Flight plan

Philippians 2:9
Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name.

Airplanes are a great invention.  I can’t say that I’m the biggest fan of flying, but it’s amazing.  To think that mankind has the ability and the knowledge to construct a machine capable of lifting off the ground, defying the law of gravity, and safely transporting people and cargo around the world is incredible.

I’ve flown a number of times throughout the years, sometimes on little planes and other times on jumbo jets.  The ride changed based on the plane I was in, but one thing remained constant: I stayed in the plane.

It’s my opinion that jumping out of a perfectly good plane isn’t a good idea.  Now, I know there are people who do jump out of planes, but they do it in a “safe” way with proper training and equipment.  No one who desires to live long and prosper, however, would jump out of a plane without the proper equipment and training.  That would be a death sentence.

So why all this talk of planes?

Well, I’m glad you asked.  When Christ finished His work, dying on the cross, and resurrecting from the dead, being the perfect sacrifice to satisfy God’s requirements, He ascended to Heaven where He sat down at the right hand of God (Hebrews 10:12).  His position, seated, shows us that the work is finished.  

When we place our faith in Christ’s finished work through the cross, God places us in Christ, seated at His right hand.  This is something that Jesus asked for before He went to the cross (John 17:20-23).  It is part of the entire grace package that has been given to us through His sacrifice.

Grace is our ticket into Christ.  It’s like flying in a plane that has no chance of crashing.  You’re safe in Christ; you’re above the storms.  His name soars above all other names.  Whatever you can think of that has a name is beneath Him.  Depression, anxiety, poverty, alcoholism, food addiction, cancer, AIDS, and death are all names.  But God has highly exalted Christ and given Him the name above ALL other names.  

Those who are in Christ have been lifted up with Him.  It’s not that we’re above all names, but the plane we’re in, Jesus, is.  Because of Him we are given the grace to know by faith that as He is, so are we in this world (1 John 4:17).  

I never really liked flying, but I can guarantee that the next time I get on a plane I’ll be seeing the flight from a different point of view.  I won’t be thinking about the physical plane, but about the safety and security found in the name above all names, Jesus Christ!