The Lord Jesus Christ, as God, was incapable of elevation : but, as man, he was raised from the lowest degradation to the highest degrees of glory.
Amidst the depths of his humiliation he was greatly exalted —
[At his baptism he received an audible testimony from heaven, together with a visible communication of the Spirit of God, in attestation of his Messiahship. In all the miracles he wrought, a further testimony was borne to him by the Fathei\ And in his last hours, when in appearance he was even deserted by his heavenly Father, universal nature bore witness to him ; the sun going down, as it were, at noon-day ; the earth rending and quaking to its very centre ; and the most convincing evi- dence being given to all, that he whom they crucified was indeed the Son of God.]
But it was not till after that period that the exalta- tion spoken of in the text commenced —
[At his resurrection, he was declared to be the Son of
God with power At his ascension, he led captivity
itself captive, and, surrounded with myriads of holy angels,
went to take possession of his Father's throne Seated
on that, he is elevated above all the works of God's hands ; above men, so as to be " higher than the kings of the earth," even " King of kings and Lord of lordsa:" and above angels also, " all the principalities and powers of heaven being made subject unto himb" ]
The text requires us particularly to notice,
II. The reason of his exaltation —
It was in consequence of his previous humiliation : it was,
1. As a reward of his sufferings —
[In this view it had been promised to him c
In this view he himself looked forward to it with intense
desire d And in this view it was actually conferred
upon him e ]
2. As the means of completing the work he had undertaken —
[He was to redeem us, both by price, and by power. On this account, after he had paid the price of our redemption,
a Ps. lxxxix. 27. Rev. xix. 16. b 1 Pet. iii. 22. Heb. i. 5, 8, 9, 13. c Isai.lii. 13— 15.andliii. 10— 12. * Heb. xii. 2. John xvii. 4, 5. e Dan. vii. 13, 14. Heb. i. 3, 4.