Jesus Ascended: Part 2 (Jesus Receives)

We're having a look over the course of a few posts at five implications of Christ's Ascension. On Saturday we saw that, at His Ascension, Jesus not only left the earth, but He arrived in heaven, and how that's about so much more than simply a change of location. Today we're going to have a look at the second big implication of the Ascension:

2. Jesus Receives

Philippians 2 tells us of Christ's humiliation (incarnation, earthly life, death and burial) and exaltation (resurrection, ascension and session).

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 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, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)

Here we see that Jesus has been highly exalted because of His death for us on the Cross (note the word 'therefore' and what comes before it), and that in highly exalting Him, God has 'given Him the name which is above every name'. 

So the glory and honour that Jesus received at His ascension came as a result of His Cross. Now, Jesus was already God before His incarnation, and, as God, He couldn't be more glorious. So how could He receive glory and honour at the Ascension?

Well, yes, He already had all glory and honour as God, but now at the Ascension there is something else as well; for Christ returned to heaven as the God-Man. At the Ascension it is Christ the God-Man who was glorified. So, what we're talking about here is the exaltation of Christ's human nature: Jesus' human nature has been placed in the midst of the Throne of God.

And not only His human nature, but also His Name is highly exalted. Phil. 2:10 is an almost exact quotation of Isa. 45:23 where God, having declared Himself to be the only God and Saviour, vows that He will be the object of the world's worship. So that shows us that, by His exaltation, Jesus is shown to be the only God and Saviour, and the only One who is worthy of the world's worship. Jesus has always been LORD, but through the Ascension, His Lordship is publicly recognised and will one day be universally acknowledged, when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess.

So, in His Ascension, Jesus receives glory and honour; He receives the name above all names.