‘Wherefore God also has highly exalted him, and given him a name above every name, &c.’ Phil 2:2.
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. ‘Wherefore God has highly exalted him;’ super exaltavit, Ambrose. ‘Above all exaltation.‘
Q-28: Wherein Consists Christ’s Exaltation?
A: In his rising from the dead, his ascending into heaven, and his sitting at the right hand of God the Father, &c.
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, 1: In his titles. 2. In his office. 3: In his ascension. 4: In his session at God’s right-hand. 5: In constituting him judge of the world.
I. God has exalted Christ in his titles.
[1] He is exalted to be a Lord. Acts 19:17. ‘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.’ Matt 28:18. 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 whom he will; the key of hell, to lock up the damned in that fiery prison. Rev 1:18.
To this Lord all knees must bow. ‘That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.’ Phil 2:20. Name is here put for person; to that holy thing Jesus, to the sceptre 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. ‘Kiss the Son’ with a kiss of love and loyalty. Psa 2:12. We must not only cast ourselves into Christ’s arms to be saved by him, but we must cast ourselves at his feet to serve him.
[2] Christ is exalted to be a prince. ‘There shall stand up Michael the great prince.’ Dan 12:2: Some think it was a created angel, but it was Angelus Foederis, Christ the angel of the covenant. He is a great prince. ‘The prince of the kings of the earth.’ Rev 1:1. They hold their crowns by immediate tenure from him; his throne is above the stars, he has angels and arch angels for his attendants. Thus he is exalted in his titles of honour.
II. God has exalted Christ in his office. He has honoured him to be Salvator mundi, the Saviour of the world. ‘Him has God exalted with his right hand, to be a prince and a Saviour.’ Acts 5:51. It was a great honour to Moses to be a temporal saviour; but what is it to be the Saviour of souls? Christ is called the horn of salvation. Luke 1:19. He saves from sin, Matt 1:1I; 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 honour is this to Christ! How did it make heaven ring with the praises of the saints! They sing hallelujahs to Christ their Saviour. ‘They sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book and open the seals; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood.’ Rev 5:5.
III. God has exalted Christ in his ascension; for if he be ascended, then he is exalted. Augustine says, ‘Some, as the Hermians, were of opinion that Christ’s body ascended into the orb and circle of the sun.’ But the Scripture plainly says he ascended into heaven. Luke 24:4I and Eph 4:40. ‘Far above all heavens;’ therefore above the firmament. 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 24:40, 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. ‘Thou hast led captivity captive,’ &c. Psa 68:18. 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. His ascension to heaven causes the descension of the Holy Spirit into our hearts. ‘When he ascended up on high, he gave gifts to men.’ Eph 4:4. 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 favourites.