth. He points out that mankind was given dominion over the earth - but that we
do not yet see all things put under him, because of sin. But what we do see is Jesus, through whom
dominion will one day be realized.
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[Hebrews 2:9-10] Jesus was made a little lower than the angels. In what sense? When the Word became
flesh, and dwelt among men (Jn 1:14). As a man, Jesus was obedient to death - He tasted death for every
man, in their stead - to redeem them to God.

And because of this, God crowned Jesus with glory and honor - a recognition of Him, as the captain of their
salvation. Captain is the same word that Peter used for Prince - archegos - the leader, the pioneer in
salvation.

But how can the author say that Jesus was made perfect in sufferings? Wasnt Jesus already perfect? Jesus
came as the perfect Man, but His perfection was untested. It is only through testing - such as the
temptations He suffered - that Jesus, as a man, was proved perfect - and in that sense, perfected.

Well look at one last passage, in Hebrews chapter 5, which bears this out. Were catching the author mid-
sentence here.

[Hebrews 5:7-10] We have the sense that the author is speaking here of Jesus on the cross. In verse 7, the
author is drawing his thoughts from Psalm 22 - the psalm of the cross - where Jesus asked the Father over
and over to deliver Him.

The author says Jesus was heard; yet Jesus died. What does he mean? In following the thought from
Psalm 22, Jesus was not delivered from death - but through it - through His resurrection from the dead.
Because Jesus had been obedient unto death, God raised Him up.

Notice how the author says Jesus learned obedience by the things that He suffered. As a man, Jesus had to
obey throughout His experiences in life - and even to death - in order to be the Perfect Substitute, for men -
and the author of their salvation, for any and all who will believe in Him.

And here we find yet another recognition by the Father of Jesus - He is honored as High Priest, according
to the order of Melchizedek.

Melchizedek was the king-priest who blessed Abraham (Gen 14:18-20). In that Melchizedeks genealogy
is not recorded in Scripture, the author points out that, in a sense, its as if Melchizedek was never born, and
never died (Heb 7:1-3).

How inspired that the author sees Jesus in this - who came according to the power of an endless life (Heb
7:16); who passed through death into heaven, to become the great High Priest (Heb 4:14); who now always
lives to make intercession for us (Heb 7:25). God has highly exalted Jesus, a recognition of who He is - our
God, who serves us, out of love.

Reading: Eph 1:15-23, Heb 1:8-9; Rev 4; Ps 110; Mt 25:31-46; Rev 20:11-15.