Jesus’ exaltation proves that his humiliation was worth it, because we’re worth it to him.

She poured herself out in love for God’s people. She labored to lead Jesus’ little lambs to know their Savior better. She gave up her time and her dignity to wipe noses and organize schedules and feed the hungry. She humbled herself, and it was beautiful.

And it wasn’t always appreciated. I don’t know what brought her to the breaking point. Maybe it was one bad day when someone spoke cruel and biting words about her service. Maybe it was weeks or months that went by without hearing a single word of appreciation. Whatever the cause, all the pain and frustration came out in one moment: “It’s not worth it!” she shouted. “None of it matters!”

Her husband was standing next to her. With calm kindness he said, “Jesus sees it, and it matters to him. That’s enough, isn’t it?” A flash of hurt shot across her face as the words shot out her mouth: “No! It’s not enough!”

It was a raw moment. Those words didn’t reflect the reality she knew, but they did express the emotions she felt. Humbling yourself hurts. It’s tempting to think it’s not worth it.

That’s why Jesus’ exaltation gives us so much comfort.

Jesus’ humiliation and exaltation

In the season of Lent, we get a clear view of Jesus’ humiliation. On the Sundays of Easter, we turn our hearts to focus on his exaltation. Both call for a word of explanation.

Jesus always has been and always will be fully God. “God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,” we confess with Christians around the world in the Nicene Creed. Beginning with his incarnation, he also became fully human. He hadn’t been human before that moment, but now he continues to be fully man and fully God for all eternity.

That is who Jesus is: fully God and fully man. But for a time in his earthly ministry, Jesus set aside the full and constant use of his divinity. Like a father allowing his young son to pin him in a wrestling match, he restrained his strength. But Jesus didn’t just allow his Father to pin him to the floor. He allowed sinful men to nail him to a cross.

Jesus’ exaltation refers to the time when Jesus, the God-man, took up the full and constant use of his divine powers again. His exaltation began with his resurrection back to life. A crushed body that grew cold now warmed and filled with new breath, a body of human flesh and bones that could never be killed again. He journeyed to hell not as a victim but as a King who shows his justice and victory. He loosed himself from gravity’s grip as he ascended to heaven before his disciples’ eyes, and at his command the Spirit filled his followers with courage and power on the Day of Pentecost. He watches over his brothers and sisters here on earth—with everything under his feet—until the day he comes in one last act of victorious judgment and deliverance to bring his people home.

Beginning with his resurrection, Jesus took up the full use of his divinity again. But this wasn’t just a return to what he was before. This was even more glorious.

His humbling was worth it

St. Paul wrote, “Being found in appearance as a man, [Christ] humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name” (Philippians 2:8-9). Paul says Jesus’ exaltation is all the more glorious because of the humiliation that came before it. Beginning with his resurrection, Jesus is now exalted as the victorious Savior. He’s always been holy, but now he’s holy as the one who has been tempted by sin and overcome it. He’s always been the immortal God, but now he’s living as the one who conquered death and ripped out its sting. Jesus’ resurrection does not simply undo his humiliation. It completes it. It shows that everything he suffered was part of a plan and served a purpose: He has forgiven sins, defeated death, and opened the door to eternal life.

God shows us that in beautiful ways in Scripture. When Jesus appeared to his disciples after he rose, he was in a glorified and perfected body, but that body still bore the scars of his crucifixion—holes in his hands and feet where nails were pounded through his flesh. A wound in his side marked the spot where a Roman soldier’s spear pierced him. When God gave St. John his great revelation, the apostle saw Jesus as a Lamb “looking as if it had been slain” (Revelation 5:6), but now the Lamb is living and reigning in heaven. Those wounds are still part of Christ’s resurrected body, because those wounds are what won the world’s salvation; they’re what he suffered to redeem you from sin and give you eternal life.

Scripture shows us something else: In his exaltation, Jesus is always with his people. He greets the women outside the tomb; he gathers with his disciples in the locked room of Jerusalem; he walks the Emmaus road with crestfallen Christians. And the Lamb in heaven is still the Shepherd who is surrounded by a flock that no one can count or number. This is his glory: He has saved us! His exaltation proves that his humiliation was worth it, because we’re worth it to him.

Your humble service is worth it too

Philippians 2:5-11 is a beautiful hymn about Jesus’ humiliation and exaltation. But Paul sings it for a reason. He isn’t just teaching those early Christians the truths of Jesus’ humiliation and exaltation. He’s equipping us for our Christian lives.

Jesus’ resurrection does not simply undo his humiliation. It completes it.

Philippians 2:5 begins with the words, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” Think like Jesus in your dealings with the people around you. Sometimes that will mean humbling yourself. In fact, showing Jesus’ love will always involve humbling ourselves, because if we are really loving people in the same way Jesus does, we are putting their needs before our own needs. That calls for sacrifice. That brings pain. Very often, the people we’re humbling ourselves to serve won’t appreciate what we do. We shouldn’t be surprised at that. After all, we still often fail to see and thank God for all he does for us. And the devil will be there to tempt us with the thought: It’s not worth it. Our own sinful hearts will be quick to agree.

So remember Jesus’ exaltation. Exult in it! There will be a day when we will stand with Jesus and see that every act of lowliness we performed in his name was truly glorious—after all, what could be better than having the mindset of Christ? And by God’s grace we’ll see something else: the people we were privileged to serve with Christ’s humble, faithful love, standing with their Savior. His grace saved them, but he used us to bring that grace to them.

Even if we don’t always see it here on earth, we’ll know it forever in heaven: It was worth it!

Author: Joel Seifert
Volume 113, Number 04
Issue: April 2026