The Dwelling of the Name: The Name above all names (Part 11 of 12)

billspivey
Jan 14
12 min read

Updated: May 1

From Humility to Exaltation: Who God Declared the Greatest

@ Chad Winks

Introduction

"I am the greatest! I'm the greatest thing that ever lived. I don't have a mark on my face, and I upset Sonny Liston, and I just turned twenty-two years old. I must be the greatest." — Cassius Clay, moments after defeating Sonny Liston for the heavyweight championship in 1965 and before changing his name to Muhammad Ali.

Human beings have always debated greatness. We argue over who is the greatest golfer, the greatest basketball player, the greatest singer, the greatest evangelist, or even the greatest president.

These titles are awarded and shaped by opinion, statistics, memory, loyalty, and cultural preference. Over time, consensus can also shift, fade, or be overturned by the next generation.

Human greatness is always subjective.

Scripture presents something entirely different. The Bible does not ask humanity to decide who is greatest. It records a declaration made by God Himself. God speaks of One whose Name is not elevated by popularity, performance, or consensus, but by divine authority. A Name not compared, not contested, and not subject to time—a Name declared to be above every other name.

LET’S EXPLORE: From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible tells one continuous story—God’s desire to be in relationship with His creation, to dwell among His people. The Bible reveals that ultimate greatness belongs to God alone.

In the last blog, we saw how the Holy Spirit seals believers with the Name, marking them as God’s own. But Scripture does not stop with the Name written on the children of God. It directs our attention to the One who bears that Name in its highest sense—the One God exalted and declared supreme.

In this next post in The Dwelling of the Name series, we will see that God the Father bestows that supreme Name upon His Son. Through Colossians, Philippians, Isaiah, and Revelation, we will see why Jesus Christ alone bears the Name above all names—and why every knee in heaven and on earth will bow before Him.

1 · The Divine Identity of Christ — The Fullness of God Revealed

Before Scripture speaks of Jesus being exalted, we must first understand the fullness of who He already is. Paul gives a magnificent overview in Colossians 1, showing why Christ alone is worthy of the highest honor:

"The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." — Colossians 1:15-20

He is the visible revelation of the invisible God.

Jesus is not just a reflection of God or a messenger carrying God’s image. He is the image — the exact representation — of the God no one can see. The writer of Hebrews says it even more directly:

"The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation [charaktēr] of his being [hypostasis], sustaining all things by his powerful word ..." — Hebrews 1:3

The Greek word "charaktēr" refers to the mark pressed by a king's seal —the imprint is indistinguishable from the seal itself. This means: Everything that is true of God in His being is true of Jesus Christ in His being. He is the visible radiance of God, the One who reveals the Father perfectly (John 14:9), because He shares the same divine nature, glory, and essence.

He is the Firstborn, not the first creation.

When Paul calls Jesus “the firstborn over all creation,” he is not teaching that Jesus was the first being created. The Greek word prōtotokos means preeminent, the One with priority, authority, and inheritance rights over all things.

In the Old Testament, firstborn is a title of rank, not origin. Psalm 89 uses the same language to describe the Davidic Messiah:

"My faithful love will be with him, and through my name his horn will be exalted ... And I will appoint him to be my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth." — Psalm 89:24-28

The Messiah is called firstborn because He is sovereign over all kings, bearing the rights of the heir and the authority of the divine Son. Thus “firstborn” does not place Christ inside or with creation — it places Him over creation.

He is the Creator, not the created.

For perspective, mankind was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). The Hebrew verb "bara" emphasizes God’s sovereign act of creation, not a process or material source. But Jesus is not created. He is the Creator (John 1:3).

Jesus is the only Son (monogenēs, John 3:16), a Greek term meaning “one of a kind” or “unique Son.” This speaks not of created origin, but of eternal relationship. As Hebrews 1:3 affirms, He shares the same hypostasis—the same divine being or reality—as the Father. He is eternally God, and later entered history through incarnation, becoming fully human without ceasing to be fully divine.

He is before all things.

He does not begin in Bethlehem; He enters the world as a human in Bethlehem.

“He is before all things…” — Colossians 1:17

He existed before creation, before time, before the universe was called into being.

He sustains all things.

Atoms do not hold themselves together. Galaxies do not steer themselves. Gravity does not regulate itself.

“…and in Him all things hold together.” — Colossians 1:17

Christ upholds creation by His power.

He is the fullness of God in bodily form.

Nothing is lacking. Nothing is diminished.

“For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him.” — Colossians 1:19

The fullness of YHWH—the holiness, power, authority, and glory—dwells in Jesus Christ.

He is the reconciler of all creation.

The One who created all things is the One who redeems all things by the blood of His cross.

“…and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things… making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.” — Colossians 1:20

Only Jesus is the fullness of God; He alone can rightfully bear the Name above every name.

2 · The Name Bestowed in Exaltation

Having established who Jesus eternally is, Scripture now turns to what God the Father publicly declares Him to be. The exaltation of Christ does not create His identity; it reveals it.

“Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the Name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” — Philippians 2:9–11

Paul is not describing a gradual rise in status or a reward for effort. He is describing a divine act of exaltation—a public declaration made by God Himself following Christ’s completed work of obedience.

“He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross.” — Philippians 2:8

The Father’s response to that obedience is exaltation to the highest place and the bestowal of a Name above every name.

Importantly, this Name is not referring to his human name “Yeshua" assigned and given at His birth (Matthew 1:21). Paul is explicit that the exalted confession is this: “Jesus Christ is Lord.”

3 · The Name Above Every Name is YHWH

@ J Kirk Richards

The Greek word Kyrios (“Lord”) is not a generic title of respect. It is the word used to translate the Divine Name YHWH.

Paul uses language in Philippians 2 which is drawn directly from a passage where YHWH speaks of Himself—revealing that the Name bestowed upon Jesus is none other than the Divine Name itself.

"... Was it not I, the LORD [YHWH]? And there is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none but me. Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear." — Isaiah 45:21-23

Isaiah leaves no room for delegation or reinterpretation. This passage conveys several strong and intentional claims:

YHWH alone is exclusive in deity, salvation, and righteousness
The call of salvation is universal in scope to all nations
His oath is not assignable to anyone other than Himself
All will submit to Him

When Paul declares that every tongue will confess Jesus Christ as Kyrios, he is not borrowing poetic language. He is placing Jesus within the exclusive identity of YHWH Himself. The response he describes—universal worship, allegiance, and confession—is a response Scripture reserves for God alone.

Yet Paul is careful to preserve the humility of divine order by saying “…to the glory of God the Father.” The exaltation of Jesus does not diminish the Father; it glorifies Him. The Son’s obedience leads to exaltation, and the exaltation of the Son results in the glory of God.

4 · The Name is the Lamb that is Worthy

If Philippians reveals the declaration of the Name, Revelation reveals the response to the Name. Through his obedience, Jesus foreshadowed the Passover lamb of the Torah—the spotless Lamb whose blood marks God’s people and delivers them from judgment once and for all (Exodus 12; John 1:29).

In Revelation 5, attention turns to a scroll sealed with seven seals—representing God’s sovereign will over judgment and redemption. No one in heaven or on earth is found worthy to open it until:

“Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne…” — Revelation 5:6

This moment is decisive. The Lamb does not approach the throne as a servant nor does He does stand before it awaiting instruction. He is in the midst of the throne with honor and authority to complete God's will.

The One who was slain now occupies the very center of divine authority. Worthy Is the Lamb. Heaven responds immediately:

“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.” — Revelation 5:9

The worthiness of the Lamb is grounded in His sacrifice. What Philippians described as obedience unto death, Revelation reveals as the basis for cosmic authority.

Then the worship expands:

“To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power for ever and ever!” — Revelation 5:13

This is not shared worship between unequal beings. It is unified worship offered equally to God and the Lamb.

What began in Isaiah as YHWH’s exclusive claim; what was declared in Philippians as the Name above all names, is now revealed in Revelation as enthroned and worshiped.

5 · “Who Is the Greatest?” — The Measure of Greatness and the Name

Throughout His ministry, Jesus’ disciples repeatedly argued about greatness (Luke 9:46, 22:24). They assumed greatness meant position, authority, and proximity to power—who would rank highest in the coming Kingdom.

Jesus did not deny what appeared great to the eye; He revealed that what appears great is not what God ultimately exalts.

God exalts what the eye cannot measure: perfect obedience to His will, love that gives itself fully, holiness that does not bend to sin, and faithfulness that endures even unto death. Greatness, in God’s judgment, is not proven by authority exercised, but by obedience completed.

“For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.” — Luke 9:48

The humanity of Jesus was a new experience for the eternal Son of God. Perfect obedience belongs eternally to His divine will. Obedience in his human nature was tested by suffering and required the exercise of will to complete it at the cross:

“Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered, and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation.” — Hebrews 5:8–9

The Transfiguration of Jesus Christ shows His Divine nature (image by Elizabeth Wang) — @ **Elizabeth Wang**

The word in Greek for learned (manthanó) means to know from first hand experience. He did not relinquish His divinity, but He willingly refrained from exercising His power and authority in order to live fully as a man. In suffering He had never endured in His pre-incarnate state, He experienced the costly struggle of obedience in a human body that resists pain and death.

Additionally, Jesus tied greatness directly to the Name when He said:

“Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.” — Luke 9:48

To act in Jesus’ Name meant to act in alignment with His character, authority, and obedience to the Father. Greatness, in God’s eyes, was not measured by authority seized, but by obedience embraced.

This misunderstanding became unmistakable when the sons of Zebedee sought positions at Jesus’ right and left hand. They desired rank and honor, but Jesus revealed three truths they had not grasped.

First, exaltation is God’s decision, not humanity’s ambition.

“These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.” — Matthew 20:23

Second, they did not understand the cost of true greatness.

“Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” — Matthew 20:22

They were willing to desire greatness, but they could not fulfill it perfectly. Their sin disqualified them from bearing the burden required to attain it. Even if they died more horribly than Jesus, their effort would fall short of fulfillment.

Third, they sought authority that Jesus already possessed.

What Jesus alone would do was not claim authority, but lay it down voluntarily. This is where the disciples’ question meets its final answer. True greatness required perfect obedience, perfect love, and perfect holiness—even unto death.

“The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” — Mark 10:45

Only Jesus fulfilled this standard without sin. Only Jesus obeyed the Father completely. Only Jesus bore the full weight of sacrifice required to redeem humanity as the Lamb of God. This is why Scripture does not say that people declared Jesus to be the greatest. It says God did.

“Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the Name that is above every name.” — Philippians 2:9

5 · Living in Light of the Name

1) What you just learned

You have learned that the Name above every name does not belong to Jesus because He claimed greatness, but because the Father declared it. Scripture reveals that Christ’s exaltation was not earned through ambition, status, or recognition, but through perfect obedience, humility, and faithfulness unto death. The greatness of Jesus is not measured by what He seized, but by what He willingly laid down.

You have also learned that the Name bestowed upon Jesus is not symbolic or honorary. It is the Divine Name—YHWH—openly and universally acknowledged in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. The Lamb who was slain is the Lord who reigns. What Isaiah declared of YHWH, what Paul proclaimed of Christ, and what John witnessed in heaven all testify to the same truth: ultimate greatness belongs to God alone—and it is revealed fully in the Son.

2) Why this is important

This matters because many believers embrace Jesus as Savior while hesitating to yield fully to Him as Lord. Receiving salvation requires trust in what Christ has done. Acknowledging lordship requires submission to who Christ is. One is received by faith alone; the other reshapes the entire posture of life that follows.

To confess “Jesus Christ is Lord” is not merely to affirm a title—it is to recognize divine authority. The Name above every name is not the name of a religious teacher or moral example, but the Name of YHWH Himself. Jesus is not only the One who saves us from sin; He is the Creator to whom all life already belongs. Accepting Him as Savior answers the problem of guilt. Submitting to Him as Lord confronts the problem of self-rule.

3) How this applies to sanctification

Salvation brings the Holy Spirit; sanctification begins when the believer yields to Him. At the moment of faith, the Spirit seals and indwells the believer as a gift of grace. That work is complete and unearned. But sanctification—the shaping of a life that bears the Name faithfully—does not unfold apart from surrender. Gratitude receives salvation; submission opens the way for transformation.

The Spirit does not sanctify by force. He works through yielded hearts. As long as Jesus is embraced primarily as Savior, the believer may rejoice in forgiveness while remaining guarded over authority. But when Jesus is acknowledged as LORD—not merely as King, but as YHWH, the Creator to whom all life belongs—the posture of the heart changes. Sanctification begins where self-rule ends. Only then does the believer become a vessel fit for honorable use (2 Timothy 2:20–21), ready to reflect the holiness, obedience, and humility of the One whose Name they bear.

4) Reflection and orientation

David’s prayer captures the two movements every believer must continually revisit:

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” — Psalm 51:10

A clean heart speaks to forgiveness—what God has done for us. A renewed spirit speaks to posture—how we now live before Him. Renewal is not merely emotional refreshment; it is the restoration of a right perspective and alignment, one shaped by humility before the LORD. It asks not only Have I been cleansed? but Who is truly governing and directing the course of my life?

This invites a sober reflection: Have we embraced both parts of that prayer? Have we welcomed Jesus fully as Savior while quietly resisting Him as LORD? Is our understanding of Christ centered primarily on what He has done for us, or also on who He is—the divine YHWH to whom our obedience, trust, and submission belong? A renewed spirit sees Jesus not only as the One who forgives sin, but as the rightful ruler of the heart. Sanctification deepens where humility corrects perspective, and where the believer learns to live not merely grateful for grace, but yielded to the LORD who gives it.

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Part 11 of 12 in The Dwelling of the Name Series

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