“God highly exalted Him . . . to the glory of God the Father” ( Philippians 2:9 9 Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name; , 11).

When the Son is glorified, so is the Father.

The purpose of Christ’s exaltation is to glorify God. Philippians 2:11 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. says Jesus will be acknowledged as Lord “to the glory of God the Father.” In Isaiah 45:5 5 I am Jehovah, and there is none else; besides me there is no God. I will gird thee, though thou hast not known me; God says, “I am the Lord, and there is no other; besides Me there is no God.” None can be compared to God. He does not ask anyone for advice. He knows all and does exactly what He wants to do. All His purposes come to pass.

In light of who God says He is, one might assume that it would be blasphemous for everyone to bow to Jesus Christ and confess Him as Lord. To so honor Christ would seem to put Him in competition with the Father.

But the mystery of the Trinity is that when the Son is glorified, the Father is glorified. Perfect glory given to the Son is perfect glory given to the Father. John 5:23 23 that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father that sent him. says the Father has given all judgment to the Son “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.” That’s why the Father said of Jesus, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; hear Him!” (Matt. 17:5). When you believe in Jesus Christ and confess Him as Lord, you exalt not only the Son but also the Father. There is no competition within the Trinity. The Father is exalted by what He accomplishes in the Son. They are one.

What a joy to know that our confessing of Jesus as Lord glorifies God. Let’s continue to glorify Him as Lord by bearing spiritual fruit in our lives (see John 15:8 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; and `so' shall ye be my disciples. ).

Suggestions for Prayer

Jesus said, “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” ( John 14:13 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ). Whatever you ask in Christ’s name, do so by acknowledging His sovereignty and desiring that God be glorified.

For Further Study

What do Romans 9:5 5 whose are the fathers, and of whom is Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. , 1 Corinthians 15:28 28 And when all things have been subjected unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subjected to him that did subject all things unto him, that God may be all in all. , and John 13:31-32 31 When therefore he was gone out, Jesus saith, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him; 32 and God shall glorify him in himself, and straightway shall he glorify him. show about the glory of the Father and the Son?

From Strength for Today by John MacArthur Copyright © 1997. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.com.

• Download our app The Study Bible!
• John MacArthur’s complete sermon archive
• The MacArthur Study Bible
• The complete MacArthur New Testament Commentary series