Read: Philippians 2:5-11
Jesus Christ is Lord. (v. 11)
This passage starts with a description of the way Christ humbled himself. But as the song Paul is singing rolls on, we witness Jesus exalted, Jesus magnified, Jesus lifted upon the very shoulders of time as the Lord of all creation. And this risen Christ bears a name so powerful that at the uttering of it, “every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (vv. 10-11).
This is the fundamental creed of the Christian faith, the basic claim of Christianity, the great hope upon which all others hang: Jesus Christ is Lord. And here’s where it gets interesting. Paul wrote this in a world hostile to the fledgling church; Roman propaganda was everywhere, Roman gods were worshiped with fervor and fear, and Roman legions paraded down the streets. In Philippi, every citizen was required to declare that the emperor was God and Caesar himself Lord. We could call it the cult of Caesar.
And yet Paul’s declaration is not just an affirmation of who Christ is; it’s also a radical resistance to any and all other allegiances. Saying “Jesus Christ is Lord” runs contrary to every form of idolatry: from the cult of emperor worship to our modern cult of me, myself, and I. Truly, “there is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence,” as Abraham Kuyper declares. “Over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, ‘Mine!’ ”
As you pray, give thanks to Christ who reigns over all creation.
Co-authored by Rev. Jon Brown and Justin Kuiper.
Jon Brown is the lead pastor of Pillar Church in Holland, Michigan. Jon loves preaching and loves walking with people through all of life’s circumstances. He loves to invite people to follow Jesus in community on mission. Jon and his beloved wife, Kristyn, are the proud parents of four daughters.
Justin Kuiper is a student from Holland, Michigan, studying English literature at Hope College. His own writing explores the many intersections of faith, storytelling, and the created order.
