Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, (6) who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, (7) but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. (8) And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (9) Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, (10) 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, (11) and that every tongue should confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The letter to the Philippians was written by the apostle Paul. Our verses today are critically Christological – fundamental to the gospel. Christ Jesus was and is absolute deity; He never ceased to be God in any sense but added a human nature, without sin, and wholly voluntarily took on a body subject to results of the fall; subject to weariness, aging and death. In observable ways He was human. He was in all ways tempted but was obedient unto death on the cross. The crucified, risen and ascended Christ is now at the place of supremacy over all creation.

Christ Jesus as true God and true man without sin became the perfect sacrifice for man’s redemption in Gods eternal plan; He became sin. Because of this, His separation in human form from God in our place, we are reconciled with God. His extreme agony was not the physical suffering from crucifixion but as the sin offering He was separated from God. On the cross He knew He was forsaken by God and He knew in the Garden of Gethsemane that He would be forsaken by God – He saw this abyss before Him and sweated blood.

The crucified, risen and ascended Christ is now at the place of supremacy over all creation. He stands alone. No other name can be compared to His and the time will come when He will be acknowledged as Lord. This does not mean that all will be saved but the guilty and the lost will acknowledge His power and sovereignty.