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I.

1. Our Lord's teaching. He is continually urging, under different forms of expression, the elementary gospel truth, that to humble ourselves is the true way of exaltation. "Except a man be born again;" "Blessed are the poor in spirit;" "He that humbleth himself;" "Except ye be converted," etc.

2. Our Lord's example. He is himself the great example of that which he teaches. He bumbled himself as none other can humble himself, and he is exalted as none other is exalted.

II. OUR EXALTATION CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED AS HIS WAS.

1. We must humble ourselves. Being humiliated is not the same thing as humbling ourselves. Unless we accept it as from God, and for our benefit, humiliation may rouse anger and pride, and thus hinder our exaltation.

2. We must humble ourselves in the way of obedience. We shall not find grace in any self-chosen methods of self-humiliation not imposed upon us by God.

III.

1. It is a matter of spiritual experience that self-exaltation always leaves us humiliated, whereas the cheerful acceptance of the cross which God lays upon us, making us to share in the humiliation of our Lord, gives us some share also in his exaltation.

2. It is a matter of historical proof. The builders of Babel proposed to "make themselves a name," and were confounded; Abraham left himself in God's hands, who undertook to make his name great (Genesis 11:4, 8; Genesis 12:2). - V.W.H.

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KJV: Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

WEB: Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name;