One of the joys of regular Bible reading is the way that we get to see pictures of and references to Jesus that had previously not gotten our attention. In my reading through Isaiah, I find myself noticing more and more of how the prophet said things that are about the Lord Jesus, things that speak to the deity and glory of the Son of God.
Isaiah 45:22-23
22 “Turn to me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.
23 By myself I have sworn;
from my mouth has gone out in righteousness
a word that shall not return:
‘To me every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear allegiance.’
In verse 22, we see a couple of things that are undeniably happening. God is clearly declaring his own identity. There is one God. There is not another. And watch as the descriptions continue. The one God, the only God, says that to him every knee shall bow and all tongues swear allegiance.
But wait, that sounds familiar.
Philippians 2:9-11 – 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Here we see a New Testament usage of Isaiah’s prophecy. But we see that this text is not only applicable to God the Father. Instead, the Father is clear that the honor due his name is also due the Son. The Father is making it clear that, though the Son humbled himself and gave up his rights (Phi. 2:5-8), the Son is restored to his position of glory. The worship due only the Father is also given to the Son. This identifies the deity and glory of the Savior, as to him every knee shall bow and every tongue confess him Lord, swearing allegiance.
If the Scripture is true, if Philippians is accurate, if Isaiah is inspired, then there is only one conclusion for us to reach: Jesus is God. If Jesus is God, he is truly the only way for mankind to have grace and eternal life. We must bow to him as the Father says, declare our allegiance to God through Jesus, and find our hope and our life in him.
Pastor Travis Peterson 