Matthew 24:42
New Living Translation
42 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.
You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.
Events prior to the Lord’s Second Coming
Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him.
For the Scriptures say, “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’”
As you can see the word tells us in many ways to keep watch! Be ready!! No one knows details of time and place but be ready for in this moment peace will prevalent and every one who kneels with believe they will declare that this is their Jesus. That God has come.
Keep this in mind: The Teacher was considered wise, and he taught the people everything he knew. He listened carefully to many proverbs, studying and classifying them.
Isaiah 45:23
I have sworn by my own name; I have spoken the truth, and I will never go back on my word: Every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to me.”
- Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God.
- For the Scriptures say, “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’”
- that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
What Does Philippians 2:10 Mean? ►
so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow- of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth-
Philippians 2:10(HCSB)
Verse Thoughts
No other name deserves all honour and praise and might and majesty and dominion and power for there is no other name under heaven whereby we must be saved. The truth of this scripture is an offense to all that are in the world but to those that have been saved it is life – eternal life – abundant life, by grace through faith.
We meet together in His name and come to the throne of grace through the name of Jesus. His name is the name of authority in heaven and hell – and demons, death and Satan tremble at the awesome name of JESUS.
Jesus is the One that is the Author and Finisher of our faith, our great high priest – our shepherd and king. He is the Seed of the woman that crushed the head of that old dragon called the devil and Satan. His approach was anticipated in the Old Testament and made manifest in the New. He was the focal point on which the expectation of all the prophets rested and the revelation of the Father in heaven, which has been given to us.
Jesus is the name that soothes the troubles breast and Who calms our fears and it is the name of Jesus that causes undying thanks and worthy praise to well up in the bosom of the believer and yet it is the same name that will strike horror and dread on all that have not believed on the name of the Son of God. By God’s amazing grace He created man and became man to save us and has become our High Priest and the Sacrificial Offering. He is the head of the Church and the Word of God,
Jesus is the One that is full of grace and truth and Who walked all His life in willing obedience to the Spirit of God, and we are called to follow His example by denying self and crying Thy will not mine be done.
We are encouraged to have this attitude in us which was in Christ Jesus, Who, although He existed eternally in the form of God, did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
And although He was fully God, He dressed Himself in sinless humanity and came to earth in appearance as a man. The Lord Jesus humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
It is for this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in
Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/philippians-2-10
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Lesson 12: Every Knee Shall Bow (Philippians 2:9-11)
Related Media
Suppose you had been out of the country during the recent NBA play-offs between Houston and Orlando. You had not heard that Houston swept it in four games. You had asked me to videotape the series so that you could watch the games after you returned. When you got back, I proposed that we place a $100 bet on the series. Would you take me up on it? Only if you wanted to give me $100! Why? Because the outcome is not in any doubt. Betting against a game where the outcome is certain would be utterly foolish.
And yet millions of people bet their eternal destiny against an outcome that God has declared absolutely certain. Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead and is ascended to the right hand of God the Father where He awaits all of His enemies to be made His footstool (Ps. 110:1). God’s Word assures us that every knee will bow to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord. And yet people go on betting their eternal destiny against this sure word from God, living as their own lords and saviors, as if God’s Word were uncertain or not true. In our text, the apostle Paul assures us that …
Because Jesus humbled Himself through the cross, God has exalted Him above all, so that all will submit to Jesus as Lord.
I want to set forth what this text of Scripture teaches; deal with some potential objections to that teaching; and, offer some applications.
The Teaching:
1. THE CRUCIFIED, RISEN, AND ASCENDED JESUS IS NOW AT THE PLACE OF SUPREMACY OVER ALL CREATION (2:9).
“Therefore” takes us back to verse 8: Because Jesus was willing to humble Himself and be obedient to death on the cross, God highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name above every name. As we saw last week, Jesus willingly left the height of heights, laid aside His glory that He had with the Father from before the foundation of the world, and took on the form of a lowly servant, adding genuine humanity to His eternal deity. His deity was not diminished or laid aside, but rather was veiled during His earthly ministry, like an eclipse of the sun. But verse 9 tells us that after that time of veiling, God restored Him to that place of supremacy (John 17:5). “Highly exalted” is a word that occurs only here in the New Testament, and may be translated “super-exalted.” Thus Jesus went from the height of heights to the depth of depths and back again to the height of heights.
Jesus did not exalt Himself (although He could have), but the Father exalted Him, thus putting His stamp of approval on Jesus’ death as the satisfaction of the penalty for our sins. As Peter proclaimed to the Jewish Sanhedrin (Acts 5:30, 31): “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” The exaltation of Jesus proves that He defeated Satan, who could not keep Jesus in the grave (Col. 2:13-15).
Men did not exalt Jesus. They cast insults and abuse at Him. They jeered and spit upon Him and called Him names. But the Father gave Jesus the name above all names, the name “Lord,” which is equivalent to the Old Testament name of God, Yahweh, a name so sacred that the Hebrews would not even pronounce it. When they were reading the Scripture and came to Yahweh, they would read, “Adonai,” which means “Lord.” “Jesus is Lord” means “Jesus is Yahweh,” eternal God.
That this is Paul’s meaning becomes obvious when you compare Philippians 2:9 with Isaiah 45:22, 23: “Turn to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself, the word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that to Me every knee will bow, every tongue swear allegiance.” To whom? To God! Citing these verses, Paul says that every knee will bow to Jesus. Jesus is God, Yahweh, Lord!
Peter affirmed the same truth on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:33-36): “Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”’ Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ–this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Thus any teaching, such as that of the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses, which diminishes or denies the full deity of Jesus Christ, goes against the clear apostolic witness to Jesus. The Jesus who humbled Himself to the death on a cross has been raised up, ascended into heaven, and placed at the right hand of God the Father, in the place of supremacy over all creation.
2. EVERY CREATURE WILL BOW BEFORE THE EXALTED LORD JESUS CHRIST (2:10).
To emphasize the universality of Christ’s exaltation and lordship, Paul adds, “of those in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth.” Every created being will submit to Jesus Christ. In heaven, the angels will bow willingly before Jesus. The angels are awesome creatures of great power and glory. The mighty angel Gabriel, who brought visions from God to the prophet Daniel, struck such fear into Daniel that he fell on his face (Dan. 8:17). On another occasion when Daniel saw the angel, he grew pale and lost all his strength. When the angel’s hand touched Daniel, it set him trembling on his hands and knees and rendered him speechless (Dan. 10:8, 10, 15). But the mighty Gabriel bows before the Lord Jesus Christ.
On earth, those who have tasted His sovereign grace will bow willingly before Jesus. Others, including many of the mightiest, most powerful men who have ever lived–great kings, wealthy tycoons, evil drug lords–will bow against their wills, but they will bow. Under the earth, Satan and all his powerful demonic forces will bow before the Lord Jesus Christ. These demons have been granted tremendous power. The Book of Job shows how Satan can move wicked people to commit slaughter, he can cause a powerful wind to knock down a house, and he can inflict a man with illness (Job 1:15, 19; 2:7). Certain demons apparently have territorial power over entire nations (Dan. 10:13). But they all will bow before the Lord Jesus Christ.
Years ago the well-known missionary, Don Richardson, spoke at our church in California. Over lunch after church, he shared an interesting theory he has about hell. He said that often hell is pictured as the demons and the damned blaspheming and cursing God. But, Don said, God isn’t going to allow that to go on throughout eternity. Rather, those in hell will forever acknowledge the lordship of Jesus.
He explained by using the analogy of the threshold of pain. Some people can endure only a small amount of pain before they will submit to anyone torturing them. Others can endure much more pain before they are broken. As a boy, you may have wrestled with a bigger boy who got you in a painful hold and increased your pain until you would agree to do or say what he wanted. If he let up on the pain, you would defy him and say, “I’m not going to do it.” So, he would increase your pain until you said, “Okay, I’ll do what you want!”
Don speculates that in hell, God is going to inflict on every person or demon the amount of pain necessary to bring that being into submission, where under duress he cries out, “Jesus is Lord.” If God were to lessen the pain, the person would defy God. So God increases the pain to the point where they submit and then holds them at that level throughout eternity. I don’t know that you can prove his theory from Scripture, but it does make sense. However God does it, there isn’t a rebellious creature on earth or in hell who will not acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord. It will be a forced confession, but every knee shall bow before Jesus.
3. EVERY TONGUE WILL CONFESS THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST TO THE GLORY OF GOD THE FATHER (2:12).
I’ve just alluded to this fact. But also we need to understand that to honor Jesus is to honor the Father, because Jesus is God. As Jesus told His Jewish critics, “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, in order that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him” (John 5:23, 24). Because Jesus and the Father are one, to glorify Jesus is to glorify the Father. God’s glory is the aim of His eternal purpose in Christ. If people will not willingly give glory to God in this life, they will do so against their will throughout eternity.
That’s the teaching: Because Jesus humbled Himself through the cross, God has exalted Him far above all, so that all will submit to Jesus as Lord, to the glory of God the Father. This teaching raises some questions or objections. Perhaps there are more, but I can think of two:
Objections to the Teaching:
1. IF JESUS IS EXALTED AS LORD, WHY DOES HE ALLOW EVIL AND SUFFERING? WHY DOESN’T HE SQUASH ALL REBELLION NOW?
Of course, this is the age-old problem of evil that theologians and philosophers have wrestled with. We can’t ultimately answer the question, “Why did God allow evil and sin in the first place?” except to say, “It was a part of His inscrutable plan and it results in greater glory to God than any other plan.” To attribute evil to the fact that God gave freedom of choice to the angels and later to human beings does not really solve the problem, because obviously God knew the sinful choices that would be made. He even ordained the cross before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4; Rev. 13:8). And yet the Bible clearly affirms that God is not responsible for sin and that He is apart from all sin (1 John 1:5).
The Bible is equally clear that the current reign of Satan as god of this world and the abundance of evil in no way disproves the absolute lordship of Jesus Christ. The Book of Revelation makes it clear that evil will abound and seemingly be winning the war right up to the end. Saints will be martyred (Rev. 6:9-11), wicked Babylon will be prospering (Rev. 17 & 18) right up to the end. And then, “in one day, in one hour” (Rev. 18:8, 10, 17, 19) God’s judgment will destroy her. That final book of the Bible shows that the fact that evil abounds does not in any way thwart the plans of God or the triumph of Christ.
The Bible is also clear that any delay of God’s judgment is only because of His great patience, in not wanting any to perish, but to bring all of His elect to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9). The final salvation of God’s elect and condemnation of the wicked will demonstrate God’s perfect justice and bring glory to Him (see 2 Thess. 1:6-10).
So, the Bible acknowledges the presence of evil, but also clearly affirms that it in no way disproves the lordship of Jesus, who in God’s perfect timing, will suppress all evil and reign in absolute triumph. That leads to the second question or objection:
2. HOW CAN WE BE SURE THAT JESUS WILL ULTIMATELY TRIUMPH, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE SEE EVIL WINNING IN OUR DAY?
As I pointed out, Scripture is clear that evil will seemingly be winning right up to the final hour. Then God’s axe will fall. But, how can we know that those prophecies about the future will come true?
Look at the many prophecies that were fulfilled in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Peter mentions how the Old Testament prophets sought to know what time or manner “the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow” (1 Pet. 1:11). The risen Jesus told the men on the Emmaus road, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” Then, “beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures” (Luke 24:25-27).
Not only do we have the witness of the Old Testament prophets who spoke of Christ’s sufferings and glory, but also the witness of the many apostles, men of integrity, who saw the risen Lord Jesus, who saw Him ascend into heaven and heard the witness of the angels to His promised second coming (Acts 1:11). Those witnesses went out and gave their very lives based upon what they had seen and heard. We can trust their witness.
So we can know that even though it seems as if evil is winning, Jesus is risen and He is Lord. His kingdom will be established and every knee in heaven, on earth, and under the earth will bow before Jesus as sovereign Lord.
Application of the Teaching:
1. THE EXALTATION OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO HUMILITY.
This is Paul’s primary application in the context. If Jesus is the exalted Lord, we’ve got to dethrone self. We are to follow our Lord in His example of laying aside His rights and taking the form of a servant. Because He humbled Himself, God highly exalted Him. Jesus taught, “For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted” (Luke 14:11). It would be wrong to think that Jesus was motivated to go to the cross by the thought of being exalted afterwards. He went to the cross out of love and obedience to the Father and love for you and me. But being exalted was His reward. Our motivation to humble ourselves should be love for God and others, because of His great love for us. But, if we humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand, He will exalt us at the proper time (1 Pet. 5:6).
2. THE EXALTATION OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS AN ENCOURAGEMENT IN TRIALS.
Jesus endured the cross, and the Father strengthened Him and gave Him grace for that awful ordeal. The cross, the resurrection and subsequent exaltation of Jesus shows that God can transform the most grotesque of human sins against us into the greatest of divine triumphs. Any suffering or tragedy we face can redound to the glory of God.
The great British preacher, Charles Spurgeon, knew this encouragement from Christ’s exaltation. When he was only 22, his popularity had spread throughout London. Thousands were flocking to hear him preach. To accommodate the crowds, his church rented the Surrey Gardens Music Hall, which seated at least 10,000. The opening service there was Sunday, October 19, 1856. Word spread and when they opened the building, people crowded in, taking every seat, packing the aisles and stairways, while thousands more stood outside, hoping to hear through the open windows. When Spurgeon arrived and saw the crowd, he was almost overwhelmed. The service began, and everything seemed to be going well.
But just after Spurgeon began to pray, the place was thrown into confusion. Some in a gallery shouted, “Fire!” Another on the ground floor shouted, “The balconies are falling!” A third voice cried, “The whole place is collapsing!” People panicked and began rushing for the exits, but there was no room. Some fell through the balcony railings to the floor below. As some rushed out the doors, the crowd outside saw it as their opportunity to get a seat and began rushing in. Spurgeon tried to calm everyone, but before it was over, seven people had been crushed to death, and 28 others had been severely wounded. The whole thing had been orchestrated by enemies who were jealous of Spurgeon’s popularity and wanted cause to bring him down.
Spurgeon himself was devastated by what had happened, so much so that a man who knew him well reported that 25 years later, when the event came up, Spurgeon was overcome with emotion. His critics used the event to bring all sorts of slander against the young preacher. Spurgeon withdrew for over a week, unable to preach or do anything. But as he walked in a friend’s garden, our text flashed into his mind: “Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name.” As he meditated on the exalted Christ, he found strength, and when he returned to the pulpit, he spoke on these verses. Let them comfort you in a time of tragedy.
3. THE EXALTATION OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO EVANGELISM.
The fact that every knee shall bow before Jesus as Lord, either willingly in this life, or forcibly at the judgment, should impel us to warn others to flee the wrath to come. The ultimate lordship of Jesus is the culmination of what God is doing in history, and we have a part in the work of His kingdom. Lost people need to see the serious consequences if they continue in rebellion. They need to repent of their sins, trust in Christ as Savior, and yield to Him as Lord.
4. THE EXALTATION OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO SALVATION.
If you have not bowed before Jesus as your Lord and Savior, do not delay! Today is the day of salvation; tomorrow you may have to face Him as Judge! Believing in Christ as your Savior and Lord requires that you humble yourself, because you must let go of the proud notion that you can save yourself. Your good works are not good enough. Only Christ can save. Let go of any thoughts that you’re good enough for the holy God. Turn from your sin and flee to Jesus.
“Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself, the word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance. They will say, ‘Only in the Lord are righteousness and strength.’ Men will come to Him, and all who were angry at Him shall be put to shame. In the Lord all the offspring of Israel will be justified, and will glory” (Isa. 45:22-25).
The outcome is certain. The question is, On which side are you?
Discussion Questions
- How can we minister to a believer who has gone through some tragedy and asks, “Where was God when this happened?”
- If Jesus is highly exalted over all, why is there so much evil in this world?
- Jesus said, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ but do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). Can a professing, but disobedient, Christian have assurance of salvation?
- Why is it impossible to separate belief in Christ as Savior from submission to Him as Lord?
Copyright 1995, Steven J. Cole, All Rights Reserved.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible © The Lockman Foundation
FROM THE SERIES: PHILIPPIANS
Related Topics: Christology, Evangelism, Soteriology (Salvation), Spiritual Life
Why “Every Knee Will Bow” at Jesus’ Return
Pamela Palmer
| Author
2020
20 Sep
There are a few verses in the Bible that use the phrase “every knee will bow.” Perhaps you’ve read this verse yourself or heard someone else reference it. You may have been left wondering what exactly that means. Has this already happened? Who will everyone bow before? Is this forced or a willing gesture? What will cause every knee to bow? The phrase in question can be found in the letter the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Philippa.
“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).
As believers, we want to better understand the Bible and how it impacts our faith and guides our life. When we look at the verse itself and take into consideration its context, what emerges is a clearer picture of what it means that every knee will bow and how this phrase effects believers today.
What Is the Context of This Verse?
The Apostle Paul wrote this joy-filled epistle to the church of Philippa when he was imprisoned. The recipients of this letter were Gentiles that he had evangelized during an earlier missionary journey (see: Acts 16:12-40). Paul wrote to this church with gratitude and encouragement, and the overall theme seems to emphasize that believers can and should find joy in their suffering.
A message such as that was very appropriate given that Paul was in prison when he wrote this letter. Truly, he lived by the words he wrote. Though he was wrongly imprisoned, he continued to encourage and care for the churches he evangelized.
Paul began his letter to the Philippians advising them to live in a way that was worthy of being followers of Christ. In the second chapter of the epistle to the Philippians, Paul called the church of Philippa to be more humble. To demonstrate the significance of humility, Paul wrote about Jesus’ humility as an example they could follow. He urged the church to be in unity with one another and obedient to God. He instructed them on faithful behavior and obedience to God. He encouraged them to treat each other in honoring ways because they were followers of Jesus.
As Paul narrowed in on the topic of Jesus, he explained that although Jesus became a man when he entered the world as an incredible act of humility, he had been restored to the highest place – seated at the right hand of the Father. Even Jesus’ name is greater than any other name (see Philippians 2:9). Paul went on to establish the exaltation of Jesus by including that in fact every knee will bow at the name of Jesus and that all will acknowledge with their tongues that Jesus is Lord.
Why Will Every Knee Bow?
In the midst of Paul’s exhortations to the church of Philippa, we find a verse stating that every knee will bow to Jesus. It begs the question as to why all heavenly beings and humanity will bow before Jesus.
This verse is speaking of a future time, specifically, when the second coming of Jesus happens. This timeline adds understanding as to why every knee will bow. When Jesus returns, this visible coming will force all to acknowledge that Jesus is Lord. There will be no doubt, no debate, and no question when Jesus comes a second time that he truly is who he said he was.
Although there are people of every generation who have doubted who Jesus was, or rejected the Gospel message, when Jesus returns, there will be no disputing who Jesus is. No one will be able to deny who Jesus is once he returns. Therefore, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is indeed the Lord of all.
Who Does This Verse Include, and Why?
These verses declare that, “those in heaven, and those on earth, and those under the earth (v. 10)” will kneel before Jesus and profess he is Lord. Those in heaven refers to the heavenly and angelic beings. Those on earth refers to humanity. Those under the earth most likely refers to demonic beings.
Essentially, this part of the verse conveys in the most comprehensive way possible that all will bow to Jesus, not just human beings. To be clear, this passage is not conveying that all people will come to be saved. On the contrary, it affirms that even those who chose to not make Jesus their Lord will one day kneel before him and acknowledge who Jesus is.
Ultimately, whether saved or not, all will recognize upon Christ’s return that he is the only Lord and Savior.
What Does This Verse Mean for…
Believers
For those who believe, this verse means we anticipate the day when Jesus returns and that we will affirm our faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. This moment when believers kneel before Jesus and confess that he is Lord will be a culmination of their faith.
Believers will do this as a form of adoration and an acknowledgment of Jesus as Lord of all. Believers will bow before their King who died for them and saved them. This will be a glorious and humbling moment for believers.
Non-Believers
For those who rejected the Gospel and did not accept Jesus as their Savior – those we consider non-believers – this will be a moment where they will face the reality of who Jesus is. It will be a moment when they realize their grave error in not choosing to repent and turn to Jesus. It will be the incredibly sobering moment when they realize they were wrong about who Jesus is.
There is no escaping the truth about Jesus and the reverence he is due as Lord. Non-believers will bow before the King whose salvation they chose to deny.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/fizkes
What Does This Verse Mean for Us Today?
This undeniable truth about Jesus being our Lord and Savior is why the Bible instructs and urges believers to be ready for the return of Jesus, which will come unexpectedly (see Matthew 24:42). The second coming of Jesus will happen at a time unknown to us, so it is imperative that we live each day as though it will be the day Jesus returns.
We should be living righteous lives, modeling how we love and live after Jesus’ life. Believers need to be ready at all times because the day is approaching when every knee will bow before Jesus and every tongue will confess that he is Lord. This verse is a reminder that believers have been commissioned to go and share the Gospel message with all people and nations so that others will repent and put their faith in Jesus.
We have been entrusted with the message of hope that everyone needs to hear, and it is our responsibility, given to us by Jesus, to evangelize and witness to a world that is lost and broken.
Jesus’ Divinity and Majesty
Though Jesus left his throne in heaven and came to earth as a man who went on to die for our sins and resurrect, we can rest assured that Jesus is once again seated at the right hand of the Father. This verse affirms the divinity of Jesus and the majesty of Jesus. It reminds us to draw closer to God so that we are ready for this day, and to continue sharing the Gospel to those who have not yet received salvation.
We can excitedly await Jesus’ second coming. For it will be a glorious and humbling moment when each of us comes before Jesus, and in awe and reverence, will kneel before him and confess with our mouths that he is our Lord and Savior.
Photo credit: Unsplash/Aaron Burden
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Pamela Palmer is a writer, chaplain, and the founder of upheldlife.com, the platform on which she produces weekly devotionals and faith resource articles to inspire keeping faith at the center of it all. She lives and thrives on Jesus, coffee, and music. She is in pastoral ministry and gets to share in the emotional and spiritual lives of many people, being a small piece of each journey. Pamela married the perfect man for her and they have two beautiful kiddos. She has been published on herviewfromhome.com and you can follow her at upheldlife.com, or on Facebook.com/upheldlife.
This article is part of our larger resource library of popular Bible verse phrases and quotes. We want to provide easy to read articles that answer your questions about the meaning, origin, and history of specific verses within Scripture’s context. It is our hope that these will help you better understand the meaning and purpose of God’s Word in relation to your life today.
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What does Philippians 2:10 mean?
Part of the result of Jesus being highly exalted (Philippians 2:9) is that all people, ultimately, will be in submission to Him. The idea may actually be better expressed by “will bow,” referring to something certain to happen. This is phrased in terms including every possible being. Those “in heaven” could include angels and saints who have passed away already. Those “on earth” clearly refer to people living now, or more specifically at the time Paul was writing this letter. Those “under the earth” could include those who have already died and perhaps the Devil and evil spirits who must submit to the power of the Lord (Revelation 20).
This understanding is also enhanced after looking at verse 11, which refers to every “tongue” confessing Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. In the future, every being will bow before the Lord, the ultimate reward for the Lord Jesus Christ who became the ultimate servant during His time on earth.
| Context SummaryPhilippians 2:6–11 is a poetic description of Jesus’ willingness to humble Himself for our sake. Rather than coming first as God and King, Jesus freely took on the form of a human being. He was humiliated and oppressed, following the will of the Father, in order to be the sacrifice for our sins. As a result, ”Jesus” will be given the ultimate glory and honor. Eventually, all people, whether they want to or not, will admit that Jesus Christ is, in fact, Lord. For some, this will happen too late. |
| Chapter SummaryPaul describes Jesus Christ as one willing to be humble, in obedience to God the Father. For this, God will exalt Jesus’ name above all others. Someday, one way or another, all people will admit that Jesus Christ is Lord, and submit to Him. Paul wants the Philippian believers to live with contentment and unity, without complaining. Instructions are given regarding two visitors. The first is actually the one delivering this letter, Epaphroditus. The other is Timothy, Paul’s trusted friend, who hopefully will be visiting soon |
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