9/1/26

Matthew 23:12 NASB95 “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

Nebuchadnezzar was a powerful king over Babylon; he stood and proclaimed that he had built his kingdom by his own two hands. Daniel 4:30 NASB95 “The king reflected and said, ‘Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?’

Almost immediately, he was humbled. God showed him what might, power, glory, and majesty he actually had. Daniel 4:33 NASB95 “Immediately the word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled; and he was driven away from mankind and began eating grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.

Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled.

Napoleon exalted himself by removing the crown from the hands of Pope Pius VII and placing it on his own head. He claimed, with this action, that he was over every power, both physical and Spiritual. He exalted himself above God. He eventually was removed from power and forced to live his life in captivity under guard on a tiny island over 1000 miles from land. Here he lived in humility, died, and was buried.

Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled.

Pope Boniface VIII exalted himself, claiming to have all power. He decreed that it is absolutely necessary for the salvation of every human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff. He was then confronted by an army while fully dressed in his regalia. He was slapped in the face, taken captive, held prisoner, and subjected to psychological and physical torment for three days. The profound embarrassment and trauma of the ordeal entirely broke him. He died just a few weeks later in Rome, reportedly out of pure grief, rage, and shock.

Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled.

Jesus, is the Son of God, He is Lord of lords, He is King of kings, He is the attoning sacrifice from the sins of all men. Yet He emptied Himself of all the glories of heaven and humbled Himself. Philippians 2:8 NASB95 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 NASB95 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

Mark 16:19 NASB95 So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.

Philippians 2:9-11 NASB95 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

There is no better example of humility than Jesus. There is no better example of being exalted by the Father than Jesus.

He is the example and proof that His Word is true, as He Himself spoke in our text. Matthew 23:12 NASB95 “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

In the Old Testament, we see a man humbly follow God after losing almost everything. His name was Job. His friends exalted themselves, but in the end they were humbled by God, and Job was exalted. Job 42:7 NASB95. It came about after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has.

Job 42:10 NASB95 The LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the LORD increased all that Job had twofold.

God never changes. From the Alpha to the Omega, the beginning and the end, the truth is the truth. Matthew 23:12 NASB95 “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted."

Recognition on earth will get you a grave. Humility in the footsteps of Jesus will get you a place in heaven with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, the three in one Godhead. John 14:1-3 NASB95 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

Be humble in Christ!

Love Brother Scott