Philippians 2:10–11

The Name of Jesus expresses the fame of this lowly Man. It means, as we know, Saviour, and as such it is a Name that is above every name. May we not say it is the one Name that the Lord had to come down from the glory to a cross of shame to secure? Over the cross it was written, "This is JESUS". Men in their scorn said, "Let Him now come down from the cross." Had He done so, He would have left the Name of JESUS behind Him. He would still have been the Creator, the mighty God, but never more would He have been JESUS — the Saviour. Blessed be His Name! His lowly mind led Him to be obedient to the death of the cross, and as a result every knee will bow to the Name of Jesus, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

In the Authorised Version and others, Philippians 2:10 is, as we all know, rendered "at" the name of Jesus. That rendering became the basis of a well known and widespread superstitious practice. The Revisers here say "in" (ἐν). If that is right, it means, as usual, that all creatures will bow because of His name.

It is not just a question of saints or of Israel. Every knee shall bow. This takes in angels and saints, and even those who are forever under the judgment of God, because "under the earth" carries the worst possible sense. So the lost, those in hell, come in here. The verse includes those who have rejected salvation, just as much as those who confess the Saviour. It is the universal subjection of all to Christ. Jesus has won the title even as man. If unbelievers despised Him as man, as Son of man He will judge them.

One sphere is excluded — the sphere of judgment. Yet even this — "the things under the earth" — is to bow at the name of Jesus according to Philippians 2:10. It must acknowledge Him, though cut off from Him and under the frown of God.

In the second chapter of Philippians it is a beautiful thing to see that what is due to God is going to be given to a Man. We read in the Old Testament: "By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: 'To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance'" (Isaiah 45:23). Oh, but you say, that is God speaking, and He has a divine right to claim this subjection. Quite true, and He will have it. But notice, it is all going to be given to a Man — and that Man is the Man of sorrows, the lowly Nazarene. What He can claim as God, He is worthy of as Man.

It is a solemn thing to think that every knee must bow to Jesus in the day of His coming. But is it not a joy that when people bow now to Christ and accept His gospel, they are saved? When forced to bow in the day of God by power, they will not be saved. When divine power compels them, before the judgment seat of Christ, there will be no salvation.

Then comes the solemn declaration, backed by a divine oath: "To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance." Jehovah, the Creator-God, has decreed it. Now turn to Philippians 2. There these words apply to the One who humbled Himself and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross. Two notable explanations are added. No one could have discovered them unless God had given them. The first is that "every knee" covers all in heaven, all on earth, and all under the earth. It means every intelligent being, whether in heaven, on earth, or in hell — demons as well as angels, saints, and men. Second, "every tongue shall swear allegiance" means the confession, to the glory of God the Father, that Jesus is Lord.

Jesus has won the title even as man. If unbelievers despised Him as man, as Son of man He will judge them. As man they must bow to Him. The lowly name that was His as Nazarene on the earth must be honoured everywhere; God's glory is concerned in it.

And the Spirit of God divides these into three classes: "The heavenly, the earthly, and the infernal" (or, those under the earth). Angels and demons, living and dead, saved and lost will all then acknowledge Him as LORD — and openly, for that is what the word suggests. The word "LORD" is in an emphatic position, so the emphasis falls on it: "JESUS CHRIST (is) LORD."

The Christian now confesses by the Holy Spirit that Jesus Christ is Lord. Later this homage will be given on a far larger scale. But then it will be too late for salvation... No one confesses Him as Lord by the Holy Spirit unless he is a saved person. One day the time of grace will be past. God will no longer be only gathering out a chosen body, the Church; He will be putting down every opposing authority. Then the whole universe will own the name of Jesus — even those who do it under compulsion, and who by that very confession admit their own eternal misery.

No one speaking under the influence of the Holy Spirit would call Jesus accursed... No demon would confess that Jesus is Lord. So if someone calls Jesus Lord under the influence of a spirit, that shows the Holy Spirit controls him. When Jesus was on earth, the evil spirits confessed that He was Son of God, but they never called Him Lord. The day is coming when they will be forced to own Him Lord. So will every tongue in the vast universe, to the glory of God the Father.

Our passage began, "God supremely exalted Him." It ends by telling us that this supreme exaltation of the Son is "to the glory of God the Father." He could say of all His earthly path of humiliation: "I have glorified You on the earth." How blessed to see the same thing in His path of exaltation. We know well that this is just as He would have it.

...the aim is practical. It is pressed home from One who came down from infinite glory and made Himself nothing. He is now exalted and made Lord of all, so that every creature must bow. This is put before the Philippians as the most powerful of motives and the weightiest of examples for self-denial, in love, to God's glory.