Obedience: Christ in His humanity humbly obeyed the Father (v8). This obedience was not automatic but intentional. The Son is eternally one with the Father, sharing a singular and undivided divine will.[1] Yet, in His humanity, He also possessed a genuine human will, which He submitted perfectly to the Father.[2] Thus, He could say, “I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 5:30), “not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 6:38), and “not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42). He did what every man should have done but could not because of his fallenness. In contrast to man, who sought equality with God (Gen. 3:5-6), Christ, though equal to God, submitted to the Father’s will. He did this “to the point of death” (v8), even on a cross, to justify His people and reconcile them to God.[3]

Exaltation: The Father highly exalted the incarnate Son (v9). Christ did not seek His own honor (John 7:18); the Father sought it and elevated Him after His death and resurrection. He was given supreme elevation, seated at the Father’s right hand, reigning in the place of highest authority until every enemy is placed under His feet (Acts 2:32-36; 1 Cor. 15:25). The Father also gave Him the supreme name, the LORD. All of this was to result in supreme worship, so that “every knee … and every tongue” will acknowledge that Jesus is Lord (vv10-11). The pathway to glory is the pathway of the cross.[4] Jesus’ own story is our calling and our story: we follow in His footsteps (1 Pet. 2:21).

[1] God’s pre-incarnation will (purpose, counsel, desire, etc.) is singular and uncontested: Job 23:13-14; 42:2; Ps. 33:11; 115:3; 135:6; Prov. 19:21; 21:30; Is. 14:24-27; 46:9-10; Dan. 4:35; Eph. 1:11; Heb. 6:17-18.

[2] Only in His humanity, did Christ learn (mutable) obedience and that through suffering (passible) (Heb. 5:8).

[3] Cf. Rom. 5:18-19; 2 Cor. 5:21; Eph. 2:16; Col. 1:21-22.

[4] Cf. Matt. 5:11-12; Mark 8:34-35; John 12:23-26; Acts 14:22; Rom. 8:17-18; Heb. 10:35-36; 2 Tim. 2:11-12.