I AM SECOND - The Name That is Above Every Name April 13, 2025
INTRODUCTION
Value others above yourselves
Not looking to your own interests
The same mindset of Christ Jesus - humility and servanthood
He let go of equality with God
Jesus made himself nothing becoming a servant in human likeness
Even death on a cross
“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! 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 acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Philippians 2:1-11 NIV
“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,”
Philippians 2:9 NIV
I. THE EXALTED SON OF GOD
“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.”
Hebrews 1:1-4 NIV
A. The humiliation
1. The “letting go” of equality with God
2. The incarnation
B. The exaltation
1. The resurrection
2. The seating at the right hand of the Father
Rick Crandall:
JESUS IS...
In Genesis He is the Seed of the Woman.
In Exodus He is the Passover Lamb.
In Leviticus He is our High Priest.
In Numbers He is the Pillar of Cloud by day and the Pillar of Fire by night.
In Deuteronomy He is the Prophet like unto Moses.
In Joshua He is the Captain of our Salvation.
In Judges He is our Judge and Lawgiver.
In Ruth He is our Kinsman Redeemer.
In I and II Samuel He is our Trusted Prophet.
In Kings and Chronicles He is our Reigning King.
In Ezra He is our Faithful Scribe.
In Nehemiah He is the Rebuilder of the broken down walls of our human lives.
In Esther He is our Mordecai.
In Job He is our Dayspring from on high and our Ever-Living Redeemer.
In Psalms He is the Lord our Shepherd.
In Proverbs and Ecclesiastes He is our Wisdom.
In the Song of Solomon He is our Lover & the Bridegroom.
In Isaiah He is the Prince of Peace.
In Jeremiah He is the Righteous Branch.
In Lamentations He is the Weeping Prophet.
In Ezekiel He is the one who assures that dry, dead bones will come alive again.
In Daniel He is the Fourth Man in the burning fiery furnace.
In Hosea He is the Faithful Husband, forever married to the backslider.
In Joel He is the Baptizer with the Holy Spirit and Fire.
In Amos He is our Burden-Bearer.
In Obadiah He is the Mighty to Save.
In Jonah He is our Great Foreign Missionary.
In Micah He is the Messenger of Beautiful Feet, of carrying the Gospel.
In Nahum He is the Avenger of God’s Elect.
In Habakkuk He is God’s Evangelist, crying, "Revive thy work in the midst of the years."
In Zephaniah He is the Savior.
In Haggai He is the Restorer of God’s Lost Heritage.
In Zechariah He is the Fountain Opened in the House of David for sin and uncleanness.
And in Malachi He is the Sun of Righteousness, rising with healing in His wings.
http://www.biblestudyplanet.com/s147.htm from a sermon by Rick Crandall, "Help for the Hard Storms of Life Pt. 2" 7/16/08.
II. THE HIGHEST PLACE
Matt Mikalatos has written a fictional story entitled, "Imaginary Jesus." In that story the main character encounters a wide variety of people who claim to be Jesus, but who actually represent our diverse and ever-changing depictions of who we want Jesus to be and the roles we want Him to fill for our personal benefit.
There's Nice Human Teacher who is a Jesus relegated to the status of Gandhi: a loving philosopher who did some good stuff. He can be largely ignored and he has no moral claim on my life, and, let's be honest, "no one expects me to be as good as Gandhi or Jesus." On the flip side there's Perpetually Angry Jesus who is constantly standing up and denouncing things and pointing his finger at people while judging them for their sins. There's TV Jesus, who says: "If you follow me, you will have the life you always wanted. Money! Wealth! Big house! Fancy plane! Unending health!" There's Hollywood Jesus who is mild and kind and never asks for anything difficult. He's the loving Jesus who wants us to be happy all the time and smiles knowingly when we sin and gives us a big hug and sends us on our way. Then there's the Magic Eight Ball Jesus who's good for quick guidance. Then there's "Testosterone Jesus" who mostly goes to men's mountain retreats and watches Braveheart for inspiration. The Legalist Jesus, who is constantly preoccupied with the minutiae of your obedience to the Law, and invents fences to keep you as far from sin as possible. The Political Jesus, who wants to take over the American government with Christians and transform the entire nation into a "Christian Nation."
The fact is we all have an image of who Jesus is and the roles we want him to play for our benefit and they don't quite match up with the Jesus of the Gospels. We build this story about who Jesus is and what we need Him to be and do for us and never challenge them.
“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Matthew 23:8-12 NIV
A. Servant
B. Savior
C. Lord
“The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God,”
Mark 1:1 NIV
“After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.”
Mark 16:19-20 NIV
III. THE NAME THAT IS ABOVE ALL NAMES
The Old Testament prophets were often commanded to give their children names that described God’s dealings with Israel.
Most Old Testament names that incorporate either the syllable “el” or the letter “Y” (sometimes “J” in English) incorporate the name of God. For example, Joshua (Hebrew Y’hoshuah) means “God saves”; Eli means “my God”; Daniel (Hebrew Dani-El ) means “God is my judge”; … Zechariah (Hebrew Zechar-Yah) means “the Lord remembers”; Isaiah (Hebrew Yeshayahu) means “salvation of the Lord.”
When the angel told Joseph that Mary was to be the mother of the Messiah, he said of the child, “Thou shalt call his name Yeshua (Salvation), for he shall save his people from their sins.” The name was commanded as assurance that this indeed would be Israel’s Holy One. Not only does that name mean “salvation,” it means “God saves.” Not only was the Messiah to be God’s instrument of salvation, he was to be God in the flesh, reconciling his lost creation to himself.
Old Simeon in the Temple knew that. As he cradled the infant Yeshua in his arms, he prayed, “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation (thy Yeshua) which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.”
Yeshua is the Jewish way to say Jesus. Yeshua is the Jewish way to salvation for all people.
Jews for Jesus
A. Jesus
“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, 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 1:18-21 NIV
B. THE Name
Jesus = Jehovah our Savior
“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and Lord of Lords.”
Revelation 19:11-16 NIV
Gloria Gaither:
Jesus, the mere mention of His name can calm the storm, heal the broken hearted, and raise the dead. At the name of Jesus, I've seen sin-hardened men melted, derelicts transformed, the lights of hope put back into the eyes of a hopeless child...
At the name of Jesus, hatred and bitterness has turned to love, forgiveness and arguments cease.
I've heard a mother softly breathe His name at the bedside of a child delirious with fever, and I've watched that little body grow quiet and the fevered brow cool.
I've sat beside a dying saint, her body racked with pain, who in those final fleeting seconds summoned her last ounce of ebbing strength to whisper earth's sweetest name--Jesus, Jesus...
Emperors have tried to destroy it; philosophies have tried to stamp it out. Tyrants have tried to wash it from the face of the earth with the very blood of those who claimed it. Yet still it stands.
And there shall be that final day when every voice that has ever uttered a sound--every voice of Adam's race shall raise in one great mighty chorus to proclaim the name of Jesus--for in that day "every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!!!"
Ah--so you see--it was not mere chance that caused the angel one night long ago to said to a virgin maiden, "His name shall be called Jesus." Jesus--Jesus--Jesus. You know, there is something about that name...
Gloria Gaither
“There’s Something About That Name”
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus; there's just something about that name.
Master, Savior, Jesus, like the fragrance after the rain;
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, let all Heaven and earth proclaim
Kings and kingdoms will all pass away,
But there's something about that name.
Kings and kingdoms will all pass away,
But there's something about that name.
Bill and Gloria Gaither, Capitol Christian Music Group, 1992.
CONCLUSION
God exalted Jesus to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name!
INVITATION
It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word. You may want to follow Jesus. You may want to proclaim your faith. You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things). Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church. If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now. If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.
