And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth (Matthew 28:18).
The word translated “power” above is the Greek “Exousia” which means authority. In this pivotal statement, the Lord affirmed His dominion not only in heaven but also in the earth.
Since Jesus wields all authority in the earth, that automatically means the nations of the world, which are in the earth, are all under His authority. No wonder the Bible says Jesus is seated in the heavenly realms, “high above all other government and authority and power and dominion, and every title of sovereignty used either in this Age or in the Age to come” (Ephesians 1:21 WNT).
Guess what? His authority over all things is for our benefit: “…Christ rules over all forces, authorities, powers, and rulers. He rules over all beings in this world and will rule in the future world as well. God has put all things under the power of Christ, and for the good of the church he has made him the head of everything” (Ephesians 1:21-22 CEV). This is so sublime.
Right after He declared in Matthew 28:18 that all authority was given to Him in heaven and in the earth, He charged us in the very next verse to “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations….” He sent us on the basis of His authority to take His message to the nations—to every man’s world.
Can you see why government after government, kingdom after kingdom, tyrants, despots and dictators have tried throughout the age to annihilate the Church but failed? Can you see why nothing, no one, no force or entity would ever be able to destroy the Church? It’s because there’s only One who has authority over all things in heaven and in the earth; His Name is Jesus. He rules over all. He’s “in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything…” (Ephesians 1:21-22 MSG). Hallelujah!
PRAYER / CONFESSION
The Lord Jesus reigns and rules over all things; over all forces, authorities, powers and rulers. He rules over all beings in this world and in the world to come and I’m one with Him. I’m His seed, prolonging His days. Hallelujah!
FURTHER STUDY
Psalm 22:28; Revelation 11:15; Philippians 2:9-11
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN
Matthew 15:29-39; Matthew 16:1-12; Exodus 3-5
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN
Acts 11:15-30; Job 17
