In Philippians 2:11, Paul teaches us that not only will every knee bow to the Lordship of Jesus, but also, “…every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” The word “confess” is a compound verb. It is preceded by the preposition “Ex.” It means to “confess out.” It is not just believing in the heart; it is a profession with the mouth in the presence of others. It is to speak “out.” As Christians, we profess our faith to others vocally, sometimes in a world that treats such confession like bringing a hymnbook to a comedy club. Yet there is a day coming when everyone and everything will publicly and openly declare the absolute truth of the Lordship of Jesus. As Paul writes elsewhere, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Jesus, who made himself low, will be raised up and seated at the right hand of God, and no one will be rolling their eyes on that day.
It is fascinating to think that Satan’s experience was the exact opposite of Christ’s experience. In Isaiah 14:13-14, we read his fivefold “I will” statements, each climbing higher and higher. UP, UP, UP! It sounds like a motivational speech gone terribly wrong. But the next verse records God’s response: “But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.” In contrast, Philippians 2 describes Jesus’ path: down, down, down. He set aside his glory, took on flesh, and “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). Therefore, he was given a name above every name. In everyday life, we tend to prefer the Satan strategy. We want recognition without service, applause without effort, and crowns without crosses. We would like the promotion without the humility, which is a bit like wanting to graduate without attending class. Yet the pattern remains: self-exaltation collapses, while self-giving rises.
This passage in Philippians chapter 2 calls us to have this same mind. If you want to go up, you must first come down. If we want to be great, we must become the least. Jesus himself said, “whoever would be great among you must be your servant” (Mark 10:43). Gary Weedman captures it well: “That is the whole anomaly of God’s kingdom; it is all askew.” There is strength in weakness (1 Corinthians 1:25), wisdom in what looks like foolishness, and a reversal where “the last will be first” (Mark 10:31). Christ is exalted not just because of his humility and obedience, but through them. As Paul writes, God “highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name” (Philippians 2:9). The one who poured himself out on behalf of his creation is now exalted above it, and his path defines the shape of true greatness.