The Name Above All Names

[8] And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. [9] Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, [10] so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

(Transcript Excerpt from Sunday Morning March 15, 2026)

"Paul declares here that God has bestowed on Jesus “the name that is above every name.”

What does this profound statement mean?

For several readings now, we have lingered over different facets of this Christ hymn, the earliest poetic confession of the church’s faith. At its heart lies a single, revolutionary call: humility. We are summoned to adopt the same mindset that was in Christ Jesus—to empty ourselves in love, to serve rather than grasp, to descend rather than dominate.

Consider who He was before the incarnation. Eternal God, dwelling in unapproachable light, enthroned in blinding beauty and infinite perfection—because He is Beauty and Perfection itself.

 Mighty angels, radiant with power, encircled His throne, ceaselessly singing His praise and executing His will. Yet He did not cling to that divine splendor. He emptied Himself (ekenōsen)—He set aside the independent exercise of His glory, the privileges of deity, the visible majesty that would have overwhelmed creation.

Instead, He descended into our dust.

He was born not in a palace but amid the dirt and straw of a manger, to an obscure peasant girl in a backwater town. He made Himself nothing—of no reputation, the lowest of the low. He embraced every form of human weakness, endured slander, betrayal, scourging, and mockery. He suffered the most gruesome execution reserved for slaves and rebels: crucifixion, naked, asphyxiating, cursed.

This was no accident. It was deliberate, voluntary self-humiliation. Why? Because of joy.

As Hebrews 12:2 reveals: “…who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

The joy set before Him was you and me—redeemed, restored, brought home. It was perfect obedience to the Father. It was the pleasure of love poured out. When we whisper, “Thank You, Jesus, for dying for me,” He replies with tender delight: “It was My joy, My child. It was My pleasure.”

Because of this joyful, obedient descent—even to death on a cross—God highly exalted Him. He restored Him to the highest place and bestowed on Him the name supreme: Lord (Kyrios). 

This is no mere title. In the Greek Old Testament, Kyrios translates the sacred name Yahweh—the covenant name of God Himself, too holy for casual utterance. By bestowing this name on Jesus, the Father declares that the crucified Nazarene shares fully in the divine identity and authority. Jesus is Lord of lords, King of kings, the one rightful object of worship across the cosmos.

Paul’s vision is breathtaking: “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10–11).

This encompasses every realm—physical and spiritual, visible and invisible. Angels will bow in adoration. Demons will acknowledge Him in trembling defeat. Saints will confess with overflowing joy. 

Sinners—whether they loved Him or hated Him in life—will one day bend the knee. Your closest friend, your fiercest enemy, you, and I—all will recognize His supreme lordship.

This universal confession does not mean universal salvation. Many will face judgment, having rejected the grace offered so freely. Yet none will escape the truth of His sovereignty. C.S. Lewis captures this haunting reality in the final book of The Chronicles of Narnia, The Last Battle. At the stable door that opens into eternity, every creature must face Aslan (the Christ-figure).

 Some enter joyfully into his country, welcomed as faithful servants. Others, refusing to acknowledge him, stream away into the outer darkness. But even as they depart, they cannot deny what they have seen: the Lion is King, worthy of all honor. Their rejection does not diminish His glory; it only seals their separation from it.

So it will be with the exalted Christ, seated now at God’s right hand (Colossians 3:1). He is Lord over all (Acts 10:36; Romans 10:9–13). He is the one through whom all things were created and in whom we live (1 Corinthians 8:6). 

He reigns over the living and the dead (Romans 14:9). He is our Mediator, Intercessor, Reconciler, and the door to the Kingdom (Hebrews 7–12).

The call of this Scripture is simple yet profound: Never forget these things. Glory in them. Glory in God through them. We are far too prone to live as if eternity were a distant rumor, as if this life were all that matters. But dwell long on the descent and exaltation of Christ.

Let His humility reshape your pride, His joy kindle your obedience, His lordship silence your rebellion.

Meditate on this name above every name until your heart bows—today, willingly, in love—because one day every knee will bow. May ours bow now, in grateful worship, to the glory of God the Father."

Lets Pray

(Prayer of Confession)