Have you seen the sign hanging outside McDonald’s that says they’re open on Christmas?  Wouldn’t that be a great holiday tradition?  Instead of Turkey - take the family to McDonalds for Big Macs and Happy Meals.  Certainly helps me to think about Jesus.

My brother-in-law - also known as Karen’s brother Steve - as many of you know Steve serves with a church in Japan.  We received his December newsletter in which he writes about Christmas in Japan

Steve writes, “Without Christmas traditions of their own, intensive marketing from Colonel Sanders has convinced Japanese that chicken is the traditional Christmas food.  All KFC franchises here have life-size fiberglass figures of Colonel Sanders standing out front.  During December, he is often seen sporting a red suit and a white-trimmed red hat, making him resemble that other white-haired gentleman we often associate with Christmas.  During the Christmas season, marketing at KFC goes into full swing as consumers come in to purchase their buckets of fried chicken to celebrate the holiday.”

Big Macs and buckets.

Steve goes on, “I went to the local mall and was greatly disappointed that there was not one decoration that depicted even a trace of the true meaning of Christmas.  There was nothing but Santa Clauses, snowmen, reindeer, and even a Hello Kitty dressed up in a Santa Clause suit.  What’s even more disheartening is that the commercial side of Christmas is the only thing that the Japanese know.”

Doesn’t sound too different from here - does it?  There are 7 more shopping day until Christmas.

The last two Sundays we’ve been looking at the Challenge of Christmas - living out the implications of Jesus’ incarnation - living out those implications every day of our lives.  Because - with all the stuff of Christmas - the things we have to wade through - we don’t want to miss what God is saying to us - the profound difference He desires to make in our lives.

I invite you to turn with me to Philippians 2.  This morning we’re going to be focusing on verses 9 to 11.  You’ll also find those on your sermon notes.  We’re going to read these out loud together - get them fresh in our minds - and then come back and make two observations.

Two Sunday’s ago - back in verses 5 to 7 - we looked at Jesus emptying Himself of His prerogatives as God.  Do you remember this?  Paul writes that Jesus voluntarily laid aside His right to use His divine attributes - all those “Omni's” - omnipresence - omnipotence - omniscience - those impossible things to understand that make God uniquely God - Jesus voluntarily choose to set those aside.  Took them off.  He emptied Himself.

And at the same time Jesus was doing that, He took on Himself all the stuff of what it means to be human - minus a sin nature and the condemnation for being sinful - because of course He wasn’t.  Bottom line:  Jesus is fully God and fully man.  Remember that?

Then last Sunday - in verse 8 - we saw that Jesus - fully God - fully man -  so obeyed God the Father - that He obeyed God even to the point of death on a cross - for each one of us.  Are we together?

Philippians 2 - starting at verse 9 - let’s read out loud together:  For this reason also - stop.  “For this reason” is like saying “therefore.”  When we say therefore we have to ask what?  “Wherefore the therefore.”  Because Jesus emptied Himself and took on humanity - because Jesus obeyed God and died on the cross for us - For this reason - okay, let’s go on - For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

There are two observations we need to make about what Paul is writing here.  First:  What God Did.  Say that together, “What God did.”

First:  Paul writes, that God “highly exalted” Jesus.  The Greek word has the idea of being “super-lifted up” - way up there - powerfully lifted up.  It has to do with Jesus’ resurrection.  Jesus was crucified - died - is resurrected.

God didn’t just resurrect Jesus a little bit.  Kind of quietly - so no one would really notice.   

God resurrected Jesus in a place that was geographically central to the peoples of Asia, Europe, and Africa.  At a time when communication - roads - language - empire - all facilitated the message being spread.

God broke the seal of the mighty Roman Empire.  Took out carefully selected highly trained crack Roman troops.  Had a massive stone rolled away.  Sent angels to declare the resurrection.

The resurrection is a history direction changing - life will never be the same - all of creation has to sit up and take notice - powerful historical event.  Death has been conquered.  The penalty for sin has been paid.  Satan and his hordes have be utterly defeated.

God powerfully raised Jesus - highly exalted Him.

Then, second, God bestowed - graciously gave to Him - the name which is above every name.

Franklin Graham in his book, “The Name” shares a true story from a Bedouin tribe in the desert of southern Jordon.

Two boys - Abdul and Mohammed - were climbing the rocky terrain one day.  They wound up in a heated argument.  Abdul struck and accidentally killed Mohammed.  The Middle Eastern temper has a very low boiling point.  Most of the time they vent their emotions with yelling and wild arm motions.  But, Abdul had lost control.  Now his friend lay dead on the ground - a victim of second-degree murder.  Abdul experienced the ultimate horror.  His heart sickened as he saw the limp body of his friend.

“Mohammed!” Abdul shrieked,  But Mohammed didn’t answer.  With tears running down his checks Abdul shook him - trying desperately to get a response from his best friend.  But,  Mohammed was dead.

In Bedouin society, “an eye for an eye, life for a life” still prevails.  Knowing the inflexible custom of his people, Abdul ran across the desert in terror until he spotted the tent of the tribal chief.  The youth, gasping for air, raced to the shelter, grabbed hold of the tent peg, and screamed for mercy.  When the sheik heard the boy’s cry he came to the door.  The young man confessed his guilt and asked for protection.

Its Bedouin custom that if a fugitive grabs hold of a tent peg and pleads for protection from the owner of that tent - if the owner grants protection - he’ll lay down his life for the one on the run.  It is a matter of honor and duty - the integrity of the owner’s name is on the line.

The sheik looked at the frantic young man, his knuckles white from gripping the tent peg so tightly.  The old sheik put his hand on one of the guy-ropes of this tent and swore an oath, “I give you my protection.”

The next day, young men who had witnessed the crime came running toward the tent, shouting, “There he is!  There’s the killer! Out of the way!  Give us the boy!” ”

But the old man said, “No, I’ve given my word.”

The old Bedouin sheik stood his ground. His name was respected in the village.  His word was good.  If these men, intent on revenge, laid a hand on Abdul, they would have to kill the old man first.

“Do you know who he killed?”  The men argued.

“It doesn’t matter,” the sheik replied.

“He killed your son - your only son!”

There was a long silence.  The old man’s knees weakened.  His face tensed.  Abdul felt his heart race.  I’m dead, he thought.

After a few moments, the old man softly spoke,  “I’m an old man;  I’ll never be able to have another son.  I have given the boy my protection and I will honor my oath.   Because this boy came to me in the right way, I will take him as my own son and raise him.  He will live in my tent and will be my heir.  All that I have will be his.  He will bear my name.” (1)

A name is not just something we call someone.  A name is our reputation.  It represents character - dignity - position - rank - office - majesty.  It commands respect - honor - even worship.

Jesus is Immanuel - The Son of David - Prince of Peace - Wonderful Counselor - The Word - The Light of the World - Advocate - The Great Shepherd.  He is the Way - the Truth - the Life - The Lamb of God - Man of Sorrows - The Firstborn From The Dead - The Cornerstone - The Head of the Church.  Jesus is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah - The Bright Morning Star - the Holy One - Alpha - Omega - The Lord God - The Great I Am.  In character - in reputation - in majesty and rank and office and on and on - He is all of that and so much more.

When God powerfully raised Jesus - all of what Jesus voluntarily set aside at the incarnation - in obedience dying - at the resurrection - God the Father powerfully restores and gives to Him the name.  Notice the definite article:  “the” name - not “a” name.  There is no name greater than “the” name of Jesus - no one greater than He.

First observation:  What God did.  Second observation:  Why God Did It.  Say that together, “Why God did it.”

Paul writes - verse 10 - “So that - the reason God highly exalted Jesus - bestowed on Him the name - is so that - number one - at the name of Jesus every knee will bow” - surrender by choice or submit by decree - bow in reverence or grudging admiration - in joyful faith or resentment and despair.  One day every knee will bow.

Notice the scope of this.  “Every knee” - “those who are in heaven” - celestial - angels - saints in heaven - everyone up there.  Those who are “on earth” - terrestrial - everyone on earth.  Those who are “under the earth” - infernal - Satan and his hordes - those lost in hell.  Anyone left out?  No one.  The scope is universal.  Every rational being will bow.

Second - God exalts Jesus so that at the name of Jesus - verse 11 - “every tongue will confess.”

“To confess” is the Greek word “etzomolo-geh-seh-tai.”  Long word - three parts to the word - each one is important.  “Omos” which means same - there’s no difference - no division.  “Lego” which means to affirm or declare.  And “etz” which gives intensity to the whole thing - doing it publicly - out in the open.  Put it all together:  To confess is to agree and openly - publicly - without any reservation or disagreement with what’s being declared - acknowledge - what?  “that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

Think with me about that declaration:  Jesus Christ is Lord.

First:  Jesus.  The angel comes to Joseph - who’s bride is pregnant - who’s thinking about secretly sending her away.  The angel says to Joseph, “Don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.  She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name - what?  Jesus, for He will - what?  save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20,21)  Jesus is the Savior.

Second:  Christ.  John the Baptist was out beyond the Jordan river - baptizing and calling God’s people to turn from their sins - to turn back to God.  Remember the scene?  When John baptizes Jesus - as Jesus comes up out of the Jordan River the sky opens up.  God the Holy Spirit descends and visibly rests upon Jesus - God the Son.  From heaven God the Father speaks.  “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” (Matthew 3:16,17)  God the Father affirms God the Son.  All three persons of the Trinity are there - making one powerful statement.  Jesus is God - come into the world.  The Divine stamp of approval is placed upon Jesus and His ministry.

“Christos” - Christ - is the Greek translation of the Hebrew “Messiah” -literally “The Anointed”  The Messiah was to be the Deliverer - the One anointed by God - set apart by God through whom God’s people would be restored in their relationship with God.  Jesus is the One set apart by God to be the Mediator between God and man.  He is the One through whom we have access to God - the One through whom we can enter into a personal relationship with God - even being called sons and daughters of God.

Then the title Lord.  When Jesus was on trial the high priest questioned Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”  Jesus answered, “I Am.” (Mark 14:61,61)  Same answer God gave to Moses.  “When I go to your people and tell them that their God sent me, they’re going to ask me, ‘What’s His name?’”  God’s answer was, “I Am.”  (Exodus 3:13,14).

The Old Testament equivalent of “Lord” is “Jehovah” - “Yahweh” - the Great I Am.  Jesus is the eternal sovereign Lord God.

One day - every rational being will physically bow - every tongue will audibly confess - with one voice - in agreement - openly - in acknowledgement - that Jesus is the Savior.  Jesus is the Christ.  Jesus is the Sovereign Lord God - Jehovah Himself.

Why did God do it?  Bottom line:  “To the Glory of God the Father.”  The great purpose of the Son is to glorify the Father - to bring honor and praise to Him. (John 17:1)  When creation recognizes Jesus Christ’s Lordship - the great purpose of the Father in sending the Son is realized and God is glorified.

The end of the incarnation account is the exaltation of Jesus Christ the Lord.  All of what we’re celebrating - or what we should be celebrating - what people rushing around caught up doing Christmas stuff - what people need to know about Christmas - is that Jesus grew up to become a man.  Jesus died on a cross.  He was raised from death.  God has exalted Him and we must worship Him.  The vulnerable baby is the Lord of all.

Thinking through the implications of what Paul is writing here - how all this can be applied to our lives - there’s one truth I’d like to share.  Here it is:  The Losers Win.  Say that with me, “The losers win.”

Last Sunday I shared about the battle in 451 A.D. where 66,000 poorly equipped - untrained - Armenians - surrounded by traitors on every side - followed a guy by the name of Vartan Mamigonian into battle against 300,000 well armed - well trained - crack Perisan troops - and got creamed defending their people’s right to worship Jesus.  Remember that?

Every February Armenians all over the world commemorate that defeat.  It’s a big deal in the Armenian Christian community.  This February is the 1,556th commemoration of what the Armenians call Vartanantz.  Say that with me, “Vartanantz.”  

When you get to heaven and you’re standing just outside the pearly gates in the line to get in - Peter is going to ask you what significant event took place in Armenian history in the year 451.  So, remember Vartanantz.

Why commemorate a battle in which we got creamed?  Maybe because we can relate to it.  There isn’t a nation in existence that at one time or another hasn’t gotten creamed by another nation.  Its part of being human.

Way too often we - personally - we get beat up by the world - knocked around - feeling like there’s no way out.  When the people we should be able to rely on have let us down - again.  When all the physical stuff we go through gets to be too much.  When we’ve got more month left than money.  When stuff going on in the family is overwhelming.

Where somehow we’ve got pull ourselves together and survive at all costs.  When we’re tempted to do business like the world does business.  Or, to lash out and someone - level them with some well deserved choice vocabulary.  Or, we’re tempted to retreat into drugs or some other addiction.

Life is hard.  Do you agree with that?  Beyond that, Christians are targets.  Increasingly we’re living counter-culture.  And, Satan has us in his cross-hairs. 

Why commemorate defeat?

33 years later - 458 A.D. - Vartan’s nephew Vahan Mamigonian - after a lot of political intrigue and more bloodshed - Vahan by God’s grace, mercy, and intervention was able to force King Vagharsh of Persia to sign the Treaty of Nuvarsag which allowed the Armenians to stay Christian.  It was the first time in history that a tyrant had to yield to the principles of religious freedom.

Why commemorate defeat?  Well, we can relate to it.  But also - when we’re getting beaten down - it reminds us that in God’s way of doing things the losers win. 

Jesus said, “Whoever wishes to save his life will - what?  lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:25)

He told His disciples, “The greatest among you shall be your servant.  Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” (Matthew 23:11,12)

James wrote, “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.” (James 4:10)

Love your enemies.  To be free, place yourself in the yoke of Jesus.  Bless those who persecute you.

There’s a part of us - when we hear that - there’s a part of us that screams inside.  “That’s backwards.  Don’t go there.” 

If we were to go into one of the McDonald’s here in town we’d expect the person behind the counter is greet us with a smile.  It would be rude - insulting - for them to gaze sternly at us - the customer.  “What do you want?”

Years ago, when they opened the first McDonald’s in Moscow they ran into trouble.  They were training their employees to greet the customers with a smile.  In Moscow, greeting someone with a smile is an insult.

Different culture.  Different perspective.

Satan weaves the philosophies and thinking of this world around a self-deceptive self-destructive relentless emphasis on inequality and self-exaltation.  The rich get richer and the poor, die.  The strong oppose the weak.  Power is used to abuse.  We are relentlessly taught by the world we live in to exalt self.  Preserve self.  To the point where that seems right to us.  Makes sense.

But it’s the world - following after Satan - it’s the world that’s got it wrong - backwards - inside out.  Wrong culture.  Wrong perspective.  We need God’s perspective on how to do life.  Because that’s where the real victory lies.

Abraham lets Lot go first.  Lot chooses the best land.  Abraham gets the leftovers.  But its Abraham who gets blessed.  Becomes the father of nations.

Moses can’t speak his way out of a papyrus bag and he ends up the spokesman for a nation.

The slave nation of Israel - crucial to the Egyptian economy - is sent away piled high with the riches of Egypt - sent away by Egyptians who were happy to see them leave.

Gideon goes up against the amassed forces of the Midianites and Amalekites - not with 32,000 men - which still wouldn’t have been enough - but with 300 men armed only with trumpets, water pitchers, and torches - and they wiped out thousands of their enemies.

David takes out the giant Goliath with a rock.   The great persecutor of the Church - Saul - becomes the great defender of the faith - Paul.  On and on it goes.  Jesus - God Himself - the creator is crucified by His creation.  The disciples hide in fear.  But, Jesus is exalted - powerfully raised.  The losers win.

Revelation 19 - starting at verse 11.  John writes about the future.  “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war”  Who’s on the horse?  Jesus.

His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself...And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.”  Who’s on the white horses following Jesus?  Us!

“From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.  And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “King of kings, and Lord of lords.”  (Revelation 19:11-16)   

Every knee will bow.  Every tongue will confess.  Hasn’t happened yet.  But it will happen.  What God has ordained will take place.  What is wrong will be made right.  God’s people will be restored to Him.  Jesus Christ is Lord - to the Glory of God the Father.

Thinking about the implications of the incarnation for us - we need to realize that God’s way of doing things is so much different.  So much better.  We need to stop looking at the world for the answers and remember Jesus - born in a manger - who took all our crud on Himself - for us.  Jesus is exalted - and God will exalt us.  Powerfully lift us up.

Who wins?  The losers win.  We win.  Trust God.

______________________

1. Graham, Franklin, The Name, Thomas Nelson, 2002